Thursday May 6th 2010 will see local elections in a third of seats in 36 metropolitan boroughs, 20 unitary authorities and 78 districts. There will also be all the seats up for election in the London Boroughs. After their astonishing drubbing at the county council elections last week will any Labour councillors feel safe? Conventionally the idea would be that an increased turnout helps Labour and so having a General Election on the same day would boost their chances. But surely in the current climate if Gordon Brown clings on until May his councillors could expect a severe punishment.
Labour still have quite a lot to lose in local government. Labour-run district councils are few and far between. But they lots of councillors up for election next year in such Labour councils as Manchester, Rotherham, Salford and Knowsley. Elsewhere in Liverpool, Birmingham and Newcastle where they are in opposition they still have a lot to lose. Then in London they still control eight councils.
If you were a Labour councillor facing an election in May wouldn't you want to get the General Election out of the way as soon as possible? Wouldn't you be making this demand to your local Labour MP?
