local election results

well, that's quite the interesting picture overall.  In the UK as a whole we see considerable Labour gains, considerable Lib Dem losses and the conservatives staying about where they were.  in Wales, Labour are pulling votes away from Plaid Cymru, and in Scotland, the SNP are pulling votes away from Labour.

This looks like a pretty bad night for the lib dems, and is likely to lead to them re-exemining their opinions about the coalition.  I don't think they'll leave outright, at least not straight away, but this could lead to a change in how the lib dems vote.

Locally, Labour retained my seat (cherry hinton).  Indeed, they increased their vote to be a majority.  It probably won't change overall control of the council, though.

How did the election go in everyone else's local areas?  For the Americans on the board, did you care much?

Our area, from what I understand, has always been a Labour area.  It has remained that way despite all the SNP gains, though Labour did not hold on by much.  They only had about 3% more of the votes than the SNP.  It was a larger difference last time.

My BF and his family are originally from the Inner Hebrides (his parents still live there), and they have always voted Lib Dem (a lot of the islands have been Lib Dem areas for ages). None of them voted that way this time, and it appears that was the mentality for a lot of others up here.  I also have a few friends who normally would never have voted for SNP because they are Unionists, but when it came down to it, everything else agreed with them so they voted SNP with the stipulation that they would still vote No if an independence referendum ever comes up.  It's really interesting what's happening up here!

For me, personally, I don't know enough about each party to have really had much of a preference.  I've tried to read up on them, but it's still a bit of a process.  At this point, I just know that I don't want the Tories to get much of anything, but that's not a real concern up here since they are such a minority.

SNP stayed in out here in the Western Isles, which wasn't a surprise to anyone, I don't think.  The only other party that even bothered to put up signs was Labour, and those seemed more geared toward picking up the second vote, since they didn't even have the candidate's name on them.

It will be interesting to see what the SNP do with their majority now.  Will they go ahead with the referendum, and what would be the outcome.  All I can say is, I kind of hope it doesn't happen until I'm able to vote.

Not too much change here - Leeds council prior to this election was a Labour/Green coalition, and now has a Labour majority (55 seats) owing to Lib Dem voters moving over to Labour (unsurprisingly).

Not that it matters much, but my ward elected a Conservative councillor instead of the Lib Dem.  We thought it was pretty much a Lib Dem shoe in here as it usually has been, and in any case it was thought to be really only a contested race between Lib Dem and Tory - as the remaining candidates of Labour, UKIP, and Socialist party weren't generally regarded as serious contenders.  However, there were only 200-odd votes difference between the Tory who won my ward (for councillor) and the Lib Dem in second place, with another 200-odd votes difference between the Lib Dem and Labour in third place.  I imagine the local Tories came out to vote as per usual, and the vote switching between Lib Dem & Labour was just enough to tip the balance in favour of the Tories. 

I care because I vote.  But I can definitely understand voter apathy because I was really feeling it on this one - very disillusioned with the national coalition, alarmed at the cuts, but feeling that these politicians are all the same.  I voted for AV, but I'm not passionate about it - I think there must be a better alternative?  Doesn't look like it's going to pass though.  Nick Clegg?  Talk about persona non grata, and IMO, deservedly so - his role in the coalition has hurt his party so much, I am not sure it will recover.  I do wish the Tories had suffered more because they are the ones really driving all the cuts, yet the Lib Dems are the ones who got the beating for it - maybe that's what happens when you make your bed with the wrong sort?

I could probably rant on, but I'll stop there.  Sometimes political discussions such as this one - well they don't always end so well... 

No results here yet, but the most recent article I read said it looks like the DUP and Sinn Fein will again lead the next Northern Ireland Assembly.  Bah.  I was hoping to see some new leadership. 

I do care about politics here, but its completely different.  Back home, I was more concerned about president, US senators, governors, etc.  I didn't pay much attention to things like city councils and other local politics.  Here, it's the opposite.  I tend to follow local politics (and NI politics in general) much more closely than UK-wide politics.

I feel left out! We had nothing to vote for except the AV referendum.

I feel left out! We had nothing to vote for except the AV referendum.

