Politics

Were it not for Scotland, Ed Miliband might have been able to claim to have had a good night on Thursday. As it is, the extraordinary SNP surge overshadowed some genuinely impressive achievements: gaining 30 seats in Cardiff (providing a lesson in the benefits of coalition for the larger party), routing the Lib Dems in cities like Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Hull and Stoke, winning back Gravesham and good results in places like Telford and Luton. Yet Labour also lost ground in key seats like Gloucester and Dartford and it has a way to go before it is again a significant player in many Southern councils. The fact that one cannot say it was a good night for Labour is a measure of the uphill struggle that Miliband still faces. Read more...