James O'Brien's instant reaction to Local Election results

6 May 2022, 11:06

By Seán Hickey

The Conservatives' massive losses in the Local Elections should not come as a surprise, James O'Brien declares.

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James O'Brien was taking stock of some of the biggest results to come from the local election results across England.

Wandsworth Council flipped to Labour for the first time since the 1970s, and Boris Johnson now resides in Labour-held Westminster in a major blow to the Conservatives.

The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party also made gains at the expense of the government party as the fallout from partygate and numerous sleaze scandals have been seen to tip the vote against Boris Johnson.

James noted that the results are "spectacular for the Labour party", but the "Liberal Democrats are probably the biggest winners" having picked up a number of council seats in the "Blue Wall".

He went on to state that the results across England so far don't light the political landscape alight.

"I'm not going to lie to you, I sit on the train on a day like today – I normally get quite excited scrolling through the news agenda...maybe I'd have got excited if the Conservatives had had an absolutely unexpected and unprecedented triumph."

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He explained his point, telling listeners "if something epic and entirely unforeseen happens you get excited", but mass Conservative losses are not much of a surprise.

"It's not a damp squib, these results, but neither is it dynamite for either side.

"There is not enough dynamite to propel Keir Starmer into the stratosphere, and there's not enough dynamite to blow Boris Johnson out of the water."

James told listeners that he feels sorry for "decent Conservative councillors" who have become a casualty of Boris Johnson's government.

"Councillors who happen to be Conservatives who've done a pretty good job have just been slapped with a Boris Johnson shaped kipper."