On local election nights you've got to go by the yardsticks the parties set themselves.

On that measure Labour has had a very bad night – ending up in its weakest position in local government for 35 years. It is a massive rebuff to Gordon Brown on his first test at the polls as Prime Minister.

The Conservatives have done extremely well – at 42% plus their share of the vote is what David Cameron needs to become Prime Minister with a comfortable overall majority.

The Liberal Democrats held their ground with roughly the same 25% share as Labour. Most expected a modest squeeze. On balance they'll be relieved, but they don't appear to have much momentum even with their new leader Nick Clegg.

Overnight Government ministers stuck to the line that they will learn the lessons but seemed to have precious few ideas. Their big fear is that MPs start squabbling amongst themselves facing the likelihood of losing their seats.

Of course moods could all change if Ken Livingstone hangs onto London for Labour but conventional wisdom as London woke up to a day of vote counting was that Boris Johnson would cap the Tories strong council performance.

Comments

[Victor, NW Kent 6 May 2008 09:58:07]

Brown has not scrapped the bin taxes. He just says he has but that is a lie. 14 Councils are to go ahead with these taxes and the EU regulations on landfill mean that extra money has to be raised from somewhere to pay EU fines.

It is just like his "British Jobs for British People" promise - empty.

Still more money is being raised by bin fines and one man has already had to pay £210 and have his DNA taken as a result. He is regarded as a high-risk person, liable to commit further "criminal" acts. That is why they keep his DNA on file.

It is hard to realise that I was born in a foreign country called Great Britain. It has disappeared like Atlantis.

[Rob Glasgow 5 May 2008 18:55:21]

So Gordon has scrapped the 'pay as you throw' tax on rubbish. Well if all he can do is shelve an extra stealth tax that hasn't even been brought in yet, he can go fly a kite. What a bloody cheek - is this his fightback?

[Martyn, Lincolnshire 5 May 2008 17:54:36]

Gordon you have been shown to have brought in two taxes by stealth (10p rate and car tax increases)
You have been found out.
Red Ken tried to introduce the £25 per day congestion charge. Londoners arent stupid, they booted him out. You say you want to listen and learn. You consider scrapping the pay as you go rubbish charge. Youre going to have to do far far better than that to survive. You have been warned!

[mary in edinburgh 5 May 2008 14:06:51]

I am so ashamed he's Scots. Please dont throw him back over our fence when he gets flung out -- we dont want him.

[Rich Willis, Somerset 5 May 2008 12:08:24]

Yea - I noticed the 'Spin' tactic from the ministers. They still havn't learned to face reality. I can't get my head around it. If they were in a normal job, they'd have been given the sack.

This -'Oh - we'll now listen to you and are feeling for you' approach is just like the last local elections where Blair said a similar thing. Well he didn't listen and Brown hasn't listened.

And the 'Tax & Spend' strategy of Old Labour is really starting to hurt EVERYONE now.

Time for Labour to go into opposition for a while. Get out of the way while there is something to salvage!

[Alan, Kent 5 May 2008 11:37:25]

I cannot watch all these ministers that Brown is wheeling out to rationalise the catastrophic local election results. I should expect this kind of spin from them however because it is their nature to place the blame for failure on anything or anybody but themselves. But what makes me so sick is the repeated assurance that they are listening and that lessons will be learned. What planet have they been living on for the last 11 years of Labour government? Are they telling us that over that period they have not been aware of the growing distrust and anger about the results of their ruinous policies that have transformed this once-great country to a mere shadow of its former self. The answer is obvious so their weasel words about listening and learning lessons are nothing more than empty promises aimed at averting their inevitable fall from power.

[Victor, NW Kent 2 May 2008 16:30:06]

I must say that I am pleased that most of England has shown that it loathes the Brown government as much as I do.

I note here a great many new bloggers and a great absence of the Labour apologists who deny reality on this blog every week. It is hard to deny this one away as the Conservatives have done vastly better than the opinion of any of the professional scribblers and twice as well as I expected.

There is still a lot to do before Labour is swept out of government and into the closet. Please, all of you real patriots and solid thinkers, start right now telling David Cameron exactly what we expect him to do when he has the keys to No.10. There is a vast mess to clear up and Whitehall is an overgrown weed patch with more than one dung heap in it.

