Posted on 05/03/2008 7:38:15 AM PDT by Reaganesque
LONDON -- Britain's Labour Party suffered its worst local election defeat on record and lost control of London on Friday, forcing Prime Minister Gordon Brown to rethink his strategy to avoid losing the next national poll.
Conservative Boris Johnson, a journalist-turned-lawmaker prone to gaffes, wrested the prized post of London mayor from Labour's maverick Ken Livingstone, who has run the sprawling metropolis of some 7.5 million people since 2000.
The election results were a major blow to Brown, who enjoyed a brief honeymoon with voters after he took over from Tony Blair, but has since been beset by economic turmoil, industrial unrest, administrative blunders and an image problem.
Contrite Labour ministers and lawmakers said the government had failed to address Britons' fears of rising food and energy prices, higher mortgages and a possible housing market slump.
The question now is whether the rout was just mid-term blues from which Labour can recover before the next general election, due by mid-2010 at the latest, or whether the tide has turned towards the Conservatives.
Accepting the post, Johnson said he hoped his victory represented a turning point for the party which has been in opposition since Blair swept to power in 1997.
"I do not for one minute believe that this election shows that London has been transformed overnight into a Conservative city but I do hope it does show that the Conservatives have changed into a party that can again be trusted," he said.
According to BBC predictions the Conservatives won 44 percent of the national vote in the local elections versus 25 percent for the Liberal Democrats and just 24 percent for Labour -- its worst share since comparable records began in 1973.
"People are sending a clear and strong message. There's a lot of dissatisfaction. If we deal with it we can turn things around, if we don't we'll go down," Labour lawmaker Geraldine Smith told Reuters.
With all the results counted from local councils in England and Wales, Labour had lost 331 councilors and the Conservatives had gained 252. Analysts said anything more than 200 losses for Labour would be a very bad result.
"It's clear to me that this has been a disappointing night, indeed a bad night for Labour," Brown told reporters. "My job is to listen and to lead and that is what I will do."
BROWN EYES RELAUNCH
Despite the upset, most Labour lawmakers said the party would be foolish to start casting around for a new leader and Brown was preparing a fight back with plans to unveil a new legislative program, possibly as early as next week.
The Treasury will also be under pressure to come up with new measures to restore Labour's credibility on the economy -- hard won over the past 10 years when Brown was finance minister but squandered in recent months after a mistake over tax rates.
But the gloomy economic news continued to roll in. British house prices suffered their biggest annual fall in 15 years in April, according to Britain's largest mortgage lender, HBOS Plc.
"If the economic crisis continues through 2010, Brown's dead in the water," MORI pollster Robert Worcester told Reuters.
The Conservatives, the once dominant party of Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill, were in buoyant mood after more than a decade in the political wilderness.
They scored victories in the north of England where they have struggled and in Labour heartlands in Wales. Labour lost Reading council, its last remaining stronghold in the wealthy southeast of England.
"I think this is a very big moment for the Conservative Party, but I don't want anyone to think that we would deserve
But there's no bias in the MSM.
Yeah, the whole article is “How can Labour overcome this defeat” and not “Major Victory for Conservatives.” Still, a win is a win whether the media wants to recognize it or not.
That’s like a pubbie being elected mayor of Jersey City or governor of Massachusetts. Oh.
That’s like a pubbie being elected mayor of Jersey City or governor of Massachusetts. Oh.
Hot damn! Red Ken finally overreached and got his arse handed to him! It's about time that London woke up to this guy!
Glorious!
I’ve got to wonder if Red Ken has demanded a recount and an investigation yet. LOL.
European liberalism in retreat ping
You want prone to gaffes? Look at practically anything that ever came out of Livingstone's mouth. Oh, yeah, those ravings wouldn't be considered gaffes by the London media, would they.
It would be interesting to see what issues drove voters.
Labor seems to have been pushing a lot of unpopular ideas, including carbon taxes. Add to that issues like rising crime, muslim no-go zones and European integration — its a recipe for electoral disaster.
One article I read said Boris Johnson was born in the US and is of Jewish ancestry.
Anyone listening here in the US?
It's time to quit burning our food and start building nuclear power plants, drilling for oil and refining gasoline.
It seems that Mr. Johnson won due to his pledge to clean up crime in the city and subway system. Hopefully he’s not afraid (or too PC) to tackle the “Muslim Problem”.
I also hope he gets a few pointers on cleaning up crime from Rudy.
Of course....
It’s a sad day when Europe is tilting to the right and the US is tilting to the left.
Johnson was born in New York City and is partially of Turkish descent.
Interesting background, he attended Eton and studied Classics at Oxford before becoming a journalist.
As for Red Ken, I'm sure there is a place for him in the Obama campaign if he wants it.
Thanks for the ping. It’s time for the left to just go away. Not go away mad, just go away. A new, loyal opposition is desperately needed, here and abroad.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.