THE combined figures for the council elections in 2012 and 2014 show Labour gains of 37 councils and 1107 seat. The Tories lost 23 council and 626 seat. UKIP have no councils and 163 seats. No Labour meltdown there.
The European elections are different, it is not high on the voters’ wants and are judged by the party’s share from the 2010 elections.
UKIP increased their share of the vote by 10.99 per cent, for Labour an increase of 9.67 per cent, the Tories suffered a decrease -3.8 per cent. This amounted to 24 seats for UKIP plus 11, 20 seats for Labour plus seven, and 19 seats for the Tories minus seven.
Once again Labour gained because the European Parliament consist of groups of alike politicians, Labour’s group the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (PES) have 186 seat minus two, the Tory group European Conservatives and Reformists (ERC) 45 seats minus 11, and the largest group, European Christian Democrats and European Democrarts (EPP) 208 seats minus 59.
UKIP are in no group so their 24 seats in the European Parliament of 751 members will carry little power.
MJ Warner, Groundwell Road, Swindon
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