UK local elections, 2 May 2019

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Very impressive results from the LD's in Somerset, meaning Community Liberalism is not a dead duck - they've taken the BANES unitary (Bath etc) and the expanded Taunton district, are expanding their majority in South Somerset and imo are likely to force Tory admins into minorities in Sedgemore  and Mendip (I imagine the Green surge will also be visible in the latter in Frome and Glastonbury).

Glad to see the two main parties doing badly. Will be interesting to see how they fare on the 23rd when there are more alternatives but higher turnout.

bold assumption imho

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Could someone familiar with Greater Manchester explain why Trafford is trending Labour? At this rate, Graham Brady's seat could be marginal in a decade or so...

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Some more bad Tory results have come in from Dorset, which had inaugural elections for its two new unitaries (one urban council for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; and a rural council for the rump county). Every single one of the predecessor councils, iirc (aside from the resort town of Weymouth and Portland, which had one of those odd rainbow coalitions) were Tory bastions for the entire Cameron era (e.g. Bournemouth borough council had an opposition of three people, none of which were Labour or LibDem). BCP Tories have now lost their majority, and they had their numbers cut badly in Dorset proper.

Dorset

Tory 43
LD 29
Ind 4
Green 4
Lab 2

Bournemouth etc

Tory 36
Lib 15
Ind 11
Poole People 7
Lab 3
Green 2
UKIP 1

Notably many of the independents are ex-Tories from old people bastion Christchurch (you may be familiar with their MP, the Rt Honourable Christopher "What's wrong with upskirting?" Chump), who didn't fancy being merged in with their neighbours. LD's swept Poole with the assistance of the Pool people. Mediocre reslts for Labour though, who really should be doing better in Bournemouth proper.

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Pretty funny that Labour won Mansfield in this election, of all cycles.