2023 Local Elections: Shakeup in Traditional Tory Areas, Labour Eyes Power.
The Liberal Democrats have gained more than 400 seats in local council elections in England, including control of 12 councils in traditionally Conservative areas such as Windsor and Maidenhead and Stratford-on-Avon. The party's success in the Tory "Blue Wall" areas it is targeting at the next general election has buoyed hopes of a strong performance in 2024. The BBC has projected that if the whole of Britain had voted, the Liberal Democrats would have won 20% of the national vote, with Labour on 35%, the Conservatives on 26%, and other parties on 19%.