Although coverage has focused on the UKIP surge, the results aren’t all bad for Labour.
After a grim start to the evening for the party, with Graham Stringer declaring that Miliband lacks “an immediate appeal to the electorate” and describing his error over his shopping bill as “unforgivably unprofessional”, Labour spirits are starting to lift. Alongside the gains in London, where a radical and energetic campaign led by Sadiq Khan is paying dividends, the party has just gained Cambridge, a key general election target. If this trend continues, it will be in a position to claim it has taken steps forward to victory next year.
Labour has gained more seats than UKIP -+126 so far as opposed to +90 – and has also gained control of four additional councils. The coalition parties, by contrast, have lost control of 10 councils. Labour has won support in significant target seats for 2015, including Cambridge, and has also taken control of Hammersmith, Redbridge and Croydon. UKIP has been particularly successful in Essex and in some northern cities such as Rotherham and Sunderland.