[Jamie 2 May 2008 14:21:11]

Why are Sky reporting a much lower share of the vote for the conservatives than the BBC (38:44%)? Also isn't it the case that Adam Bolton can't leave his labour bias behind, even on an excellent day for the conservatives? He's clutching at straws by strangely talking about Scotland!

[Nigel Heywood - GA, USA 2 May 2008 13:54:54]

I left the UK 15 years ago, and everytime I came home I noticed that the once perfect "Moore" statue was slowly being chipped away at by Secularism, Political correctness and Socialist Homogeneity. The UK is but a nub, unrecognizable, a swell of ignorance and self hatred brought on by the left. Enoch Powell sounded the death knell decades ago. It is not too late to correct this, but someone has to take serious the issues that stalk this once great nation. It is not Labor, nor is it the Conservative party of Cameron. We need real leadership that eschews the evil of socialism and the insipidness of the modern political system.

[John (Northumberland) 2 May 2008 12:20:29]

Just take a minute.

Were it not for Brown's dithering, George Osbourne's Inheritance Tax Plans and a great speech from David Cameron in Blackpool, we could be staring down the barrel of 5 MORE YEARS of HARD LABOUR! AAAAARGH!

At the end of his Brown Bounce 'honeymoon' - if he'd called an election at the Labour Party Conference - he might have scraped home.

But boy, look at him now just 7 months later!

What a loser.

[Andrew, Hove 2 May 2008 12:12:56]

cameron is a good man - and the tories have done well because of him - but frankly they need to keep the rest of the right wing nutters quiet otherwise nice middle class moderates like me will not vote Tory

[Joey Jones 2 May 2008 12:12:48]

Peter, Effie, Morning Mail, Mike Simpson

Where have you all gone? It's quiet on the western front today.

Labour say they are listening but the man at the top is still in denial blaming all this on the global credit crunch.

Nothing to do with the fact he is completely useless and un-electable!

[Robert. London 2 May 2008 11:50:22]

As a life long labour supporter i am over the moon that this lying incompetent goverment have been kicked in the teeth, re the local elections. Immigration and crime out of control, constant nanny state interference into every aspect of our personal lives, such as the total smoking ban, now starting on alcohol the list is endless. This goverment is nothing more then a cheating and corrupt dictatorship and the sooner they are gone the better.

[Dave, Blackburn 2 May 2008 11:11:35]

Effie, Carol, Gary, john....
Can you hear me....???
YOUR boys took one hell of a beating!
(Apologies to the World Cup commentator).

As a matter of interest, just how irritating was Blears last night???

[Steve Steve , Middlesbrough, Teesside 2 May 2008 11:08:39]

G.King

I saw Hazel Blears too. She was saying the world is flat not round, the sun is shinning and everybody is happy. Apparantly last night was just a dream.

This is the worst government I have known in 50 years of voting.

As a pensioner they think I should be happy with a rise of 86p a week, not enough to buy a loaf of bread. My fuel bills, food bills, and council tax has gone through the roof.

They are a disgrace ! They are more prepared to help the likes of Africa and India than their own pensioners who fought in the war !

[geoff manchester 2 May 2008 11:04:54]

hi i am so clad that this lot are slowly being moved out of government. what we need now is stop hand outs to all these people that not from here also this conning people out of there money like stelf taxes. by by mr brown and the rest of your lot.

[Nick, London 2 May 2008 10:52:51]

My father has seen his bills rise under Gordon Brown, he is 65 and disabled and has very little money as it is. The sooner Labour are out the better, they don't care about the poorest people in this country and are making their lives even harder, and making them even poorer.

