Inertia and vested interests mean councils are ignoring technological solutions. The result is a terrible physical and financial cost.
The Conservatives lost a seat to an independent in Waverley and a seat to Labour in Lewes.
We said Labour would consolidate rather than make dramatic gains. That proved broadly accurate.
The Conservatives gained seven seats there – Labour are down one, the Lib Dems down three and the independents down three.
The Conservatives lost a seat to Labour in Durham and a seat to the Lib Dems in Surrey Heath.
The main threat may not be from Labour or the Lib Dems – but an uprising of plucky residents’ groups opposing ugly development.
Winning in Birmingham and Bury is not enough. Bolton, Peterborough, and Derby are the challenges Labour needs to overcome.
A shift towards four-party politics in England is likely to continue. But in an incremental rather than dramatic manner.
The Conservatives gained a seat from Labour in High Peak. But the Conservatives lost seats in Dorset, East Riding and Horsham.
The Committee on Standards in Public Life proposed that councillors’ social media comment be included as “official capacity in their public conduct.”
The Conservatives held seats in Melton and Scarborough. No seats changed hands this week.
The Conservatives held a seat in Northumberland. No seats changed hands in the contests this week.
Tory dominance in the town halls defies political gravity. Even if Labour make some gains this year, it will not be enough to overturn that.
The Conservatives lost a seat to the Green Party in Rutland. The Lib Dems held two seats in Hertfordshire.