Clegg: The torch of progress has passed to us

Labour has run out of steam and of ideas. Its supporters are turning to the Liberal Democrats.

Last week at Prime Minister's Questions I suggested to Gordon Brown that the real choice in British politics is now between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

The Labour front bench howled with joy, merrily dismissing the possibility that their party might be in serious decline as a laughing matter. The next day, the Labour Party's national vote in the local elections stood at 23 per cent and the Liberal Democrat vote rose to 28percent.

We destroyed the Labour vote in exactly the areas that we intend to win at the next general election - in Burnley, for example, a former Labour stronghold, we won five of the six county council seats from them. In a council division that we won in Cumbria the Labour vote collapsed from 1,900 to 185.

I have heard people claim that the local and European elections were a missed opportunity for the Liberal Democrats. I disagree. Background of course, as in all elections, there were losses as well as gains. In a contest when the voters wanted to give the Establishment a kicking, it is hardly surprising that we suffered some losses in the South West, where we have been the governing party for 20 years.

And in a Euro election in which many voters cast protest votes for fringe parties, no mainstream party leapt forward. But the Liberal Democrat and the Conservative vote remained broadly static, with both parties winning one extra MEP.

So I repeat my belief that the Liberal Democrats can replace Labour as the progressive party in British politics.

Political parties are not facts of life, cast in stone for ever. They change, waxing and waning with the times. It may not happen overnight: it took Labour 23 years from its formation in 1906 to become the biggest party in Parliament.

The Lib Dems are now the dominant political party of urban Britain, running the majority of big cities outside London, while the Conservatives remain invisible in northern city politics. And we are present throughout the South and South West just as Labour disappears from these regions altogether. This is the platform from which we can overtake Labour.

If it takes a little time to progress in the battle for numbers, we are already winning the battle of ideas: we were first to identify the dangers of an overleveraged banking system at the heart of the British economy; and the first to advocate radical political reform, changing the rotten system in Westminster for good. We have been consistent in our defence of civil liberties; outspoken about the need to clamp down on tax avoidance, to reduce the tax burden on low and middle-income earners, and so make taxes fairer. We remain radical on the need to make Britain environmentally sustainable; principled in our defence of the international rule of law; brave in standing up to failed populism on law and order; and progressive in pushing for new childcare and education policies, to break the cycle of deprivation that, after 12 years of Labour, is still handed down from one generation to the next.

These are the touchstone issues of progress, of reform, of conscience where Labour has proved such a disappointment. Perhaps it was Iraq. Perhaps it was the tortuous compromise at the heart of new Labour - sticking to hard-nosed Thatcherite economics while promising a gentler Britain, promising progress while out-toughing the Conservatives on crime and civil liberties. Perhaps it is simply the grinding struggle of day-to-day government after 12 exhausting years.

Whatever the reason, Labour has let down the millions of people who looked to it in the hope of a new progressive start in 1997. It has delivered, instead, unreformed politics, overcentralised government, diminished civil liberties, a confused approach to foreign affairs and the environment, and a society still disfigured by profound social injustice.

We must do better than this. And we cannot allow David Cameron to turn the clock back. He may talk a good talk, but the effects of a Conservative government are now becoming clear: they say that they want fairness, but advocate tax cuts for millionaires; they say that they want to protect the environment, but seek out allies in Europe who are climate-change deniers; they say that they want clean politics, but block any change to party funding.

So Britain desperately needs a strong progressive voice. Labour has run out of road, out of ideas, out of steam. Voters looking for a new home will only secure the fairer Britain that they want by uniting around a new centre of conscience and reform.

That is why I now say to anyone who supported Labour in 1997 because they wanted fairness; they wanted to support, not demonise, young people; they wanted political reform, they wanted the environment protected; or because they simply believed in a better future - turn to the Liberal Democrats. We carry the torch of progress now.

[Green Mail] Greens make further progress in county elections

In yesterday's county elections the Green Party continued to make steady progress.