[mike 2 May 2008 10:29:08]

its not personal Gordon, you are just not up to the job,it happens, own up and go now rather than put yourself and us through a painful,miserable 1 or 2 years.
you were not elected and never will be.being a Scot in charge of England was always going to be tough, so bye gord you won,t be missed

[SJ, Gloucestershire 2 May 2008 10:23:39]

I hope Brown and this Labour band of criminals go down in political history as one of the worst administrations this country has ever had to endure. How funny it is that Brown was desperate to get the job that would ultimately destroy his political credibility

[Chris, London 2 May 2008 10:21:05]

What has happened to the England in which I was brought up in during the 60's and 70's?
Having served in the Falklands and several other war torn areas during my 24 years in the Navy, and subsequently working at sea for the last 10 years, I feel that I should be able to walk around in my own country without a feeling of being an alien, perhaps popping down to the local pub for a pint and a chat with other locals? I can't even chat the barmaids up any more, she only understands drink orders.
I have worked with many nationalities and do not regard myself as racist in any way, shape or form we would never support the likes of the BNP or UKIP. We have just returned from a country in which we had no status or rights, but felt better and safer there than back here where we wanted to spend quality time and perhaps remain.
How far will this country continue to fall before we become a member of the third world with British refugees seeking refuge elsewhere? Where we now live in South London there are beggars and thieves on each street corner, the "New Police Force" of volunteers are powerless and look on without action. If only one of these pathetic excuses in the government would stop lying, stand up for the rights of everyone and not worry about the immigrant, ethnic, religious, OAP and youth vote, and start to think about everyone as one, we could make a start on putting things right again. All candidates should, in future, be x-ray'd for a spine.
Get tough on crime, ditch the EU and their manipulations, lets be British, have British laws and values which everyone who wants to come and live in this great country MUST obey, if they dont, lets get rid!

[Merv. Beszant, Dubai 2 May 2008 09:55:46]

Madnurse,
Your penultimate paragraph is very relevant, and appreciating what an extremely bad loser Brown is, I think you are absolutely right in suspecting that he will want to get his own back on the country!

[G.KING SUSSEX 2 May 2008 09:50:51]

I have just heard Hazel Blears trying to spin out of this saying GB is listening and has to make unpopular decisions and that they are proud of their unemployment figures which we all know is a farce.Same number of people not working just switched to sickness benefits etc.We will not listen to any more spin.

[Trevor 2 May 2008 09:46:05]

"I will love to read how Carol Ann spins this one"
Posted by: Adrian, Lancashire 2 May 2008 07:51:43
------------------------------
Beat me to it by a whisker, Adrian ! .... but by a good deal less than Brown's "Shallow Salesman" beat The Limping Fist.

[G.KING SUSSEX 2 May 2008 09:45:09]

We blame the international credit crisis-Of course you would.
We will now listen to voters-Of course you will.
It is normal mid election message for the government-Of course it is.
Hazel Blears has just said -We have to get in touch with people-Where have you been for the last 11 years.
There are no excuses.The electorate have had enough of being conned with spin/ever increasing stealth taxes etc

[Merv. Beszant, Dubai 2 May 2008 09:45:08]

T.J.,
Secretary: "Sir, I have checked with security, and apparently the call was put through by a night shift temp., who stated that she had taken the job to boost her family's income. I believe her name is Cherie something"!

[Liz, Suffolk 2 May 2008 09:41:45]

Yippee!!!!!

[Phil Slocombe Spain 2 May 2008 09:23:30]

These results are the clearest possible message, to Mr. Brown and his Ministers from the electorate, that the voters are sick to death with their bungling which has been a disaster in almost every area and has brought a once proud nation to its knees. Watching Brown at recent PMs question time does not bring U turns to mind but I get a picture of a lost driver on a round-a-bout going round and round desperately trying to avoid any exit which is marked 'Truth' All the Ministers like to spin'We aare a listening Government'; please listen then Mr Brown and show a little honesty by falling on your sword and calling a general election. The electorate want it;the oppossition parties want it, only the members of this corupt self seeking government do not want it.

[Madnurse 2 May 2008 08:56:42]

Oh Dear. Lol

So Mr Brown leads Labour to it's worse defeat for forty years, excellent.

I said last week, the question is, will the bloody nose be a minor nose bleed or such a large nasal injury it will require surgical interventions and re construction. I think the latter is clearly the case.

My only sadness is this, this is likely to be taken by Mr Cameron as approval for his personal leadership of our party which dissappoints me, but hey ho, we can't have all we wish for.

The question now is this, is this more a vote against Labour or more a vote for Conservatives?

What did strike me was that as at 08-40, Mr Clegg and Mr Cameron had both faced the cameras, but Macavity was no where to be seen and Harriet Harman had to come in front of the cameras.
I suspect Macavity is in number ten licking his wounds.
Sadly, he can punish us all a great deal between now and when he is finally forced to go to the country for not supporting his vision.

