In terms of an electoral exercise, Thursday’s local elections in England were a massive and confusing medley of overlapping contests. Some 2,600 councillors were to be selected to serve on 107 English councils; there were 11 directly elected mayoralties to be filled and 25 members to be chosen for the London Assembly; the elections for 37 police and crime commissioners sprawled over the border into Wales; and, to top it all off, there was a Parliamentary by-election in Blackpool South.
No wonder even seasoned commentators were stretched to draw definitive conclusions from such a variety of contests. It has long been accepted that many voters have differing priorities in varying types of elections. However, as expected, one incontestable conclusion could be drawn from the multifarious results: they are a disaster for Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party.
