How was it for you?

Anyone suggesting that the local election results were anything other than a success for the Conservatives is barking. Nobody predicted a gain of anything like 882 seats, and most of the pre-election analysis said that it would be a disappointing result if we didn't get 40% 0f the vote.

On the flip side, the Conservatives should view this as our starting point. Getting over 40% of the vote should be seen as the Party having achieved a strong base from which to grow. This was a mid-term election and it is true that, historically, Government support rises in the latter half of a Parliament, but my suspicion is that the beginning of the Brown era will see Labour support drop even further. So this week's results really do increase the possibility of a significant Conservative victory after the next General Election.

I cannot finish without mentioning our remarkable victory in Fenland. Before the election we were a Lib Dem free zone and we faced some really difficult contests with both them and the Labour Party in places (although we were also guaranteed 22 seats before a vote was cast!!), the Lib Dems adopted some of their usual tactics. After the election Fenland is a Lib Dem and a Labour free zone, with the Conservatives having won 39 out of 40 seats.

My congratulations go to Mark Archer, the Independent, for his victory in Manea. I bet he didn't stand with the expectation of being the opposition leader so quickly.