UK local elections, May 2012

[Harry Hayfield]

I'm glad to see a reference to Wales as this year will see what the local electorate make of the 2010 General Election and the 2011 Assembly Elections. I, myself, am hoping to be able to stand for Ceredigion again (this time in a different ward).

And in case, people are wondering about Cardiff, here is the result in 2008 (with the change on 2004)
Conservatives 70,238 votes (28% +7%) winning 17 seats (+5 seats)
Labour 68,024 votes (27% -3%) winning 13 seats (-14 seats)
Liberal Democrats 66,940 votes (26% -7%) winning 35 seats (+2 seats)
Plaid Cymru 32,120 votes (13% +3%) winning 7 seats (+4 seats)
Independents 11,685 votes (5% +3%) winning 3 seats (+3 seats)
Others 5,215 votes (2% -1%) winning 0 seats (unchanged)
Conservative lead of 2,214 (1%) on a swing of 5% from Lab to Con
No Overall Control, Liberal Democrats short by 3

[Harry Hayfield]

Map of Welsh 2008 local election results:

Lovely. Am I correct in assuming that white is Ind, pink are local Independents (Llais, Swansea Ind, Merthyr Ind) and that grey is Independent Independent?

[Harry Hayfield]

Welsh Local Elections 2004 - 2008

I know that Andrew has done some sterling work on the Welsh local elections, but in Wales (as he has pointed out) there is more than one kind of Independent and whilst generally speaking most Independent groupings work together they have been known to squabble over the years so this tally of councillors elected is based on how they were nominated as opposed to their actual workings in council

Welsh Local Elections 2004
Labour   525377   35.48%    (476 Seats)
Independent   218762   14.77%    (315 Seats)
Plaid Cymru   226673   15.30%    (174 Seats)
Liberal Democrat   220310   14.88%    (146 Seats)
Conservative   187593   12.67%    (108 Seats)
Ratepayers    13198    0.89%    (10 Seats)
Non Party Independent    23444    1.58%    (9 Seats)
Swansea Independents    10601    0.71%    (6 Seats)
Merthyr Independents     6077    0.41%    (6 Seats)
People Before Politics     7603    0.51%    (3 Seats)
Social Democratic Party     2655    0.17%    (3 Seats)
Democratic Alliance of Wales     2221    0.15%    (3 Seats)
Llanwit First Independents     3250    0.21%    (2 Seats)
Green    16570    1.11%
Forward Wales     4943    0.33%
Cardiff Citizens     3841    0.25%
Independent Ratepayers     1762    0.11%
Llais Ceredigion     1096    0.07%
United Kingdom Independence Party      907    0.06%
Socialist Alternative      809    0.05%
Rhondda People's Party      596    0.04%
Captain Beany, NMBP      522    0.03%
Communist      382    0.02%
Debra Hill, CPA      266    0.01%
British National Party      254    0.01%
Socialist Labour Party      249    0.01%
Huw Pudner, Respect      210    0.01%
None of the Above Parties      155    0.01%
Anne Savoury, ProLife      134    0.00%
Karl-James Langford, Liberal      110    0.00%

Welsh Local Elections 2008
Labour   462858   29.97%    (344 Seats -132)
Independent   227183   14.71%    (282 Seats -33)
Plaid Cymru   241668   15.65%    (207 Seats +33)
Conservative   272712   17.66%    (173 Seats +65)
Liberal Democrat   223342   14.46%    (166 Seats +20)
Non Party Independent    39352    2.54%    (46 Seats +37)
Llais Gwynedd     7119    0.46%    (12 Seats)
Blaenau Gwent People's Voice    12198    0.79%    (8 Seats)
Swansea Independents    11282    0.73%    (8 Seats +2)
Merthyr Independents     6648    0.43%    (6 Seats)
Ratepayers     9756    0.63%    (4 Seats -6)
Llanwit First Independents     6276    0.40%    (3 Seats +1)
Social Democratic Party     2778    0.17%    (3 Seats)
Green     9544    0.61%
British National Party     4564    0.29%
Independent Ratepayers     2777    0.17%
United Kingdom Independence Party     1723    0.11%
Socialist Alternative      804    0.05%
Communist      695    0.04%
Captain Beany, NMBP      369    0.02%
Respect - The Unity Coalition      186    0.01%
None of the Above Parties       96    0.00%
Karl Langford, Liberal       73    0.00%

[Harry Hayfield]

Once against, the political machinations of Blantyre's great and good on the political scene never ceases to amaze me.

Does this mean that you are not standing for the locals then?

[Harry Hayfield]

Ceredigion's is partially out (eight wards have not had their nominations published online as of 1833 BST today), but the main headlines are:

• Record number of Conservatives (20 so far) and Liberal Democrats (28)
• Only two unopposed returns (Lledrod for the Independents and Tregaron for Plaid Cymru)

[Harry Hayfield]

Welsh Local Election Results 2012
(NB: One ward still to formally declare)

Labour   594355   41.61%    (577 Seats +233)
Plaid Cymru   203601   14.25%    (158 Seats -49)
Independent   201760   14.12%    (222 Seats -57)
Conservative   192415   13.47%    (104 Seats -69)
Liberal Democrat   120713    8.45%    (72 Seats -94)
Non Party Independent    47959    3.35%    (56 Seats +7)
Green    14494    1.01%
Ratepayers     9379    0.65%    (1 Seat -3)
Llais Gwynedd     7326    0.51%    (13 Seats +1)
Llanwit First Independents     6488    0.45%    (4 Seats +1)
Swansea Independents     4591    0.32%    (3 Seats -5)
Heath and Birchgrove Independents     3539    0.24%    (1 Seat)
None of the Above Parties     3012    0.21%    (2 Seats +2)
United Kingdom Independence Party     2552    0.17%    (2 Seats +2)
People Before Politics     2226    0.15%    (1 Seat)
Merthyr Independents     2212    0.15%    (2 Seats -4)
Social Democratic Party     2156    0.15%    (1 Seat -2)
Independent Ratepayers     2084    0.14%    (1 Seat +1)
James Michael Brinning, Ind Lab     1992    0.13%
Trade Unionists and Socialists     1476    0.10%
Llandaff North Independents     1114    0.07%
Communist      813    0.05%
Christian People's Alliance      745    0.05%
Socialist Labour Party      678    0.04%
British National Party      261    0.01%
Independent Plaid Cymru      214    0.01%    (1 Seat)
National Front      138    0.00%