Election 08

TORIES HOLD WALSALL, DUDLEY

02-05-2008

The Conservatives held on to both Dudley and Walsall Councils – which in the light of national trends is no surprise. In Dudley they gained four seats, while in Walsall there was no movement.

The Conservative leader of Dudley Council David Caunt said he was “exceedingly pleased” after breaking through in a couple of traditional, working class Labour seats – as well as taking two more from the Lib Dems.

“The Labour vote stayed at home,” Caunt commented.

“Their supporters are disillusioned.  I lived through the 90’s when the Conservatives were unpopular, and now the boot is on the other foot.

“If you look at traditional Labour wards, the turnout was less than 30%.  In traditional Conservative wards it was above 40%.”

As for Lib Dems, he said, “they leapt into the void in the '90s but they haven’t figured out that the protest vote now is in the Labour wards.”

Caunt said he was especially pleased as two of the party’s gains were in wards where library closures are planned – (Brockmoor and Pensnett, and Netherton).

The Conservatives now have 43 seats (previously 39), Labour 26 (28), the Liberal Democrats 2 (3) and UKIP – who campaigned vociferously against a new mosque and community centre – picked up their first seat in St James’s.

The composition of Walsall Council remains unchanged – with the Conservatives on 33 seats, Labour 18, Liberal Democrats 6, and other parties 3.

Discuss this on Election 08 thread on The Stirrer Forum.