Liveblog: ‘Positive signs’ Lib Dems have taken Somerset – Davey

11:00

• Not many results yet according to today’s tallies. But some clues are beginning to emerge. Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Lib Dem, believes his party will win in Somerset. It would be a significant recovery for them in an area where they have been strong in the past.
  

9:30 a.m.

Hello.

• There have been many results, but there are many more that matter today. The Press Association has produced a schedule of deliverables here. It will be based on what the returning officers tell them. Usually these schedules are a bit optimistic. They reflect the returning officers’ ambitions of what will happen if all goes well. But in practice, there’s a strange hitch along the way. A general rule is to expect the result about an hour later than the claimed time. Sort of like having builders and the work on your house takes a week longer than expected. Paul has already covered the night’s results.
• Just as Eric Morecambe mused about “playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order” for the election, it’s not just about the number of votes, but about getting them in the right places. So far, in terms of vote share and number of councillors, the Tory’s losses have been more modest than some forecast (down 122 overall in the number of councilors at the latest count). The net gain from work in advisors was very modest at 34. But they came to the right places. Barnet, Southampton, Wandsworth and Westminster are top Labor gains. They lost a seat in Sunderland but still hold the Council – what would have been a shock loss was therefore avoided. They lost eight seats to the Conservatives in Enfield – but not control of the Council. Losing Hull to the Lib Dems is a significant setback for them, however. Will Labour’s luck hold today? In Crodon? In Herse?
• Labor won new Cumberland council – by a large majority. Marc Wallace Remarks the three MPs from this region are Conservatives. So it’s significant – even if it didn’t get much media attention because it doesn’t constitute a ‘gain’.
• Professor Sir John Curtice said that outside the capital, Labor’s vote share is actually down from 2018 on the results so far. If last night’s results were reflected in a general election, he doubts Labor will even emerge as the biggest party – let alone with an overall majority. He concludes that Labor is “probably somewhat disappointed” with this performance at this stage in Parliament.
• I suggested we watch the progress of the Green Party – given that their opinion polls are not far behind the Lib Dems. They have 23 more advisers at last count. So progress – but not a breakthrough.