Local elections 5th May

[Creator Supreme]

We don’t have a Socialist candidate and I'm loath to vote for the paper candidate from the Green Party (because, hàving lived in leafy St Michael's and in shitty Tuebrook, I can confirm that it's hard for someone from the former to understand the needs of the latter).

For the first time since the PCC election, I'm considering spoiling my ballot.

You say that mate but I'm standing in Canny Farm. You just never know, maybe these areas need the greens.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

You say that mate but I'm standing in Canny Farm. You just never know, maybe these areas need the greens.

I'm not sure that Liverpool Greens are up to the job.

[Creator Supreme]

Maybe, needs somebody to keep Chippy Tits in check

[Elite]

Maybe, needs somebody to keep Chippy Tits in check

You should run with that slogan.

[Creator Supreme]

You should run with that slogan.

If I was running for Liverpool council instead of Knowsley I'd consider it.

[Baresi]

Bump.

 

We've just had a depressingly shit leaflet from our Labour candidate.

 

Where we are one of the three Council seats is up for grabs. The two sitting councillors are a Joe-defending Labour member and Steve Radford of the Liberal (not Lib-Dem) Party. Steve carries a lot of respect around here (even with someone like me, who often argues with him on points of policy) because he is a really good and hard-working local ward councillor.

 

Our Labour candidate has just posted a leaflet saying very little except that he will work with Steve Radford. In fact Steve's name is more prominent than his own.

 

The obvious logical conclusion from a leaflet like this is that if you want a candidate who will work with the Liberal councillor then vote for the Liberal candidate.

 

I feel a spoiled ballot coming on.

Radford is my councillor too and is brilliant.  

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-labour-accused-desperation-over-14562546

 

Liverpool’s Labour party have been accused of carrying out a campaign of ‘deception and desperation’ with one of its latest election leaflets.

The leaflet - issued on behalf of Don Porter, Labour’s Tuebrook and Stoneycroft candidate for next month’s council elections - appears to focus largely on Liberal councillor for the ward Steve Radford, stating an intention to work with the popular local councillor.

 

One of the leaflet’s main headlines states ‘Steve Radford is not standing until 2020’ - with theLabour party keen to remind voters that Cllr Radford is not seeking re-election in next month’s vote.

Another section of the leaflet includes a quote from Mr Porter which states: “I will work with Steve Radford to deliver for Tuebrook and Stoneycroft.”

And in a letter sent to residents, Mr Porter mentions Cllr Radford’s name no less than four times, praising his work in the community.

 

The letter states: “Many people around here vote for Steve Radford, he is very hard working, with a really high profile in the area and a long track record of service to our area. I respect that very highly.

“And so I am making this pledge, if I’m elected to the council, I will work with Steve Radford to get things done for the community.”

 

The letter is signed off with a quick post-script that reminds voters that Cllr Radford is not up for election this year.

But Cllr Radford is not impressed with the unconventional election strategy.

He said that despite Mr Porter’s claims, he has never spoken to him and said he finds it hard to believe that voters are being ‘bombarded’ with flyers that are ‘devoid of content other than to suggest their candidate would work with me”.

 

 He added: “This is a campaign of deception and desperation. The only thing the Labour Candidate has done since moving to Liverpool has been to fail miserably to unseat me at the 2016 election. 

 

“Does this mean he is going rebel the Labour whip to vote with me?”

Backing his own party’s candidate in the ward - Billy Lake - Cllr Radford said: “The only candidate who has worked with me fundraising for our community centres, youth work, supported me on community coach trips is Billy Lake.

 

“The only candidate who has spoken at the planning committee with me against HMOs is Billy Lake.”

 

“The only person who, should he be elected, would support me in my council work is Billy Lake.”

 

Cllr Radford also claimed that numerous residents had told him that they have been informed by Labour doorstep canvassers that he is retiring - something which is untrue.

 

The ECHO has approached Mr Porter for a response.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

[Rico1304]

Voted Lib Dem as he was the only candidate who bothered to come round and do any campaigning.

[King Emlyn]

Bump.

We've just had a depressingly shit leaflet from our Labour candidate.

Where we are one of the three Council seats is up for grabs. The two sitting councillors are a Joe-defending Labour member and Steve Radford of the Liberal (not Lib-Dem) Party. Steve carries a lot of respect around here (even with someone like me, who often argues with him on points of policy) because he is a really good and hard-working local ward councillor.

Our Labour candidate has just posted a leaflet saying very little except that he will work with Steve Radford. In fact Steve's name is more prominent than his own.

The obvious logical conclusion from a leaflet like this is that if you want a candidate who will work with the Liberal councillor then vote for the Liberal candidate.

I feel a spoiled ballot coming on.

I used to live in Tuebrook and I echo what you say about Radford, extremely hard working and committed councillor, he always had my vote. Where I live now the best councillor by a mile is the Tory candidate, I would never vote Conservative under any circumstances so my paper was spoiled

[Rico1304]

I used to live in Tuebrook and I echo what you say about Radford, extremely hard working and committed councillor, he always had my vote. Where I live now the best councillor by a mile is the Tory candidate, I would never vote Conservative under any circumstances so my paper was spoiled

This makes zero sense.

[King Emlyn]

This makes zero sense.

It’s quite simple really, I detest the Conservative party and all it stands for, it’s a bigger picture thing.

[rubble-rouser]

Labour do well - Corbyn takes credit.

 

Labour do badly: Blame the moderates.

 

Labour can’t win a general election by getting huge wins in London. If they can’t win the midlands they are fucked.

