How well did Labour perform ?

 Although one result in England is still awaited, the local election results are much more pro-labour than most commentators claim. When added together they show that Labour took easily more votes than most other political parties, groupings and independents. Easily outmatching many contestants.

These are the total percentages -

Labour                 44.9%

Conservatives      20.2%

Liberals                12.8%

Independents         9.4%                   The Labour percentage is equal to the total for all other

SNP                       6.7%                   groups, excluding only those for the Independents and the

Plaid Cymru          3.0%                   Residents Association,

Greens                   2.2%

Residents Ass.       0.8% 

There are , however, some qualifications which need to be made to these results. 

First of all, the seats contested were not even roughly of equal sizes. Those in rural areas tending to have more seats per head of their electorates. Whilst the areas which had no contests may have differing political commitments to those which were contested. But for Labour to equal the turnout of so many political groupings is surely a matter of some significance.