Election bloodbath extends to Labour heartland

May 3 2008 by Martin Shipton, Western Mail

LABOUR was humiliated in the local elections, keeping overall control of just two councils in Wales – no more than the Conservatives.

Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taf are all that remain of the Welsh Labour heartland that used to be considered impregnable.

Even bracing themselves for a bad night, party activists were shocked to see authorities like Newport, Torfaen and Flintshire unexpectedly fall from their clutches.

While Labour was left to lick its wounds, the other three parties were all claiming they had performed well.

Despite losing the one council it controlled, Gwynedd, Plaid Cymru said it had won 207 council seats – two more than its highest ever previous tally of 205, won on the same day as the first National Assembly election in 1999.

Plaid’s director of elections Adam Price said: “This is a terrific result for us overall. I am absolutely delighted that we have exceeded the number of seats as we did in the heady days of 1999. We have made 33 net gains, which is the second highest number of gains after the Conservatives in England and Wales. No-one was expecting a result like that.

“This time our gains have taken place across Wales, rather than just being concentrated in a few pockets. That makes us a truly national party, and more than compensates for the losses we have suffered in Gwynedd.

“We have picked up big gains in Carmarthenshire, and now hold more seats than any other party in Cardiff West, Rhodri Morgan’s home seat. He is standing down from the Assembly in 2011 and I am confident we can win it.”

In Cardiff, Liberal Democrat leader Rodney Berman spoke jubilantly about the prospect of another four-year term in office.

He said: “We put forward a strong programme to make Cardiff a cleaner, greener place, and have improved park-and-ride facilities, recycling and are tackling anti-social behaviour. We have also worked for the retention of the 101 non-emergency hotline, and we look forward to making more improvements in the future.”

But the Lib Dems did not win overall control of the council, and Mr Berman said it was too early to consider whether the party would continue to run the city with a minority administration or try to get a coalition with others.

Swansea seems certain to continue to be ruled by a Liberal Democrat-led coalition after Labour lost two seats and the Lib- Dems gained three. One of the new Liberal Democrat councillors is Nicola Holley, the daughter of council leader Chris Holley. She claimed a seat in the Sketty ward after a recount.

Mr Holley said his group had “an honest and open” relationship with Independents with whom his party formed a coalition in the previous term.

Plaid Cymru’s group leader Darren Price is now left as the party’s sole representative on Swansea Council.

He said of the results: “They are certainly not the ones we hoped for.”

Long-serving Oystermouth (Mumbles) councillor Joan Peters lost her seat to Conservative Anthony Colburn. Mrs Peters switched last year from the Conservatives to the Independents@Swansea group.

In a rare bright spot for Labour, Neath Port Talbot council leader Derek Vaughan said he was “delighted” with his party’s showing in the county despite Labour’s problems elsewhere. He said, “For Labour to hold Neath Port Talbot Council is a tremendous achievement and is a testament to our excellent record over the last four years of improving services and keeping council tax rises down to an absolute minimum.”

After a bitter campaign that saw two of their number defect to Labour, Neath Port Talbot Ratepayers lost a total of six seats. The Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru gained two and one seats respectively.

Mr Vaughan said: “I’m delighted the people have judged us on our record and the verdict has been positive.

“I think the excellent record of the council and the professional campaign we’ve run has ensured that the people of Neath Port Talbot once again put their faith in the Labour Party to run their council for the next four years.

“We aren’t resting on our laurels. We’ve put together a comprehensive manifesto and will be concentrating on implementing that manifesto so that services will improve even further.”

He admitted it had been “a difficult night for Labour across Wales”.

But he added: “The record of this council speaks for itself

“The only issues coming up on the doorstep were national issues.

“We kept telling people during the campaign that these were local issues and they should judge Labour on our record.”

Party activists were shocked to see authorities like Newport, Torfaen and Flintshire fall from their clutches

Page 2 - Winners – Ron Davies and wife Lynne