Local elections

[wheels]

This is not correct Howard it is in fact

Lib Dem - 1  Lost Hazel Grove and Stepping Hill Gained Offerton
Con No Change Lost 2 Heatons North and Offerton and Gained Hazel Grove  and Stepping Hill
Labour + 1 Heatons North


Thus
LD 28
Lab 22
Con 10
Heald Green Inds 3

The situation is exactly the same as pre 2012 and it is likely that the two opposition parties will seek the responsibility on control.

I can't help but remind Dave and Simone of their forcaste of a LD defeat in Manor. In fact the majority was 225 up from24.

[Howard]

This leaves Stockport as:

Liberal Democrat 28 (-3)
Labour 22 (+2)
Conservative 10   (+1)
Residents Association 3 (0)

Unless there's a Lab-Con coalition (unlikely) then they'll have to get dealing. At least they're used to it, unlike the national government.

The Marple South result is interesting. I suspect that UKIP pulled in votes from both the Cons and from Labour. Marple South is less affluent than Marple North and if we look around the country, Labour lost some of their core votes to UKIP as well as the more generally accepted point of view that it would be disenchanted Conservative voters who would vote for them. If UKIP hadn't stood in Marple South I suspect that the Conservatives might have taken the seat from the Lib Dems.

[Dave]

Well done Lib Dems. 

Perhaps the most interesting figure there is UKIP's 22% in Marple South, just 1% point behind the Tories!   

[corium]

Marple South - results
Election Candidate   Party   Votes   %   
 Susan Ingham   Liberal Democrats   1535   38%   Elected
 Bev Morley-Scott   Conservative Party   950   23%   Not elected
 Darran John Palmer   UK Independence Party   873   22%   Not elected
 Kevin Dolan   Labour Party   446   11%   Not elected
 Graham Douglas Reid   Green Party   254   6%   Not elected

[corium]

Marple North - results
Election Candidate   Party   Votes   %   
 Geoff Abell   Liberal Democrats   1580   37%   Elected
 Annette Claire Finnie   Conservative Party   1248   29%   Not elected
 Chelsea Helen Smith   UK Independence Party   539   13%   Not elected
 David Edward Rowbottom   Labour Party   538   13%   Not elected
 Maggie Preston   Green Party   328   8%   Not elected