I know, I wasnt quite sure what all this was as mine was 1 X that was it!

Nick Clegg?  Talk about persona non grata, and IMO, deservedly so - his role in the coalition has hurt his party so much, I am not sure it will recover.  I do wish the Tories had suffered more because they are the ones really driving all the cuts, yet the Lib Dems are the ones who got the beating for it - maybe that's what happens when you make your bed with the wrong sort?

Clegg and the Lib Dems have played their hand exceptionally badly so far.  When the tuition fee debate was going on, for example, the Lib Dems abandoned their campaign promise and supported fees, which I assume they did to present a united coalition or show support for their Tory partners or whatever.

When it came time for the AV debate, though, the Tories didn't reciprocate, and actively campaigned against them, making it look to me like Clegg is getting a lesson in big boy politics.

Yeah the whole thing about the AV too - now it's like they're (both - Cameron and Clegg) saying - oh well, the people have spoken, move on.  Really?

Wasn't PR the voting system being advocated by the Lib Dems back before the Dave & Nick show started up?  Where did the dialogue about that disappear to?  The coalition, of course - along with the no tuition fee increases issue. 

Also, the 'Yes' to AV campaign seemed poorly organised & low profile, compared to the 'No' campaign.  I got upteen flyers through the letter slot about why I should vote 'No' - but vaguely recall maybe getting only one 'Yes' campaign flyer.

Completely agree about Clegg & the Lib Dems playing pretty much all their hands (as far as the coalition) quite badly - I think Clegg should go as party leader & the Lib Dems should think again about their participation in the coalition.  As far as I can see, they are adding no value to the current government & worst of all - doing nothing to stop the Tory steam roller across the country where they (Tories) don't even have a majority. 

Also, the 'Yes' to AV campaign seemed poorly organised & low profile, compared to the 'No' campaign.  I got upteen flyers through the letter slot about why I should vote 'No' - but vaguely recall maybe getting only one 'Yes' campaign flyer.

Yup.  We got one Yes campaign flyer, and it arrived yesterday.   

There was a Yes ad on the back of one of the London free papers on Wednesday or Thursday, and it had been endorsed by 7 or 8 political parties.  Considering how much the smaller parties stood to gain, I was amazed at how poorly run the Yes campaign was.

Considering how much the smaller parties stood to gain, I was amazed at how poorly run the Yes campaign was.

I wonder about this a lot. Campaigning in general is so different here though. I remember during the last general election hearing, "Well they've had their shot, let the other guys have a go" quite a bit - which seems very alien.

You know with AV, can you imagine that kind of vote in the States? It would have been a firestorm. This seemed more like an afterthought, again this sort of collective shrug.

For what it's worth, I know of at least a couple of people who voted No on AV, not because they're opposed to PR, but because they didn't think the proposed system was well thought-out.  They'd rather see them adopt the same system that's used here in Scotland.

I voted YES for AV and Green for my local council person.

LibDems had control of the council here for about 5 years now and lost it to Labour (who took back control)

Nick Clegg isnt welcome in this city anymore and has recently sold his home here to move into a southern seat that will welcome him with open arms. The heavy student base we have here (and that was in his voting area) have turned their back on Clegg & co and moving back to Labour.

For what it's worth, I know of at least a couple of people who voted No on AV, not because they're opposed to PR, but because they didn't think the proposed system was well thought-out.  They'd rather see them adopt the same system that's used here in Scotland.

I thought about that too, because I thought there were some other alternatives that could have been put forth, but I guess AV is the only one that the coalition (i.e., the Tories) would sanction going forward on with a referendum?  I wondered about people either voting 'No' because they didn't think it was the best kind of reform, and then the apathetic contingent who don't bother to vote at all.

But the response to the No vote in the headlines now (coming from the coalition) isn't 'well maybe we should try again, something else/a better alternative'...but rather, well that was the one chance for reform, people have spoken, done & dusted, move on.  When maybe it's just that people didn't like that particular option & they wanted something else to choose from?

No 'yes' or 'no' flyers through the post here, but I did see several big YES signs up around. So I'm guessing the organisation of the movement depends on the area.