Coalition stung in local elections

Labour has swept to victory in local elections across England and Wales in a hammering blow to the Coalition.

It was a bad night for the Tories as voters angry over the Coalition’s programme of austerity and deep cuts in public spending turned to Labour.

Labour gained 470 seats and 22 councils, while the Tories lost 279 seats. The Lib Dems lost more than 125 seats, bringing the party to their lowest number of councillors since the party’s formation in 1988.

The Conservatives lost key councils to Labour including Birmingham, Plymouth, Reading, Southampton, Norwich, Thurrock and Harlow.

Liberal Democrats lost control of Cambridge council, which the party has held since 2000.

Another dismal defeat came in Birmingham, where Labour snatched control of the council from the Conservative-Liberal Democratic coalition after eight years in power.

Turnout in the elections was 32 per cent, the lowest since 2000.

The results reflect widespread dissatisfaction as people feel the strain of stagnant wages, high living costs and job uncertainty.

There was also considerable backlash against the Budget in March, which introduced a so-called “granny tax” while slashing the top rate of tax for the nation’s wealthiest.

A ComRes poll suggests the Tories could also be losing votes over their support for gay marriage.

The poll found that three-quarters of David Cameron’s constituents who voted for him at the general election oppose his plans to redefine marriage.

Sixty-five per cent of people in his Witney constituency agreed that marriage should continue to be defined as a lifelong exclusive commitment between a man and a woman.

Seventy-two per cent agreed that same-sex relationships should be legally recognised through civil partnerships rather than through redefining marriage.

More than half (56%) said that Cameron’s decision to make legalising same-sex marriage a priority left him “out of touch with ordinary voters”.

Andrew Hawkins, head of ComRes, said: “The policy of legalising same-sex marriage will doubtless gain the Conservatives – and Lib Dems – some votes. But it is likely to cost them many more votes than it will gain them.

“Indeed, this survey provides good evidence that the recent increase in support for UKIP, and the Conservative Party’s failure to attract Labour voters, can in part be explained by policies such as this one.

“Likewise the policy appears to do little to persuade erstwhile 2010 Lib Dem voters who have since defected to return to the fold, or make the party more appealing to Labour voters.”