Britain’s Conservatives Dealt Heavy Loss in Local Voting

The opposition inflicted a heavy defeat on Prime Minister John Major’s Conservative Party in local government elections Thursday, virtually ending the prospect of an early general election this summer.

“The Tories will not want a general election now, but our country desperately needs one,” said John Cunningham, campaign manager of the opposition Labor Party, as results came in through the early hours today.

Major has a year before he must call a national parliamentary election.

The Conservatives have been in power for nearly 13 years. Analysts said the results in a national election would likely rob them of parliamentary control, leaving no party with an overall majority.

Thursday’s elections covered most of the municipal councils in Britain. Labor made its biggest gains in the Conservative-dominated south of England, the most prosperous part of the country. However, it has also been hardest hit by recession.

With results declared in 216 of the 369 local councils at stake in England and Wales, Labor had gained control of 11 new councils, for a total of 100.

The Conservatives had 38 councils, after losing control of 27. The Liberal Democratic Party won control of 14 councils.

Before the vote, the Conservatives controlled 119 of the local boards and councils, Labor 117 and independents 27. No party had overall control of the rest.

Conservative Party Chairman Chris Patten acknowledged that the party “had a very steep hill to climb.” But he said it was climbing back from a low point behind Labor, reached before Major replaced Margaret Thatcher in November.