State of the Locals – where we’re up to
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGiU said:
“There’s a long way to go in these local elections with most councils counting this morning. But the results that have come in overnight already paint a pretty clear picture.
The Conservatives are tightening what was already a very firm grip on shire England, taking majority control of counties such as Lincolnshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. Labour, the Liberal Democrats and, especially, UKIP have all had bad nights.
There’s some evidence from the results so far that strong local leadership locally is rewarded by voters. Labour’s Ros Jones bucked the national trend to be comfortably re-elected as city mayor in Doncaster.
Labour will be expecting to do well in most of the six new Combined Authority areas that are electing Metro Mayors for first time, though the West Midlands looks desperately close. The biggest question however will be turn out. Will it be 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?”
ENDS