The party made its breakthrough onto four county councils - Cambridgeshire (1 seat), Devon, Gloucestershire and Suffolk.

In Norfolk the Greens held 2 seats and gained 5.

In Lancashire the party successfully defended 1 seat and gained a second. Lancaster Greens also held a city council seat in a by-election, and continue to hold 12 seats on the city council.

Unfortunately the Greens had effectively lost 4 seats before the campaign began, due to council reorganisation and boundary changes (in Eastern and North East regions). The only unexpected loss was 3 out of the 5 Green Party seats on Oxfordshire County Council.

**Greens gain most at Labour and LibDem expense**

The Green Party ended the campaign with 123 councillors on 42 councils, up from 119 on 41.

Of the Green Party's gains, 7 were from Labour, 2 from the LibDems and 1 from the Conservatives. This too continues a familiar pattern.

The party's steady progress in the 2009 elections was reflected in recruitment, with an 8.5% growth in membership during the six weeks of the campaign.

**Greens look forward to the general election**

The single most encouraging result was in Norfolk, where the Greens won more votes than any other party in both Norwich North and Norwich South parliamentary constituencies. This bodes well for the target constituency of Norwich South, which will be contested by Adrian Ramsay, the Green Party's deputy leader and currently leader of the opposition on Norwich City Council.

And in Lancashire, in the Lancaster and Fleetwood target constituency the Greens outpolled everyone except the Conservatives.

Cameron hails “remarkable” local election results

David Cameron hailed a "remarkable" set of Local Election results after the Conservatives gained control of councils across the country - and some for the first time in nearly three decades.

We won Lancashire and Derbyshire County Councils, both of which had been Labour for 28 years; and we gained control of Staffordshire for the first time since 1977.

In the South West, we won Somerset and Devon County Councils from the Liberal Democrats, and we could be the largest party in Cornwall. It is the first time we've held Devon since 1989.

We gained control of Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire County Councils, and won the new unitary authority of Central Bedfordshire Council.

The Conservative candidate, Linda Arkley, won the North Tyneside mayoral election by nearly 4,500 votes.

David Cameron stressed, "The Conservative Party have won all over the country – from Lancashire to Devon and Somerset to Derbyshire" - and he hailed the efforts of Conservative supporters across the country.

Comedian Alexei Sayle endorses the Green Party

Sayle's vote will hopefully help elect Liverpool-based Green Party candidate Peter Cranie, and thus deny racist BNP leader Nick Griffin a seat in North West England.

Alexei Sayle said, in an email to Peter Cranie this morning:

"One of the great things about Britain is that, unlike in a lot of Europe, we have never let extremist parties of the right get anything but a tiny toehold in our electoral system. I'll personally be voting Green this time but whoever you support you should use your vote to continue our noble tradition and keep the BNP out."

Yesterday Peter Cranie held a photocall in Manchester with leading comedian and satirist Mark Thomas, who has made a YouTube video endorsing the Green Party and saying that "all the other parties are crap."

And this morning another well-known comic, Mark Steel, wrote in the Independent newspaper:

" ... the cheery note is that the Green Party has attained credibilty while retaining its principles, and seems to be the home for many people who opposed the Iraq war, oppose the rule of bankers and private finance, and feel it might be worth looking at doing something about the fact the planet's about to melt. So I'm voting for them tomorrow ..."

Joanna Lumley has also said that she is voting for Green Party leader Caroline Lucas in the South East region.

With the Greens polling on 15% in the latest ComRes survey, the party is "cautiously optimistic" of winning more MEP seats. The Sunday Telegraph has suggested that the Greens could win eight MEP seats, with the Independent predicting ten.

The Choice Voters Face

Today, Gordon Brown highlighted the choice voters face at the ballot box this week on a visit to the East Midlands.

"But I also want to say explicitly to the people of the East Midlands that the BNP do not have the answer to any of these challenges facing Britain. Despite what they may claim to represent - they actually stand against everything that makes this country great.

