Not just the one election on May 5th

[T_i_B]

As well as the parliamentary elections on May the 5th, some of us have local elections to contend with too! I will be voting for my MP and also in the elections for Essex County Council, and in the local council elections I fully expect the Tories to win my ward off the Liberal Democrats.

Anyone else with Council elections to contend with too? And if so what's your council like and what are the issues round your council?

[tjwmason]

1. Buckinghamshire here

At one point in the mid '90s this was the only Conservative majority County Council in the country - no way that this will change.

Boundary changes mean that 3 sitting councillors are contesting the 2 seats in my ward (2 Tories, 1 L.D.), I expect that the Tories will take both seats (one of whom is the Council Leader).

The big issue here is Grammar Schools, I say big even though it's not really mentioned. We still have them right across the county, and they are highly popular; the people generally do not trust the Libs to keep them, which is why Bucks never even went no overall control.

Seriously, I reckon that this is the most Conservative county in the U.K. we have 5 M.P.s all of whom are Tory (and have been so for ages, includes 2 Shadow Cabinet members), 1 County Council (Tory throughout living memory), and 4 District Councils (all Tory, though a couple of them went N.O.C. in the '90s).

I'm ready to wager that none of you guys have that level of Tory penetration - in one seat in the last local elections they got 80% of the vote, and in a vast bunch of seats they were unopposed.

[ben_packard]

4. I too am in Bucks,

but in Milton Keynes where both our MPs are Labour and the council is Libdem.

[tjwmason]

5. Was M.K. Council ever Labour

I know you broke away from Bucks C.C. a few years ago; I always thought it was safe Labour.

[ben_packard]

7. Couldn't tell you , I'm afaraid

I've only been of voting age for a couple of cycles and for the first I was away at uni and not particularly interested.

[T_i_B]

13. Down here in Essex

It's not quite as Tory as where you are...but it's still very Conservative nonetheless. The Tories currently control the County Council and the Borough Council where I live, although they have lost control of both in the past.

Indeed the Borough Council only went back to Tory from the Lib Dem's in 2003 thanks to the Tories running a campaign based on council tax and getting rid of the traffic lights at a big local roundabout. The traffic light bit has been a small success for them IMHO although council tax is still too high round here for most people's liking.

Personally I live in a Lib Dem ward, but I would not be surprised at all if the Tories won my ward at the County Council elections thanks to the same sort of issues they fought the borough council elections on.

And however bad it is here in town, get out in the more rural areas and the Conservatives are even more dominant!

[Anarcho-Socialist]

2. We have Durham County Council elections here too...

...it's been dominated by Labour for as long as anyone can remember.

For our town and district council elections a couple of years ago I voted for a group of local Independents, as the town council's Labour members were doing an awful job (taking too many 'fact-finding trips' as council taxes were going up). The Independents won the whole town and have done a good job since. Some of them are now standing for County Council seats and I'll probably vote for them again.

[Guy_Montag]

8. I thought it was Lib Dems that held here, (Durham)

They've just put a cycle lane down the one way street that runs up past my house, makes me marginally less likely to be killed on my way into work. The incumbents have won my vote. (I'm easily bribed)

[Anarcho-Socialist]

9. Labour controls the whole county

Labour 53
Lib Dems 4
Independents 2
Conservatives 2

These results are from 2001.

http://www.durham.gov.uk/DurhamCC/usp.nsf/pws/Council+and+Democracy+-+Durham+County+Council+election+summary

EDIT: I believe the Lib Dems control the City Council, (is that what you meant?) as opposed to the County Council.

[Guy_Montag]

10. So can you tell me who has responsibility for what?

ie. what the county council can/can't do & what the city council can/can't do

[Anarcho-Socialist]

11. OK, here's what each council does...

Durham County Council's main services include:
Education and schools
Social services
Roads
Bridges and transport
Strategic planning
Libraries and museums
Economic development
Tourism promotion
Trading standards
Street lighting

There are seven district councils in County Durham, who do things like:
Housing/Building regulations
Refuse collection
Leisure services such as swimming pools and leisure centres
Local planning
Street cleaning

The there's the parish/town council's responsibilities (116 such councils in Co. Durham):
Village halls
Recreation grounds
Cemeteries
Allotments
Footpaths

[Guy_Montag]

12. thank you nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. All English county councils are holding elections

and a very few unitary authorites, and a few mayors are getting elected too.

My council (Hampshire) has a majority of Cons (and my local rep is a Con too) - 46 out of 74. I doubt they'll lose it (last elections were in 2001, so if they had control when Hague was going down in flames, they'll manage it this time). Issues? Who knows - the only things I've had through my door are from the Con, telling me what a marvellous job he's done. The local papers are truly pathetic at reporting anything to do with local government - they haven't mentioned the election on May 5th (general or county) yet, and don't often say much about borough or county councils.

