Voters execute ‘a plague on all your houses’

LABOUR and the Tories have haemorrhaged votes to independent candidates, who won 1156 seats across the country – nearly one in seven of all 8,400 contested.

Support for independent candidates rose by a third as voters deserted the main political parties. Independents took over at least one council while more than 56 others were left under no overall control.

There was also a surge in support for the Greens, which gained more than 160 seats – an increase of over 100 on the last comparable local elections – while Ukip lost more than 90 councillors.

Prof Sir John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, said the voters appeared to be punishing whichever of the main two parties was in control in their area.

“The Labour Party is losing where they are strong historically; the Conservatives are losing where they are strong historically. It’s a plague on all your houses,” he said.

In Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, independents took control of the council after winning 30 out of 35 seats. The Tories held only three seats and Labour two after a series of defections.

In North Kesteven, Lincolnshire, the Conservatives lost overall control after two groups of independents took the majority of seats. The Tories lost eight and were left with 20, while the Lincolnshire Independents won 16 seats and the Independents won six.

The Conservatives even lost seats in Tunbridge Wells, a traditional bastion for the party. David Jukes, the council leader, lost his seat to an independent candidate.

He said: “To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. We have lost some good councillors, and with so many long-term projects in front of us, I’m worried this will have a devastating effect on economic growth.”

In Greater Manchester, Labour lost control of Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council for the first time since 2011 and in Middlesbrough, Andy Preston, an independent, won the mayoralty by a significant margin.

Jonathan Bartley, the co-leader of the Greens, hailed a “phenomenal” set of local election results. He said: “You can clearly see the result of that work, but also there has clearly been a natural lift in results, which helps.”