"There are some people who argue that Labour has somehow abandoned the white working class. Nothing could be further from the truth: I will never forget where I've come from and the people and causes I came into politics to represent.

Earlier in the day the Prime Minister joined campaigners including Jason Isaacs, at the “Hope not Hate” vintage bus, an annual tour run by The Daily Mirror and Searchlight that campaigns against racism and celebrates diversity.

Conservatives: 6 DAYS TO GO: How you can help us win

Help us win on Facebook

If you're on Facebook, you can help our European election campaign by donating your status to the Party in the run-up to June 4th.

We will automatically update your status with messages explaining why people should vote for change at these elections.

Donate your Facebook status now to help us win and send a clear message that it's time for change.

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War Room Briefing 3

Eric Pickles speaks to you from the campaign trail in the latest edition of the War Room Briefing. He explains the issues that are coming up on the doorsteps, and stresses the importance of convincing people not to vote for fringe parties at the upcoming elections.

Frank Cottrell Boyce - Vote Green to stop the BNP

In a short film, Frank Cottrell Boyce, the Liverpool-based screenwriter and author -- whose acclaimed films include "24 Hour Party People" and "Welcome to Sarajevo" -- explains why after voting Labour all his life, he's backing the Greens in this election to stop the BNP in the North West of England.

Vote Green on the 4th of June, in both local and European elections.

We urgently need change

Labour's Government is falling apart in front of our eyes. The scandals behind the scenes. Humiliating defeats in Parliament. U-turn after U-turn. Cabinet Ministers mocking the Prime Minister. And behind this political pantomime there is no policy, no direction, no vision.

We urgently need change. That's why this year's local elections are so important. We launched our campaign this week with a strong, clear message: a vote for the Conservatives won't just get you more for less - a cleaner, greener, safer place to live for fewer taxpayer pounds. It will also give you the chance to show Gordon Brown just how sick, tired and disappointed you are with his Government.

We've been spreading this message all over the country: Newcastle, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Exeter, Plymouth. I love getting on the road and meeting people. It also gives us a chance to do more Cameron Directs - townhall-style events where people can come along, stick up their hand and ask me anything they like. They don't pull their punches and that's just how I like it. You can see what I mean by watching our latest Party Election Broadcast.

The end of the week has been dominated by expenses stories - and I expect there will be many more over the coming months, from all parties. I understand why people are angry about this. That's why as soon as the problems arose I was first out of the blocks, making sure that our MPs and MEPs set out clearly how they spend public money. This is just the first step to a cleaner, more open system. Slowly and surely we're going to re-build the trust between politicians and the people they serve.

Vote for change in the local elections on 4th June

David Cameron today launched our local election campaign and urged people to "vote for change" on 4^th June.

He accused Labour of “running our country into the ground” by “borrowing eye-watering amounts of money, presiding over social decline, (and) letting our politics descend into the quagmire.”

He highlighted the “national importance” of the local elections and urged voters to "give this weak, useless and spineless Government a message it won’t forget” on 4th June:

"With every Conservative vote, that message will be simple: 'Enough is enough. You’re the past.'"

David stressed that Conservative councils offer value for money and provide “more for less”:

“They are delivering more of the safe, clean and green streets that are so vital to everyone’s quality of life for the less tax that is so important for everyone struggling in Labour’s Debt Crisis.”

He promised to instruct Conservative councillors, new and re-elected, to “go through the books, page by page, line by line, to see what savings you can make and do everything you can to get council tax down and help people in Labour’s Debt Crisis.”

And he stressed that Conservative councils are greener, helping to improve the local environment and protect green spaces, cleaner, with lower levels of the graffiti, fly-posting and fly-tipping, and safer, with lower levels of crime, anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

"Of the councils with the top twenty highest ‘overall satisfaction’ ratings by residents, sixteen are Conservative and none are Labour or Liberal Democrat controlled. This shouldn’t surprise anyone."