The local elections in the UK are beginning to look less like a Tory slaughter as Labour activists had hoped, and more of a ‘night of the right’ across the United Kingdom.
Around three quarters of seats have still not declared, but from what we know so far, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Greens have failed to make major inroads – in fact the Liberal Democrats are becoming increasingly irrelevant.
The Conservatives have scarcely decreased their vote share on 2012, and UKIP has surged into the double figures in terms of a percentage increase. The Labour Party is hanging around a minus one percent change on 2012. That is a catastrophe for Ed Miliband’s party.
Labour sources are already slamming the party’s approach to policy and campaigning going into these elections – with MP Graham Stringer repeatedly heaping pressure on party leader Ed Miliband. Vindicated in his decision, Labour Finance and Industry Group member jumped ship to UKIP yesterday, which Breitbart London exclusively revealed.
In northern England, Labour felt the heat from UKIP in their traditional heartlands, with the party making headway in areas such as Rotherham, Doncaster and Hull, areas in which the Conservatives have traditionally failed to make any gains.
Nigel Farage’s party will no doubt be the big news of today, and of Sunday night when the European election results come in. But for now – UKIP is gaining over 90 council seats across the country, taking key areas for the working class vote: in Essex, and in the North of England.
At a first glance it looks like the Conservatives (-131) are the ones ceding to UKIP (+93), but UKIP is taking seats from Labour, and Labour are taking some seats from the Tories. As more results come in over the course of the day, expect to see further evidence of a Labour failure to capitalise.
In terms of turnout, figures seem to be hovering around 30 percent, similar to 2009, but this year it seems that people are voting for UKIP for the first time after years of not voting, and Liberal Democrat and some Tory voters have stayed home – not voting at all.
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