Tories 39, Labour 21, Lib Dems 3 - let the nastiness commence!

The Times series reports rather a bollocks (it's a day for intemperate language in Barnet blogland) overall picture in the Barnet council elections:

Conservatives 39
Labour 21
Lib Dems 3

Lib Dem leader Jack Cohen comments on his party's poor showing:

It's disappointing. I think we were always up against it because the General Election was on the same day.

The local elections are about candidates who work and have a strong personal vote, but in General Elections many people don't take that into account.

Barnet blogger Roger Tichborne is one that has lost out. He would have made a great councillor. Don't bow out now, mate! With this crew in charge, we're going to need your wit and wisdom more than ever.

Barnet Tories will be feeling massively vindicated and will be rolling up their sleeves ready to inflict their wretched plans on Barnet: cuts to sheltered housing wardens (and it won't end there), easyCouncil... Just as soon as they have got over their champagne hangovers, that is. (I know, I'm just rubbing salt into the wound now.)

The more I see of them, the more I understand that Tories are hardnosed characters. Let Nick Clegg bear that in mind if he wants to go into coalition with them.

We're not as bad as we paint ourselves

I just had a hollow laugh at a Reuters general election report. The latest opinion poll puts the Lib Dems in the lead. In itself, that's no laughing matter, but the statements below are. What a miserable impression our political leaders give of the state of British politics:

"What [the] last 24 hours has shown is there are a growing number of people who just desperately want something different, they want more of a choice than the old politics of the past," Clegg told Sky News.

...Cameron, addressing party activists in Gloucester in southwest England, said a weak government would be bad for Britain...

"A hung parliament would be a bunch of politicians haggling, not deciding. They would be fighting for their own interests, not fighting for your interests," he said.

"They would not be making long term decisions for the country's future. They would be making short term decisions for their own future."

...Cabinet minister Alan Johnson told the Times newspaper that politicians should stop scaremongering about a hung parliament.

"It wouldn't be as good as a Labour government but anything is better than the Tories," he said.

Are we feeling reassured?

Pressure on Lib Dems as Portsmouth council appeals wardens judgement

When Barnet sheltered housing residents won their legal case against Barnet Tory council's decision to axe their wardens, Lib Dem Portsmouth Council was in the dock as well, and their legal case went against them also.

David Young, Barnet campaigner, has written to the leaders of all the main parties calling on them to prevent the cuts. So far, only Lib Dem party leader Nick Clegg has not replied. David Young has written to him again, demanding to know his position, and also objecting to Portsmouth council's decision to appeal the court's ruling.

Read David Young's letter below, and scroll down for a call to arms.

The Labour government removed the ringfence around the sheltered housing wardens budget and has it in its power to change the regulations so that the cuts need not be made - it still has time to do this before the general election. Lib Dem and Tory councils around the country have the power to stop and reverse the cuts they have made to this service.

I believe that popular opinion is against these cuts. Can we impose our view and save the wardens? Well, it is still, even at this late hour, worth the battle.

Let's see whether Barnet council follow Portsmouth's decision to appeal... If you want to write to your councillor and ask them to come out against the cuts (in the case of Tory councillors - Lib Dem and Labour in Barnet are against the cuts), you can find their details here.