LOCAL ELECTIONS: Stunning landslide victory for Labour in Leicester
The Labour Party has swept the board in Leicester in a stunning city council election victory.
The party picked up 52 of 54 seats on the authority yesterday, reducing the Conservative and Liberal Democrat opposition groups to just one councillor each.
In an afternoon of drama at the count at Leicester Tigers Welford Road ground, 12 opposition seats – six Tory and six Lib Dem – fell to Labour.
Leicester East Labour MP Keith Vaz said: "This is the biggest Labour win in a generation in this city. It is an historic day for all of us."
Nigel Porter, who switched to the Lib Dems after being ousted from the local Tory party, kept his Aylestone seat while Conservative challengers faltered.
He said: "It's a sweet victory, but I don't want to rub salt into other people's wounds by saying any more than that. I'll continue to work hard for people in my ward."
Conservative group leader Ross Grant held his seat in Knighton.
He said: "We were steamrollered. Labour had a well-oiled campaigning machine and ours fell flat."
His former fellow councillors in Knighton, Tory Andy Bayford and Lib Dem Gary Hunt, lost their seats to Labour's Lynn Moore and Inderjit Gugnani.
Former city Lord Mayor Mr Hunt said: "The people have chosen to vote for the party which landed us in debt in the first place and led to the need for council cuts."
However, the newly-elected Coun Moore said: "The Tories and Lib Dems took the ward for granted – we've shown local people that there is an alternative."
The Tory stronghold of Thurncourt turned red as Luis Fonseca and Rob Wann beat Caroline Scuplak and Simon Whelband, and both Lib Dem seats in Western Park were picked up by Labour.
One of the successful Labour candidates, Su Barton, said: "People wanted to send a message to the Government, and they've sent a resounding message of defiance with this result."
George Cole, the other successful candidate, said: "We worked so hard during the campaign and it has paid off."
Deputy Lord Mayor Rob Wann was previously a councillor in Fosse, but this time stood in the Tory ward of Thurncourt, and won.
He is now likely to become lord mayor later this month.
Coun Wann said: "I'm looking forward to the role. I've experienced it for a few weeks because (this year's Lord Mayor) Colin Hall stood down early."
Both seats in Fosse remained Labour, but were won by new faces – former Leicester MEP Sue Waddington and ex-city council cabinet member Ted Cassidy, who was last a city councillor several years ago.
Coun Waddington said: "It will be slightly different from being an MEP, but the issue of accountability is the same. I am here to listen to what my constituents want and need, and to try to deliver that."
Coun Cassidy said: "The people of this city have suffered at the hands of the coalition Government, and this election was their chance to fight back."
Sundip Meghani replaced Labour colleague Keith Lloyd-Harris in Beaumont Leys.
He said: "This is my first foray into politics and to be part of such a historic day is humbling. I went to school in Beaumont Leys and grew up there so to be chosen to represent the people I come from is wonderful."
MORE ELECTION RESULTS AND ANALYSIS FROM LEICESTER AND LEICESTERSHIRE
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by hmmm, leicester
Monday, May 09 2011, 10:57PM
“I don't agree Kulgan. Labour did very well, so did the conservatives (in their traditional strongholds). But lets be honest in general elections a lot of people vote, but in local elections few vote.. indeed it is often the older generation.. many of which have voted for a particular party out of tradition (it often being Conservative), often regardless of what policies they have nationally.”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Sunday, May 08 2011, 5:31PM
“Oh dear J,
Perhaps you are looking at different results. The winners in this election overall, whether you like it or not, were the Conservatives,
Yes Labour did well, I am not denying that they didn't after all, they got an extra 800 councillors. They didn't do that well overall. As for complacency, Labour in Scotland were particularly complacent and Labour nationally, paid the price.
Ed Miliband backed the Yes to AV and his leadership has suffered for it with 2/3 soundly rejecting it. The party was divided and along with getting worse results than Michael Foot (really worse than Michael Foot ;) ) Labour were not the winners.”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Sunday, May 08 2011, 5:21PM
“@Phil,
I agree with you. The drastic cuts are down to the woeful mismanagement of the economy by Labour and Gordon 'Prudence' Brown.
Yes, the decision to have an elected mayor is tainted with political engineering by the Labour for the good of the party and not those they were elected to serve. By default, Leicester's first Elected Mayor's tenure will be tainted with the same brush.
All that being said, he WAS DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED.
That cannot be denied by anyone of any party political persuasion.
Only time will tell but I hope he is a great success. A successful city benefits the City and County as a whole.”
by j, leic
Sunday, May 08 2011, 5:21PM
“I think it is clear that Labour have come out of these elections better than either the Liberals or the Cons.
This election shows an improvement of 9 points on Labour's performance at the general election last year; if they had performed like this in 2010 they would still be in power with a comfortable majority.
Second - Michael Foot's performance in 1981 was a very successful one for a party that was clearly cruising for a general election victory against a deeply unpopular government. To measure this week's results against that as though the earlier result was some kind of failure is deeply misleading. If the Falklands War hadn't "intervened" then the likelihood is that Margaret Thatcher would have lost the next election.
The lesson of 1981 is one of not falling into complacency; a lesson that I doubt is lost on Mr. Miliband, and should not be lost on any party.”
by Phil, Leicester
Sunday, May 08 2011, 4:38PM
“"...to listen to and work for ALL the people of Leicester.....
Blatant lies from our first Elected Prune to start with as he DOES not listen or Work for all the citizens of Leicester-and never will do. If Soulsby believed in democracy then he WOULD listen & work for ALL the people in Leicester!”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Sunday, May 08 2011, 3:33PM
“I agree M of LE3,
It could be seen as an affirmation of their policies as let's face it, none of us likes cuts especially such severe ones.
More than likely likely it is down to Labour and its lack of viable alternatives. All rhetoric and no substance. After all, it is much easier to be in opposition.”
by m, le3
Sunday, May 08 2011, 1:16PM
“"The Conservatives did pretty well during these elections overall." - they did exceptionally well and have been ordered by Cameron not to appear pleased with themselves.
Must have boosted their confidence no end after failing in the general election to gain an overall majority against the massively unpopular Brown. People will have their opinions on the reason for this - they might be tempted to take it as public affirmation of their policies, but I am not sure this would be a wise move.”
by Kulgan, Crydee
Sunday, May 08 2011, 11:46AM
“@Rupert,
The Conservatives did pretty well during these elections overall.
The losers 'overall' were Lib Dems and Labour.
Michael Foot led the Labour party to a better result against Margaret Thatcher than Ed Miliband has done against David Cameron.”
by Rupert Pullin, Leicester
Sunday, May 08 2011, 9:10AM
“I hope that the LibDems and Conservatives manage to 'dust themselves down' and continue to give local people choices when voting. The city has lost its diversity in local politics. No party should be able to run unchallenged as we all know this leads to a corrupt dictatorship.”
by Mark Bentley, Leicester City Council
Sunday, May 08 2011, 9:06AM
“I need to correct some of the comments being made here. The person seen in the YouTube video is not the council's Chief Executive but a member of our Town Hall democratic services team. She is going to prepare some formal documentation for the new Mayor to sign. I know because I was standing next to her at the time!”