Aside from a stunning win by Paul Bristow in Cambs and Peterborough and some decent results including by elections and Buckinghamshire and Northumberland, these are shockingly bad results for us. Even though we expected it, it hurts that we are losing so many excellent councillors and councils.
Reform now have a massive challenge on their hands. They have made the classic, Starmeresque mistake of promising things they will find very difficult to deliver.
What they will soon understand is how tough it is to balance the books in local government right now, with exponentially rising demand for services (Social Care, children with special needs etc) and the rising costs of providing them.
The easiest job in the world is to stand on the sidelines and criticise. Selling a dream that you’ll sort everything by a council-level DOGE might sell when on the doorstep but will be very tough in practice. Remember, councils can’t borrow to balance the books or cover their tracks. It will soon become apparent that the public have been sold a pup.
“There is no worse mistake in public leadership than to hold out false hopes soon to be swept away.” Churchill
It’s clear, however, that the voters have lost trust in us but also in Labour, which are both key reasons why Reform and the Lib Dems did so well.
The only way we can restore this trust is by making the hard yards - good, well-considered, Conservative policies, visible strong leadership, good communications and knocking on every single door in the land.
