Smug Lib Dems in Camden, usually crowing in the Town Hall that they are set to 'take the council' next year, were left red-faced by a poor showing in the Euro poll - even when Labour took a pounding in the press in our worst week ever!
In Camden they came third, behind the Tories (2nd) and Labour in first place. This is only a slight improvement on their 4th place in Camden in the Mayoral election in 2008. Across London the Libs faded again, just like last year – proving again they are just a small party of protest.
I’m told that the Lib Dems are saying that their vote was poor because people disagreed with their European policy. But Camden’s always been quite pro-Euro/EU and besides, aren’t they blaming the electorate for not voting for them because their policies are crap?
To a point, to a point – while there was the UKIP vote most commentators are saying that the general poll was more influenced by national political factors, not European ones – e.g. people don’t seem to have voted BNP because they agreed with their policy on Lisbon or not.
Here are some key facts about how Labour did:
Labour started the night with two seats - and held them both. In the 2004 Euros, we won three seats by taking the ninth of nine seats. London has now lost a seat due to enlargement of the EU. If there were nine seats this time, Labour would have again taken the ninth seat.
Labour held its overall second place (to Tories) across London.
Labour won 14 of the 33 London Boroughs, including LibDem Islington and LibDem Southwark – as well as Barking & Dagenham, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.
Labour came second in a further 12 London Boroughs – Barnet, Croydon, Enfield, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Merton, Redbridge, Wandsworth, Westminster.
Labour’s vote held up better in London than anywhere else in the country. Labour vote was down 3.5% across London - nationally, the Labour vote was down 7%.
Cameron’s Tories failed to make the national breakthrough they would need to form a UK Government. In London the Tory share of the vote nudged up by just 0.6% - nationally, the Tory increase in the vote we just under 1%.
Tory vote was just 13.7% in Barking & Dagenham, 14.5% in Islington, 14.9% in Southwark, 15.1% in Hackney and Haringey.
LibDems were third in London on 13.7% share, that’s down 1.6% on 2004. (Did I mention that Labour came first in LibDem Islington and LibDem Southwark?).
All to play for, I say.
2 comments:
It was interesting to read Alexis Rowell's letter into the CNJ this week. Sounded like he was pandering to the Greens.
A three-way coalition? Or a breakaway from the Tories? They obviously do not believe they'll have overall control come next May.
What do you think?
Quite a good article but a little misleading. Another (also misleading) way of talking about the results would be to say that this was Labour's lowest ever vote share in Camden history.
Just a couple of thousand votes separated all 3 parties. Camden is a genuine 3 way marginal - anyone who says differently is selling something.
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