Elections

Imagine you are a Tory Councillor sitting in a safe seat and you are in the Cabinet. 

Are you looking forward to May 2 when, say, the whole council is up for election?

If the recent by-elections are any indicator, you will probably look for ways to pass the time now that you are no longer in the Cabinet or even a councillor. 

Whilst the Westminster bubble is fixated on the Middle East, Ukraine and other global affairs, the by-elections show that for most people there are more pressing issues. 

For example, the cost of living, the NHS, education and other boring stuff, like the credit cards that are maxed out. 

In the May 2023 council elections, the Conservatives were mauled losing more than 1,000 seats. This time, there are more than 2,000 seats up for grabs as well as Mayors in major metropolitan areas. 

With just 9 weeks – 63 days – to polling day, we can expect whole councils to change colour with Labour and the Liberal Democrats continuing to do well. 

And the fly in the room to upset Tories further is the strong showing by the Reform Party which will gnaw away at Conservative majorities from the right. Labour can expect the same from the Greens as will the Lib Dems.

The only question to answer, as a Tory Councillor: is it worth your while plodding the streets to face angry people who will not vote for you? 

The brand is tarnished and no amount of campaigning will turn that around.

You won’t have much sympathy for this, but it is a bad time to be a lobbyist or if you are trying to persuade councillors of the merits of your site. You don’t know who will be in power after May 2. So perhaps wait until the fog clears.  

The campaigning will start in earnest after Easter, just five weeks away, so be sure to keep your door locked and glue up your letterbox. 

Have a good weekend.

Tom