Britain’s local elections leave both Labour and the Tories worried
EconomistMAR 16 2022
These catastrophic results for the Conservatives reflect voters' outrage over Partygate and the government's pitiful response to the cost of living crisis. The elections come at a critical juncture for the Tories, while Labour has built back the trust of the British public.
The Conservatives may have suffered losses, but they were anticipated for a government in the middle of its term amid a state of global economic crisis. Labour's gains on the other hand cannot be seen as a sea change in favor of the opposition, who failed to enthuse disaffected Brits to even turn out to vote. Who is likely to form the next parliamentary majority remains to be seen.
England's electoral system is out of date. First-past-the-post artificially creates a two-party system that forces people to vote tactically and obfuscates more pluralist political debate. A transition to a proportional system would create a more representative and responsive form of politics with fewer wasted votes.