The 100 results to watch

Of the thirty five parliamentary seats Labour lost in the south and east last year, all but Hastings has council elections this week. These elections represent not only an early opportunity to pass judgement on the performance of the Coalition, but also a chance for Labour to assess the strength of its recovery in these key southern swing constituencies, as it seeks to bounce back from last year’s electoral rout.

We have looked earlier at Labour’s prospects of winning back control of town halls across the south; but in many senses the crucial battles lie in 100 council seats being contested in parliamentary constituencies Labour must win back if it is to form the next Government.



The overwhelming majority of these seats were won by the Conservative when they were last contested in 2007. Whilst progressives feel betrayed by the Liberal Democrats, our efforts and focus must be directed against the dominant partner in the coalition, the Conservatives. In only 14 of these seats are the Liberal Democrats our target. In three quarters of these seats it is a straight Red-Blue contest.

The increase in Labour candidates contesting this week’s elections is testimony to the determination of the party to bounce back from the disappointment of last May. But an enthused and motivated political party doesn’t necessarily make for a winning party. On Friday morning the results in these 100 seats will go some way to telling us whether Labour has taken the first steps on its road back to Government.

Stuart King is Editor of Southern Front.