Tories win council seat from Labour
The Tories have won a seat in Sunderland council from Labour, challenging Gordon Brown’s comfortable poll lead.
Council by-elections yesterday saw a swing to the Conservatives across the country, although Labour only lost one seat.
The Conservatives won Sunderland’s Washington East seat with a swing of 3.7 per cent from Labour.
By-elections for Kent county council also saw a 5.5 per cent swing from Labour to the Tories, although Labour held their Dover Town seat.
Labour also held seats in Portsmouth city council, Northamptonshire county council and Chester le-Street district council but the Conservatives picked up a significant number of votes.
The Conservatives kept control of Cheshire country council.
Labour’s achieved a swing of 11.6 per cent to hold Aylsham ward in Kent district council. They also gained a previously independent seat on Mansfield council.
The results could point to a swing of support for the Conservatives across the country, contradicting the ‘Brown bounce’.
Successive opinion polls have given Mr Brown a healthy lead over David Cameron’s Conservatives, leading to speculation the prime minister could hold an early election.
It increasingly appears Mr Brown has made no decision on an autumn poll and will be analysing the results of yesterday’s by-elections and the mood of next week’s Conservative party conference before making a decision.
