10 May 2002
Was it monkey mascots, Robo Cop, health campaigners or a fear of the far-Right in Burnley that seemed to fuel interest in what is normally one of the dullest dates in the political calendar?
Or perhaps it was simply a dose of good, old-fashioned political campaigning that pushed the turnout up by a modest four percentage points to 34% – the highest since Labour took office in 1997.
As the psephologists crunched the numbers in the aftermath of last week's local elections, all three main political parties appeared with satisfied grins.
Labour avoided its much-expected rout, but lost 339 councillors and eight local authorities, including Kingston-upon-Hull, stamping ground of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. It managed to keep a tight rein on its heartlands, despite warnings to the contrary, making gains in Gateshead and South Tyneside and retaining Birmingham, Rochdale, Bury and Bolton. But it lost around 180 seats in London.
Among the Tories' modest gains – 237 councillors and nine local authorities – its shining stars were Enfield, Richmond-upon-Thames (stolen from the Liberal Democrats), Welwyn Hatfield (from Labour), and the election of a Conservative mayor in North Tyneside.
The LibDems took control in Norwich (the constituency of Labour Party chair Charles Clarke) and Kingston-upon Thames. Overall, it gained 42 councillors.
But voters in two of its flagship authorities, Liverpool and Sheffield, gave the party the thumbs down. It lost control of Sheffield and Labour took six seats in Liverpool.
Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith described his party's performance 'as a step in the right direction', saying: 'Up and down the country people recognise that the Conservative party is changing and reflecting their concerns about the poor state of our public services.'
Clarke managed to get even more animated. 'Our excellent showing follows a positive, energetic campaign that contributed to the better-than-expected turnout,' he said.
But while the political parties put a keen gloss over May 2, they would be wise to take a quick glance at the rise of protest politics in England.
Most obvious examples are the three seats the British National Party won in Burnley following last year's race riots. Ministers moved this week to limit their activities by warning that if they fail to represent all races they will breach the Local Government Code of Conduct.
In Wyre Forest, health campaigners consolidated the success of MP Dr Richard Taylor in the 2001 general election by taking control of the authority. Since 1999, Kidderminster Health Concern has been campaigning against the closure of the local hospital and the building of another 18 miles away under the Private Finance Initiative. Its strong stance on health and improving local services was rewarded. It took five extra seats, bringing its total to 21 out of the 40.
Elsewhere, residents' associations in Elmbridge, Surrey, will create a unique situation in English local politics by banding together to form a new administration. The associations have increased their majority over ten years, campaigning on specific local concerns such as land sales. 'This is local democracy at the heart of local politics,' said a council spokeswoman proudly.
Labour, particularly, was given a sting in the tail in Hartlepool, Peter Mandelson's Parliamentary realm, where H'Angus the Monkey, a mascot for the local football club, landed the £53,000-a-year job as its first directly elected mayor. A rather surprised H'Angus, AKA Stuart Drummond, was elected on a protest vote and has now promised to make a serious job of being mayor, ensuring that council taxpayers get value for money.
The rest of the mayoral results were also a mixed bag; a Tory in North Tyneside, a LibDem in Watford and a Robo Cop – former police chief Ray Mallon – in Middlesbrough, with Labour elected in Lewisham, Newham and Doncaster.
Clarke has already conceded that Hartlepool is an 'issue of concern' and rumblings within the party suggest that there will be campaigning changes in the next round of mayoral elections.
According to mayoral campaigners, all three political parties should take heed. 'Many people across Britain would claim that they have been voting for monkeys for years,' said John Williams, executive director of the New Local Government Network. 'At least we now have one willing to act in a transparent way.'
Perhaps politicians might take the hint – although IDS in a monkey suit might not go down well with the party faithful.
PFmay2002
