British PM suffers poll 'bloodbath'
Pastor Dale Morgan
British PM suffers poll 'bloodbath'*
LONDON (AFP) - - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's governing Labour
Party was crushed in local elections and seemed set to lose the London
mayoralty Friday in results dubbed a "bloodbath" by commentators.
In a rout which augurs badly for general elections due within two years,
Brown -- facing the polls for the the first time since taking office
last June -- oversaw his party's worst local election results since the
1960s.
"This has been a disappointing night, indeed a bad night for Labour,"
Brown said, linking the effects of the global credit crunch to the
centre-left party's defeat.
"We have lessons to learn from that and then we will move forward."
Labour finished third behind the Conservatives and the Liberal
Democrats, results showed, 11 years to the day since Brown's predecessor
Tony Blair led the party into government on a landslide of popularity.
Conservative leader David Cameron said the results were "a very big
moment" for his party and a "vote of positive confidence" in the Tories.
Some commentators suggest their strong showing could be a springboard to
victory in a general election which must be held by mid-2010 at the latest.
The front page of an early edition of London's Evening Standard
newspaper read "Bloodbath for Brown," while the Daily Mail called it
"Black Friday."
Labour seemed set for further humiliation in the closely-fought London
mayoral election, with Conservative maverick Boris Johnson leading
eight-year incumbent Ken Livingstone.
With four-fifths of the votes counted in the capital, Johnson was ahead
in eight of 14 areas with Livingstone ahead in the remainder. The Lib
Dems' Brian Paddick was polling third.
Johnson himself said he had "not a clue" who would triumph -- though the
Evening Standard proclaimed "Boris Is The Mayor" on the front-page of
its late edition and bookmaker Paddy Power began paying out on his victory.
"I think the party's done fantastically nationally but London is a very
different kettle of fish and we'll have to see what happens," he told
BBC television.
Livingstone said he would have a "bloody great drink" if he won --
likewise if he lost.
He added: "None of us can be certain until they announce those results,"
which are expected before midnight (2300 GMT).
Officials said the London turnout was about 45 percent, up from 35
percent in 2004. Voters were also choosing the 25 London Assembly members.
Calling it a "terrible day," Brown's London minister Tessa Jowell said:
"If Ken hasn't won, London has lost somebody very special who is
passionate about this city and has done fantastic things for this city."
In wider local polls, held across England and Wales, the Conservatives
had a 44 percent projected share of the vote, the Lib Dems 25 percent
and Labour 24 percent, the BBC said.
With results from all 159 local councils counted, the Conservatives
controlled 12 more at 65, Labour lost control of nine to leave 18, and
the Liberal Democrats were up one at 12.
The remainder were not controlled by any single party.
Labour lost 333 councillors, the Conservatives gained 260 and the Lib
Dems 34. Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru added 31 councillors while the
far-right British National Party was up 10.
Worryingly for Brown, Labour lost seats in key heartlands such as south
Wales, while the Conservatives made gains beyond their southern England
powerbase.
Senior government ministers insisted Brown was still the best man for
the job, in number 10 Downing Street. However, disgruntled backbenchers
were more outspoken.
Labour MP Derek Wyatt said: "Gordon has committed spectacular own-goals
and the public is punishing him for it."
Fellow backbencher Ian Gibson said Brown was running out of time to
prove he could turn things around.
"I'll give him six months to do it or there will be really hard
talking," he warned.
Despite a strong start, Brown has been shaken in recent months by poor
opinion polls and backbench dissent over tax reforms and plans to extend
the period of pre-trial detention for suspected extremists to 42 days.
Several commentators expect him to try relaunching his government with a
new policy programme in the wake of this week's drubbing.