Local elections in May (2022) had no surprises.
- SNP gained seats. Decline of support for Labour and Tories in Scotland.
- Sinn Fein became largest party in Northern Ireland Assembly.
- Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru gained seats.
- Labour both lost and gained control of councils in Greater London. Aspire won control of a council from Labour.
- In England outside of London
- Liberal Democrats gained many seats (mostly from Tories).
- Green Party gained many seats (from Labour and Tories).
- Tories lost heavily.
- Labour stagnated.
- There was a low turnout.
Labour labouring
In England outside of London Labour failed abjectly to make any progress. Loss of votes in 2019 general election was not reversed despite many Tory voters choosing to abstain in the council elections.
Green Party gained five times as many seats as Labour and Liberal Democrats fourteen times as many.
Why would anyone switch from Tory party to its imitator? Behoven to wealthy donors and led by someone intrinsically entrenched in establishment, Labour is wilfully fearful of anything that deviates from conservative philosophy. A deluge of extreme legislation from the Tories since December 2019 received inadequate opposition from Labour including whipped votes to abstain rather than vote against.
Vicious Tory attacks on people’s livelihoods via extortionate rises in electricity and gas, deliberate destruction of NHS to assist private healthcare racketeers, food shortages and huge prices rises caused by Tory Brexit, reckless policies on Covid-19 pandemic management, ongoing Tory enablement of flow of billions of public money into offshore accounts of wealth gatherers, extreme corruption, and relentless dishonesty exist alongside normal Tory policy of taxing the poorest to feed the wealthiest, abject lack of affordable homes, and more restrictions on human rights, right to protest and access to justice. It is a criminal government. Labour’s response is to offer a few crumbs but, ultimately, to not differ at all in intent.
It does not oppose privatisation of healthcare; it does not oppose erasure of rights (workers’ rights, right to protest); it encourages the government to feed the arms industry; it has no policy intent to prevent financial extortion by fuel suppliers, water suppliers, landlords, employers; it has no policy intent to remove tax avoidance. It is entirely and unambiguously supportive of the exploitative libertarian capitalist system.
Shadow cabinet Labour MPs are as dishonest as Tory MPs. Starmer is a proud liar: He admitted his ten pledges made during the election campaign to become leader were lies intended to con party members to vote him.
Socialism has been purged from Labour. Councillors, MPs and members who express any support for socialist policy are expelled.
Success in Wales for Labour is due to policy objectives by Mark Drakeford and his party that differ from Starmer’s anti-socialist donor-pleasing soft conservatism. In Wales, Labour opposes the Tory government and does offer something different.
Given continuing disastrous government by the Tories and given that voters are searching for another party to support, 2022 council elections were extremely bad for Labour. It got what it deserved: Rejection.
ducksoap 