Interesting piece in The Times today by Daniel Finkelstein looking at the electoral aftermath of the May 5 elections. While there has been much discussion of Labour’s problems in Scotland Finkelstein focuses south of the border.
While many have said Ed Miliband and Labour did well in England and Wales it did not do well enough. This map of English council, with its swathes of blue, underscores that and with it Labour’s English problem. It is a problem that is compounded by its Scottish problem giving the impression of a party that is hemmed in where it will remain so unless it can breakout in the South of England as New Labour once did.
“And speaking of maps, here’s the third point. The map of English councils still looks overwhelmingly blue. Labour’s ‘English problem’ should preoccupy the party even more than its ‘Scottish problem’ does.”