[gbarford]

6. County council election for me as well

Derbyshire County Concil, currently controlled by Labour, likely to stay Labour, with an outside chance of No Overall Control.

Interesting contest in my ward; boundary changes mean that two incumbent councillors are up against each other. Both were elected as Labour, but one defected to Respect last year. Hard to say what will happen, I think either Labour or Respect could win, but what could also happen is that the left of centre vote will be split (especially with the Lib Dems in the mix as well) and the Tories could come through the middle and snatch the seat.

[fedsron2us]

14. In the part of Sussex where I live one of the hot local issues

is the problem of what to do with old Second World War beach defences which were buried at the end of the conflict. Erosion has now started to expose some of these obstacles and they represent a potential hazard to visitors to the seaside. Needless to say the MOD who created the problem are not prepared to pay for the resolution so the burden has fallen on the local councils. They can not ignore the issue because it is certain that the first person who stubs their toe on one of these defences is going to rush to their solicitor and to sue the council for damages. Unfortunately, the potential bill for digging out these concrete obstacles also runs into hundreds of thousands of pounds so we are taking quite big money. There is also the usual NIMBY protest group from some of the people living near the beaches who do not want their view spoiled or their peace disturbed whilst the contractors dig out the hazards. Amazingly this one issue threatens to crowd out nearly all the other subjects on election day.

[T_i_B]

15. Final kick for this one

It's not just MP's many of us will be voting for!

:kick:

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Council results now coming in

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/locals/html/region_99999.stm

So far, Con gains control of 4 from No Overall Control (Glos, Worcs, Suffolk and Ox), Lib Dems gain 2 from NOC (Devon, Somerset).

Of thiose mentioned in the thread, Bucks stays Con, Durham Lab, and Essex and Hants haven't reported yet. Labour and Independents seem to be losing councillors, while Cons and Lib Dems gain.

[D-Notice]

17. Cheshire CON hold

despite losing 2 seats to the Lib Dems; Labour stay same

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/locals/html/3851.stm

[tjwmason]

20. As you say - Bucks stays Tory

Always has done - mainly because of grammar schools; domination would not be too strong a word (2001 elections in brackets):

Labour - 2 (5)
LibDem - 11 (9)
Tory - 44 (40)

[non sociopath skin]

18. Against expectations, Labour narrowly retained control in Northumberland

Tories and Liberals pulled out of a bi-partisan agreement on schools reorganisation just before the election in order to "stand behind" a group of parent objectors. Seems to have backfired.

The Labour Leader is standing down, however. As yet no word why.

The Skin

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. More results: LD gain Cornwall, Cons Shropshire and Isle of Wight

all from No Overall Control. Essex, Hants and Northants are the only counties not to have declared yet.

[T_i_B]

21. My Council ward stayed Liberal Democrat...

...with a majority of a mere 203 votes! Now there's proof that your vote counts if ever you needed it!

I think the thing that may have tipped it in their favour in this ward was that they were the only party who sent election literature to people actually mentioning the County Council elections! Like it or not, party political junk mail does make a difference I think.

I should also add that my councillor last time ran in both the County Council and parliamentary elections, and got hauled over the coals for it (quite rightly) by both Labour and the Tories.

And I think that Essex County Council has stayed Tory BTW.

[non sociopath skin]

22. Thought IOW was already LibDem, Mu. Did the Tories have it?

The Skin

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. Looks like it was a big swing to the Tories in the IOW

Previous results here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/locals/html/3864.stm

Liberal/Lib Dem from 1981 to 1998; then NOC, with Lib Dems still the largest party after 2001. Suddenly the Tories go from 13 seats to 35. I think the existing council must have screwed up in a big way to get chucked out like that.

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. Final results: Con take Northants from Labour

overall, Cons take control of 7 counties, Labour loses 1, Lib Dems gain 3. 49.9% of English county councillors are Tories. :-(

[non sociopath skin]

26. Used the live in Northamptonshire - the Only Socialist in the Village LOL

Apart from Corby, Northampton & one or two smaller towns, pretty solidly Tory. A little surprised it ever went Labour.

The Skin

[LeftishBrit]

25. Oxfordshire County Council went solidly Conservative (grrrr!)

http://www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/oxfordshire/news/ELECTNEWS0.html

Usually, no party has overall control; but this time the Council has a solid Tory majority, with Tories holding 43 out of 74 seats.

At least the people whom I voted for in my ward got in!