UK Election: Labour make key gain in bellwether council of Swindon
Labour gaining Swindon is significant. It was a key target for them, and where they launched their local election campaign.
It’s a good bellwether as a straight Conservative vs Labour battle, and while we thought Labour would make inroads we weren’t sure that they’d take control.
It’s the third direct Conservative to Labour flip of the day. Labour hasn’t won the council there since 1999 and it has two Tory MPs – seats that Labour will be hoping to pick up in a general election, widely expected next year.
Only a third of seats on the council were up for election, making it harder to take, and the area voted leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum.
The Conservative then-leader of the council, David Renard, has lost his seat to the Labour candidate.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-politics-65147839
