Vote 2017: The Austerity Effect

I miss election night. Austerity has bitten into the election cycle in most of the North West as councils look to save money by not paying officials double-time to tally the votes in most of the region’s mayoral and county elections.  Whilst other parts of the UK have woken up to the results of county and mayoral elections, we will have to wait until tea time to get the full picture of the region’s new political landscape.

To keep you going until other results are declared this afternoon, here are my top political stats that emerged overnight:

1. The Conservative Party is on course to achieve its best performance at a local election in over a decade. So far the Party has won control of 5 County Councils and gained over 130 new councillors

2. The Labour Party has become the first opposition on record to lose seats in three consecutive local elections

3. UKIP has lost every seat it was defending (where results have been declared)

4. The Conservatives have become the largest group on Cumbria County Council, gaining 12 seats

5. Labour held Broadheath ward in Trafford and Rusholme ward in Manchester

6. Turn out for the GM Mayoral election was higher than expected at 28.9%. Trafford had the highest turnout (38%), whilst Salford and Rochdale had the lowest (25%)

7. Turnout for the Liverpool City Region Mayor is estimated to be 26%. Higher than many had feared.