State of the Locals – where we’re up to at 2pm
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGiU said:
“The Conservatives now have a comprehensive grip on shire England, taking Derbyshire from Labour and taking majority control of counties such as Northumberland, Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire.
Labour look like they will be all but wiped out in the counties. UKIP already have been.
Labour will now be pinning their hopes on the new Combined Authority areas that are electing Metro Mayors for first time, though the West Midlands looks desperately close and the Conservatives have already won the West of England.
The big question mark hanging over the mayoral elections has been whether turnout will big enough to give the new mayors the mandate and legitimacy they need to hit the ground running and to act as an effective political counterweight to Whitehall.
At around 30%, it’s broadly in line with turn out for the county council elections that happened yesterday and with local elections generally. It’s certainly far better than the disastrously low turnout we saw in the first Police and Crime Commissioner elections. The new Metro Mayors will be local government leaders working with other leaders, often heading cabinets of council leaders: this level of turnout will mean they can do this with the same level of mandate as the rest of local government.
Most incoming Mayors will be privately pleased with this level of turnout, while hoping to raise their profile in office and improve significantly upon it next time they go to the polls.”
ENDS
