UK Local Elections / European Parliamentary Elections

[Filuwaúrdjan]

God... local politics... I ing hate the way that ing local politics is done over here...

As far as the results go these are LOCAL elections folks, LOCAL here that? LOCAL... they offer no guide to the next general election (or national trends).
The BBC's reporting has been dire. Absolutely dire. Almost biased.
They do that WORTHLESS poll thingy ("who won the most votes in total in the LOCAL ELECTIONS") and are using it to claim that this is Labour's worst result in living memory.
Bullsh**t.
Back in the late '60's (when we had a sane local government system) the Tories controlled just about every council in the country... and in the late '70's the Tories swept the board again.
I repeat again: these are LOCAL ELECTIONS they will have utterly no effect on the General Election and any idiotic reporter that says so should be shot.
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BTW I'm happy that local gun-nut far right Tory Albie Fox (who none of you will of heard of) went down in Shrewsbury. This is what local politics should be about.
Tell the national media to  off will ya?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I know these are no indications of the General Election, I never said they were, merely that Labour have lost a lot of councillors in these elections.

I know that.
I've just been REALLY PISSED OFF by the biased slanted news coverage... and the INSANE struture of "local" government in the U.K...

What should have been reported was competent councils (Liverpool, Barrow in Furness) get re-elected and the unpopular Mayor of Stoke on Trent getting punished...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Something else that's bad: a well run council (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne) is almost certain to be defeated as a result of the Iraq war (NUT has a lot of Progressive Yuppie types).
Way to go idiots.
They'll  it's finances up like they do everywhere else.
People in Sunderland will be laughing in the street (oh yeah: in the rest of the North East Labour have done fairly well).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Labour hold Gateshead (a working class suburb town across the river from NUT).
They'll be laughing as well.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

But then the Labour Council in Oxford was pretty incompetent and got its marching orders. Lots of money wasted on city centre improvements that had to be improved within a few months didn't go down too well with the electorate. I was particularly amused that the Labour Mayor himself was defeated.

Fair enough. Incompetent councils deserve to go down.
The LibDems have won control of NUT, but with a smaller majority (18 seats) than I had expected.

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Wales news:

Labour are likely to win back RCT and Caerphilly from Plaid, while losing overall control in Swansea (after a scandel involving the local Leisure centre) where it still has the most seats, and Cardiff (which may be more of a vote against the controversual council leader... but he's blaming the whole D-Day row. The LibDems might win the most seats on Cardiff City Council, partially because of the Progressive Yuppies and the Iraq War).
A mixed bag really... something for everyone.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

If you've been watching the 1 O'Clock news Al, you will probably be screaming because the BBC have pretty much called the next general election for the Tories.

Is that some form of sick joke or something? Has the BBC gone gaga or something?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Sorry Al but I don't agree. Some people vote at local with national reasons. it's maybe bad but it's the case...

True to a certain degree, but LOCAL elections are a really, really, really bad way to measure political changes... (otherwise the following would have been P.M's: Foot, Kinnock, Hauge, IDS)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Sorry Al but I don't agree. Some people vote at local with national reasons. it's maybe bad but it's the case...

True to a certain degree, but LOCAL elections are a really, really, really bad way to measure political changes... (otherwise the following would have been P.M's: Foot, Kinnock, Hauge, IDS)

Al, see nomorelies' post in the 2004 Election Discussion, he is talking about this. You may have something to add to the discussion.

I swore at him a bit

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Really, really, really, really, really bad news... the BBC is reporting that the NSDAP BNP have picked up 3 seats in Epping Forest

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Really, really, really, really, really bad news... the BBC is reporting that the NSDAP BNP have picked up 3 seats in Epping Forest

Urgh..... UKIP have picked up a seat in Hull and one in Derby. .

The far right moveth... oh sh**t. The UKIP might do disturbingly well come Sunday

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Normal service is resumed in Rhondda-Cynon-Taff: http://www.rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk/Elections2004/index.htm

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yawn...Labour really shouldn't flip out...Its not Howard is actually going to become prime minister...in an age of live TV and internet...he looks like the Count himself.

He's running against a Labour government that is unpopular (relatively speaking) because of Iraq, because the economy hasn't been as strong (still doing decently) as before, and large amount of popular anger at the way Blair's handled the EU?

and he's only recieved 38%? on par with Hague and IDS?

Thats terrible for the Tories. With Iraq fading out of the picture and the world economy improving...

A Tory government isn't gonna happen this time...not until they put someone eloquent AND electable at the top...


The Liberal Democrats on the other hand...did pretty damn well/are doing well.

Thats the party to watch.

Results were mixed for ALL parties (hey: these are local elections after all. The media seems to have forgotten that) and whoever is in power always does badly in them...
Like I said earlier what I get worried by is competent councils getting voted out because of things like Iraq. Ah yes... it is true... the most educated can be the most foolish...
But our whole local government structure is just... daft.
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Re: the % of the vote thingy: that's just plain useless bullsh**t. Basically the BBC added the results for what they decided were "key wards" and did a bit of maths to get "national" results. That sort of gimmik is
a) Useless (hey: it SEATS THAT COUNT YOU IDIOTS. Oh and did I mention that these are local elections?)
b) Innacurate (for obvious reasons)
c) Useless
d) Making a mockery of "local" government.
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As far as the LibDems being ones to watch, that's true, but not in the areas they did well out of protest votes today (hell, they've controlled L'Pool CC for 6 years and didn't even come close to winning back a Westminster Seat last time round), where I'd watch 'em like a hawk is rural areas (bye, bye Ollie, Theresa, David et al. You won't be missed)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

They could have done a bit better in the south...that would really kill any Tory momentum for next year.