 

Corbyn has had 3 years now.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cloggypop]

Looks like Tories gaining UKIP votes at the moment.

[Stickman]

Looks like Tories gaining UKIP votes at the moment.

After seeing ass that news regarding Windrush they know where to put their X now.

[Bobby Hundreds]

What's the turn out for this going to be I wonder. I don't know a single person whose bothered. I never bothered either which I usually do. Fed up of the whole thing.

[Karl_b]

Sheffield has stayed under Labour control but lost a handful of seats to the Lib Dems and Green Party. Our ward stayed Labour but Greens ran them pretty close, apparently. I thought it would be more significant, there's a lot of distrust in the local council here, following a couple of years of hostility over PFI contracts and tree felling.

 

We're getting our first regional mayor and it'd be a shock if it was anyone other than the Labour candidate.

 

I voted Green for both.

 

Good to see UKIP continue to disappear up their own arse but that the Tories pick up a lot of those votes negates it. I like Corbyn, and broadly I support a lot of Labour policies, but this is already looking like a pretty average set of results for them. That they don't seem to be able to make strong gains against a widely loathed Conservative party is worrying.

[Section_31]

A damp squib really. It's very much local issues mainly. The Labour literature we got was pretty weak, going on about the Lib dems in the coalition years ago, the other parties all going at Joe Anderson which definitely would have resonated.

 

It does annoy me a bit how a lot of labour councils rest on their laurels and feel like they can get away with fuck all and then every few years just bang on about the Tories to win their seats back. This role is clearly just a cash cow to quite a few of the lazy bastards and their should be a time limit on it.

 

I know one councillor in his 80s, been a councillor since the 90s, on every board and fire authority you can think of and does fuck all but takes home about 20k a year, his attitude is that of a low level mobster who just likes being the Billy big bollocks on his own street and going to the front of the queue in the local shop.

[Paulie Dangerously]

Being reported as a mixed bag by the BBC, however they're also reporting labour up 37 councilors and tories down 2 with 100/150 counted.  Isn't this a great result for Labour or am I missing something?  I know that contextually this is only local rather than national like. 

[Scooby Dudek]

Watching Sky it would appear that the only council elections taking place was Barnet. 

 

Labour would have had to had a huge swing in London to get Wandsworth and Westminister was less likely. They had no chance in Kensington, but watching the news you would think the Tories held on to all three against all odds. 

 

 

 

I now have a Lib Dem councillor in my ward of Childwall. 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Labour do well - Corbyn takes credit.

 

Labour do badly: Blame the moderates.

 

Labour can’t win a general election by getting huge wins in London. If they can’t win the midlands they are fucked.

 

Corbyn has had 3 years now.

 

 

The last local elections were spun as proof that Corbyn can't win a General Election; a year later, he came within a bug's dick of doing exactly that.

 

Even Laura Kuenssberg admits that local elections are (surprise, surprise) won or lost on local issues. Liverpool is a prime example: here, Labour is Anderson's party, not Corbyn's.

[Section_31]

Being reported as a mixed bag by the BBC, however they're also reporting labour up 37 councilors and tories down 2 with 100/150 counted. Isn't this a great result for Labour or am I missing something? I know that contextually this is only local rather than national like.

It's usually expected that the government in power will do badly in locals, when you factor in this is the worst government in living memory I'd say it's mildly disappointing but nothing to get in a flap about. We've had a lot of elections and referendums the last few years and even though I voted last night it felt like a MAJOR chore.

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

Not the best set of results for Labour. But not the worst either.

 

The consensus viewpoint is that an opposition who has serious designs of challenging at a general election should be making decent gains in local elections.

 

But, there's also the argument that local elections are exactly that and represent local issues rather than mirroring what the electorate think nationally.

 

Plus, it'd be interesting to see turnout. Did the numbers of the young who voted in the last GE bother themselves in these local elections?

 

Also, I still think that age demographics could play a part in the next GE. Tory voters tend to be getting older. And nature plays its part. Whilst, if the much vaunted Corbyn/Labour "youthquake" is as strong as it has been claimed, there's a fair few 16 and 17 year olds who'll be able to vote come the next election.

 

But, I get the sense that Brexit is still a big issue and is influencing people's vote. As seen in the UKIP vote largely going to their fellow bigots, the Tories.

 

One minor note, I hope that Jess Phillips is nowhere near the party come the next GE. She needs jibbing off.

[cloggypop]

Windrush probably helped win the UKIP vote for the Tories.

[Denny Crane]

All extremely tenuous but here is some analysis. 

 

Philip Cowley

 

@philipjcowley

·

26m

 

In both Westminster and Wandsworth, Labour did better (in seats) than at any election since 1986. To have managed to so misjudge the politics of the election that this is presented as a bad result is quite spectacular

 

 

Steve Fisher

 

@StephenDFisher

·

1h

 

Labour gaining seats on average where Leave/Remain 50:50 and gaining more where Remain did better

 

 

 

Steve Fisher

 

@StephenDFisher

 

Conservatives are generally losing council seats in areas that voted Remain in 2016, but winning them in Leave areas

 

 

 

Philip Cowley

 

@philipjcowley

·

2m

 

I keep seeing folk giving this as an example of how nowt has changed since 2017. Tories still ahead etc. But these figures wd almost certainly mean a Corbyn-led minority gvt. Probably a desperately unstable one (and we'd want to allow for all sorts of MoE) but still...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Strontium]

I now have a Lib Dem councillor in my ward of Childwall.

Things are back to normal in some places, at least.