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Labour's collapse is Lib Dem gain
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| Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg celebrates with his local party |
LABOUR'S collapse in St Albans mirrored the national picture following the local elections last night.
The Liberal Democrats gained one seat to take win the council which had previously had no party in overall control.
A third of the council's 58 seats were up for grabs and the results mean that the Lib Dems now have control of 30.
The Tories gained three to rise to 22 seats leaving Labour with just five seats and one independent.
Liberal Democrat leader Robert Donald said: "I'm very pleased. Now we have the majority we will now be able to start implementing our manifesto which we have not been able to do before because we have been tied.
"We are also pleased about Sopwell and Verulam because the wins there show we can take seats from both the Conservatives and the Labour parties.
"I'm particularly pleased about winning Batchwood because the Liberal Democrats have not won a district seat there since the 1980s."
The highest turn-out was in Wheathampstead where Conservative candidate Gillian Clark stole a seat from the Liberal Democrats winning with more than 50 per cent of the vote.
Similarly there was another large attendance in the Verulam ward where the Liberal Democrat candidate Fred Wartenberg was elected and took a seat from the Tories.
The Sopwell vote was recounted three times and was almost too close to call with the eventual Lib Dem winner Roger Axworthy claiming 711 votes and the Labour runner-up, Janet Smith, falling just short with 707 votes.
Independent candidate Tony Swendell celebrated relection in the Redbourn ward.
Overall the election turnout saw a fall with 42.5 per cent of the electorate hitting the polling stations compared to 43.6 per cent last year.
It was a good night both nationally and locally for the Tories who gained more seats than the Lib Dems in the district winning seats in Harpenden East, Wheathampstead and London Colney.
Chairman of the Tories Mary Murphy said: "Whilst the Lib Dems have made an overall gain, we have increased by 17 per cent in terms of votes cast. It has put us in pole position to take three wards next time around.
"We are all ages, all ethnicities and both genders. We present a really good modern view of Conservatives as we should be today and that is really wonderful.
"We take enormous heart from this, it shows the Conservative message is hitting home with the voters. We are moving people in large numbers towards us.
"We are never going to take the council all in one go but watch out next time."
On a national level the Labour Party suffered heavy losses which was consistent with the votes cast in St Albans and Harpenden where the party did not win a single seat in the district and only took 12.6 per cent of the overall vote.
District council Labour leader Roma Mills was, however, philosophical about the loss of confidence from the electorate. She said: "It has been a blow for us.
"This election has not been about what we do locally, it is about the publics' view of central Government and a wish to protest against national policies and that is something we cannot control."
2:39pm Friday 2nd May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Bob S, St Albans on 3:18pm Fri 2 May 08
"Labour's collapse is Lib Dem gain"
did this Press Release you copied and pasted not have the ususal Lib Dem guff about 'two horse races' quoted in it also?
I remeber 2006. We heard the same piffle from Lib Dems then. Then look what happened last year!
"Labour's collapse is Lib Dem gain"
did this Press Release you copied and pasted not have the ususal Lib Dem guff about 'two horse races' quoted in it also?
I remeber 2006. We heard the same piffle from Lib Dems then. Then look what happened last year!
Posted by: Steph, St Albans on 3:47pm Fri 2 May 08
How could the above article be issued on a press release - it contains comments from all three parties?! Oh dear Bob S, you're dear old Labour party is collapsing before your very eyes. Nobody can deny that "Labour's collapse is Lib Dem gain" - well done again the Review!
How could the above article be issued on a press release - it contains comments from all three parties?! Oh dear Bob S, you're dear old Labour party is collapsing before your very eyes. Nobody can deny that "Labour's collapse is Lib Dem gain" - well done again the Review!
Posted by: Bob S, St Albans on 3:58pm Fri 2 May 08
Dear Steph,
You dear little thing. You are obv too wet behind the ears to understand how journalists work... especially local ones on a Friday afteroon.
They will have got the press relase with some self-congratulatory, twisted figures from one of the parties - in this case Lib Dems- and then called round to make it look like they had done teh research.
Dear Steph,
You dear little thing. You are obv too wet behind the ears to understand how journalists work... especially local ones on a Friday afteroon.
They will have got the press relase with some self-congratulatory, twisted figures from one of the parties - in this case Lib Dems- and then called round to make it look like they had done teh research.
Posted by: Editor, St Albans on 5:29pm Fri 2 May 08
Bob, no election article on this website has been provided by any political party or press release. The quotes were collated by journalists at last night's count. If you have any doubt I am sure all three party leaders would confirm this.
Bob, no election article on this website has been provided by any political party or press release. The quotes were collated by journalists at last night's count. If you have any doubt I am sure all three party leaders would confirm this.
Posted by: Chris Radford, Colney Heath on 7:46am Sun 4 May 08
In Wheathampstead the Conservatives are reported to have STOLEN the seat from the Lib Dems while in Verulam the Lib Dems TOOK the seat from the Tories. Do different rules apply in the City to the Villages or is this quite disgacefully biased reporting?
In Wheathampstead the Conservatives are reported to have STOLEN the seat from the Lib Dems while in Verulam the Lib Dems TOOK the seat from the Tories. Do different rules apply in the City to the Villages or is this quite disgacefully biased reporting?
Posted by: Jim, St Albans on 10:12am Mon 5 May 08
It's just another word for 'taken'. Journos like to vary their language unlike you moaners. You idots really annoy me with your claims of political bias. Do you read the paper? Have you read the number of front pages having a go at the district council's Lib Dem adminstration about drinking bans, sheltered accommodation, wheelie bins, recycling rubbish, the Jubilee Centre etc. Did you read the paper's front page slagging off MP Anne Main for travelling abroad for free? Just because your party cocked up locally or nationally don't blame the best ocal paper we have. Infact, if you think the newspaper has been unfair, ask Labour leader Roma Mills or Tory leader Teresa Heritage. I know for a fact they would tell you they have not - for a fact!
It's just another word for 'taken'. Journos like to vary their language unlike you moaners. You idots really annoy me with your claims of political bias. Do you read the paper? Have you read the number of front pages having a go at the district council's Lib Dem adminstration about drinking bans, sheltered accommodation, wheelie bins, recycling rubbish, the Jubilee Centre etc. Did you read the paper's front page slagging off MP Anne Main for travelling abroad for free? Just because your party cocked up locally or nationally don't blame the best ocal paper we have. Infact, if you think the newspaper has been unfair, ask Labour leader Roma Mills or Tory leader Teresa Heritage. I know for a fact they would tell you they have not - for a fact!
Posted by: Jim, St Albans on 6:34pm Mon 5 May 08
It seems we have two “Jims from St Albans” now. This may lead to some interesting mix-ups!
It seems we have two “Jims from St Albans” now. This may lead to some interesting mix-ups!
Posted by: An Albanian, St Albans on 12:50pm Tue 6 May 08
Now that the Lib Dems have 5 county and district councillors in their ranks of 30 councillors, a 6th by my reckoning, perhaps we will see more action rather than hear their constant whinging about the failures of the county council.
Now that the Lib Dems have 5 county and district councillors in their ranks of 30 councillors, a 6th by my reckoning, perhaps we will see more action rather than hear their constant whinging about the failures of the county council.
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