Sunday (when the Euro results are announced) might do that all on it's own...

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Point.

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Agreed

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UKIP are scary... and might come 3rd on Sunday

[Filuwaúrdjan]

UKIP consider themselves to be a "moderate" party.

Moderate compared to what? The BNP?

Or Norman "Chingford Skinhead" Tebbit?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

UPDATE:

Leeds and Doncaster have gone NOC. Not suprising at all. Leeds CC includes a large suburban area (of the liberal yuppie sort), while the Labour council in Donny has been involved in more scandels than I can care to remember... (Donnygate anyone?)

Suprisingly they've kept their majority on Sheffield CC.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

BNP has picked up 4 seats in Bradford

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Overall GLA results:

CON - 31% (-2)
LAB -25% (-7)
LIB DEM 18% (0)
UKIP 10% (+10)
GREEN 8% (-2)
Respect 5% (+5)
TURNOUT 35% (+4)

Look at UKIP... Ouch!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Ken's baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!


In other news: Labour have had a last minute surge in Brum (current count[seats]: Lab 46, Con 37, LD 22)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

If you've been watching the 1 O'Clock news Al, you will probably be screaming because the BBC have pretty much called the next general election for the Tories.

The BBC are still bitter over the Hutton Report. They're trying to cause a panic among Labour MPs so they get rid of Blair. I mean, look at this:

"How bad is it for Blair?"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3796497.stm

Dunno about you guys, but to me it seems the BBC may well have a little agenda going on here.

The coverage has been disgraceful.
Assinder is a pompus jerk anyway...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I think these are first preference thingys:

Livingstone   Lab              685,541
Norris            Con              542,423
Hughes         LD                284,645
Maloney        UKIP             115,665
German         Resp./Gall.      67,731
    ?                BNP                58,541
    ?                Green             57,331

[Filuwaúrdjan]

What were the 2nd Pref. votes?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Darren Johnson was the Green Candidate
Julian Leppert was the BNP candidate

Truth be told, Darren Johnson was an extremely lacklustre candidate for the Greens. He never aroused much sympathy in me. That and he took part in what had to be one of the worst party political adverts in history (some hip hop group rapping "Vote Green, keep it clean!" etc. It was extremely cringe-inducing and didn't do the Green Party any favours.)

Was he the one with the weird teeth?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

All first and second preferences for Mayor:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/vote2004/london/html/front.stm

Livingstone LAB 288925 34.3 110179 15.5 399104  
  Norris CON 257069 30.5 106002 14.9 363071  
  Hughes LD 127177 15.1 203143 28.6 N/A  
  Maloney UKIP 58319 6.9 93262 13.1 N/A  
  German RESP 36052 3.7 33444 4.1 N/A  
  Leppert BNP 29333 3.5 34723 4.9 N/A  
  Johnson GRN 26741 2.8 96810 11.9 N/A  
  Gidoomal CPA 22476 2.3 29925 3.7 N/A  
  Reid IWCA 4741 0.5 20295 2.5 N/A  
  Nagalingam IND 3843 0.4 11004 1.4 N/A

[Filuwaúrdjan]

All first and second preferences for Mayor:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/vote2004/london/html/front.stm

Livingstone LAB 288925 34.3 110179 15.5 399104  
  Norris CON 257069 30.5 106002 14.9 363071  
  Hughes LD 127177 15.1 203143 28.6 N/A  
  Maloney UKIP 58319 6.9 93262 13.1 N/A  
  German RESP 36052 3.7 33444 4.1 N/A  
  Leppert BNP 29333 3.5 34723 4.9 N/A  
  Johnson GRN 26741 2.8 96810 11.9 N/A  
  Gidoomal CPA 22476 2.3 29925 3.7 N/A  
  Reid IWCA 4741 0.5 20295 2.5 N/A  
  Nagalingam IND 3843 0.4 11004 1.4 N/A

These numbers are far too low to be the actual results - looks the beeb f**cked up.

Not like the Scottish Elections *again*

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I've just noticed something odd about the local results. And it wasn't mentioned on the news or the BBC internet site:

This is a list of all the councils Labour lost overall control/lost to another party:

Newcastle
Leeds
Bassetlaw
Burnley
Cardiff
St Helens
Oxford
Ipswich
Swansea
Hastings
Doncaster
Bridgend
Slough
Tamworth
Thurrock

Of those, these have been involved in *major* scandels/dodgy leaders etc:

Cardiff
Oxford
Swansea
Doncaster

But most interesting is this. The following have large "Progressive Yuppy" population:

Newcastle
Leeds
Cardiff
Oxford
Ipswich
Swansea
Hastings
Slough

While the following have lots of [middle class] suburbs/commuting "villages":

Newcastle
Leeds
Bassetlaw
Cardiff
Swansea
Bridgend
Tamworth
Thurrock

Meanwhile this is a list of the councils that Labour won over control over:

Stoke
Hartlepool
Rhondda Cynon Taff
Caerphilly
Redditch
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Merthyr

Of those the following could be described as having a *very* large working class population:

Stoke
Hartlepool
Rhondda Cynon Taff
Caerphilly
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Merthyr

Go figure.