Lib Dem Vote goes up Across St Albans District

3.47.50pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 8th May 2007

Sandy Walkington

Truly terrible result for Anne Main's Conservatives

• Liberal Democrats only party to increase vote share across the St Albans district on May 3

• Conservatives, Labour and Greens all lose support

• Conservatives only hold one council seat with reduced majority in St Albans parliamentary constituency

• Liberal Democrats hold 10 (including Bedmond) in constituency and narrowly miss winning two more

• Anne Main put on notice for next general election

St Albans once again bucked the national swing and sent a message to both David Cameron and Tony Blair that local voters will make their own minds up when it comes to voting. The performance of the Liberal Democrat district council was endorsed with a increased share of the vote - up by nearly three percentage points from 2006 across the whole District. The Conservative, Labour and Green parties all saw their support fall away from a year ago.

Within the St Albans parliamentary seat, the message was even more clear-cut. The solitary defending Conservative councillor managed to hang on to St Stephens ward with a reduced majority but the Conservatives made no gains at all and went backwards in almost every ward. The Liberal Democrats won ten council seats (including Bedmond in Three Rivers District Council which is part of the parliamentary seat). Labour clung on to their few remaining wards with greatly reduced majorities and just 219 people voting the other way would have wiped them out.

St Albans now has its youngest ever councillor with 21 year old Nicola McAlistair-Baillie in Park Street. Iqbal Zia is the new councillor in Ashley ward. And long-term city centre campaigner and former Labour supporter Jack Pia now represents St Peters where the Green campaign fizzled out in fourth place as in every other ward they fought.

"Local residents were particularly angry that the Conservatives tried to blame the state of the roads and pavements on the district council when they are the responsibility of the Conservative-controlled county council," said Robert Donald. "They also were unimpressed that the Conservatives tried to imply that it was the District Council which was responsible for swingeing council tax increases. St Albans Liberal Democrats have kept increases below inflation since we have been in control while Hertfordshire Conservatives have continued to pile on above-inflation increases.

"By comparison with the other parties, we fought a positive campaign based on our record. We know we have not got everything right, but residents can see where progress is already being made and we are committed to further improving services in the future. The Audit Commission has rated St Albans as one of the most improved district councils in the country since we took over, and it is clear this was recognised by local voters."

"After these results, pundits are now predicting a LibDem gain in St Albans at the next General Election," said Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington. "The Labour vote has collapsed. It is now a two-horse race between Conservative and Liberal Democrats but we are going forwards and they are going backwards. If we can poll eleven percent more that the Conservatives in a difficult year for the Liberal Democrats, it shows just how vulnerable the Conservative parliamentary seat has become."

Result on May 3 in St Albans constituency: Lib Dem 10 (44%)

Con 1 (32%)

Lab 3 (16%)

Green 0 (8%)

Current composition of St Albans District Council (includes part of Hitchin & Harpenden constituency):

Lib Dem 29

Con 19

Lab 8

Ind 2

There is a Lib Dem Mayor with a casting vote, so NOC is a technical description of the council status

For more information, please contact Robert Donald on 07973 208289 or Sandy Walkington on 07802 177317