If you fell asleep expecting heavy losses for the Lib Dems, then you will not have been
disappointed upon waking up. At time of writing, around 100 English councils, comprising roughly 2,400 councillors, have declared their results – and the yellow brigade have already lost four
of them, along with 270 councillors. There’s some way to go yet, so the picture could alter, but Labour appear
to making sweeping gains, while the Tory vote is holding unexpectedly firm. As it stands, the local wing of Cameron’s party has actually gained a council, along with 22 councillors in the process.
Stir in the likely result of the AV referendum, and the Tory leader is looking like a net winner on the night.
The only comfort for Nick Clegg is that the election results haven’t really translated into internal party dissent – yet.
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