The collective cowardice and loss of nerve of Brown’s Cabinet meant that some of the local election results were slightly obscured by some of the extraordinary events unfolding in Westminster. It shouldn’t be forgotten, however, that the results were quite exceptional for the Conservatives.
Our victory in the North Tyneside mayoral race was particularly satisfying. I was there on election day and found a large amount of goodwill towards us – hopefully the start of a real Conservative renaissance in the North East. The swings and gains in Derbyshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Bedfordshire were quite astonishing. We are winning in places we haven’t won for decades.
This shows two things. Firstly, Labour are now a busted flush. This Government is the first Government ever not to hold a single County Council.
Secondly, the North is now genuinely receptive to progressive Conservative ideas. Whilst utterly hostile to the ideas of the hard right of the Tory party, the people in the North of England are showing that they are prepared to listen to a broad, modern, progressive Conservatism that appeals to the better angels of human nature. The results on Thursday are also a tribute to the hard work and modernised organisation that forms such a central part of ‘Campaign North’.
David Cameron’s ongoing modernisation of the Party means that we are now a serious force again in the North of England and the old boundaries no longer apply. I have little doubt that Thursday’s results will be a platform to us becoming a major player once more in the North of England. A serious and credible alternative to a Labour Party, which has taken the people of the North of England for granted for much too long.
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Don’t get carried away with your own hubris. The Tory share of the vote was not especially high given that Labour is in a state of total collapse. There is little evidence that the North of England is wowed by Blue Labour.