I think to adopt a Scotish phrase, it was a wee stoater so it was!!

[Geoff Manchester 2 May 2008 08:34:28]

After checking overnight results it seems that labour are strong in areas of Manchester/Sunderland/Wigan where voters are mainly on benefits with free social housing and free Council tax.Probably not affected by Car penalisation.This is what is called " Labour Heartlands."Even the 10p con trick doesnt affect them.So they will always vote for the easy life by voting labour.

[steve ratcliffe,newcastle upon tyne 2 May 2008 08:30:48]

This Labour government is a disaster,financially,morally,and politically. They are out of touch and obsessed with taking money out of our pockets for crackpot ideas. Finally the voters are in revolt.Long may it last.

[JC, Deep South 2 May 2008 08:17:45]

When I first heard the election news this morning I immediately thought that perhaps Brown will now get the hint... Unfortunately, by 8am I'd already heard several Labour MPs coming out spinning the results are "because of the INTERNATIONAL credit crisis...".

No, Labour. You've ended up with such pathetic results in this election because people don't trust you. They don't like your leader and what he's doing to this country. There IS an international monetary crisis, but as our government you SHOULD have prepared us for it and now be able to steer us through it; you have proved to be completely incapable of either of these things. You lie and constantly treat the electorate like fools and waste our hard earned taxes like a burst water-main wastes water; your party is the most corrupt to take office in a very long time. You've already done untold damage to our country; do the decent thing, leave office now and let the Conservatives at least try to minimise the remaining effect of your shambolic governance.

[Merv. Beszant, Dubai 2 May 2008 08:15:23]

Adam,
In my opinion this result is very much down to Gordon Brown's poor performance as the P.M., and cannot be attributed to the usual mid term blues, and the fact that his popularity has declined so drastically, in such a short space of time, confirms this.
There is no doubt that Brown's leadership abilities are almost non existant, which is something that Tony Blair must have been very aware of, and why he was so reluctant to relinquish his position as P.M..
As a so called 'listening' Prime Minister, Gordon is an abject failure!

[Trevor 2 May 2008 08:15:10]

Game Set and Match to the "shallow salesman" then.
And a firm smack round the ear for "the Clunking Fist".
The message is clear - the populace have had enough of New Labour incompetence waste and lies.
"It's all over now"
(But I'm just waiting for Carol-Ann, Peter, and a few others to post what a good result it was for Labour!)

[Adrian, Lancashire 2 May 2008 07:51:43]

I will love to read how carol Ann spins this one

[T.J. from Ireland 2 May 2008 07:50:34]

10 Downing Street…………..6.00a.m.
Inside Prime Ministers Office:
Secretary: “Yes Mr Prime Minister?”
G.B:” Find out who put through that congratulatory call from Tony Blair.”
Secretary: “Yes Mr Prime Minister.”
G.B.: “And tell them they’re fired.”
Secretary:” Yes Mr Prime Minister.”

[Michael Hardman 2 May 2008 07:46:37]

Bye bye love, hallo lonelyness, I think I am going down, I think my name is Brown

[T. England 2 May 2008 07:45:56]

Happy, smug, feeling good!
These are just some of the feelings I have this morning!

Hello Labour!
How are you feeling?
Rejected, unwanted, feeling like a LOSER!
Thats because you are!

Anyhow! Just like many on here have been saying! Labour are on their way out, they havn't looked after those they should have & have made many bad decisions, they are now paying the price.
Expensive wasn't it Labour?!

Did I mention that I'm particually happy today!!!

HAVE A NICE DAY ALL!

[Jon, cephalonia, greece 2 May 2008 07:41:34]

At long last the people of England have spoken. Now keep on speaking out. I just watched Harriet Harmen on breakfast with Eamon, she looked shell shocked, and so she should. Claiming the Labour goverment have to listern to what the voter is saying. Well Miss Harmen, to little, far to late. You have had 11 years to listern to the voter, and in that time their voice has fallen on def ears. The hard working English voter has never been so worst off and taxed, has they have under this goverment.

I am looking forward to the London score later.
Welcome to the end of Nu for Old Labour.

Any bets on when Bottler will be resigning? Im going for July 12.