Labour ‘given up’ on election - Conservatives attack party over decision not to field candidates in ‘unwinnable’ seats - Tories launch manifesto in Leicester Square

Published: 16 April 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

THE battle for City Hall has been ratcheted up a notch after Westminster’s Conservatives accused their rivals of “giving up” on the election following Labour’s decision not to field a full set of candidates for the first time in almost 50 years.

Labour will have no candidates fighting Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and Belgravia or Marylebone High Street wards – Conservative strongholds it describes as “unwinnable” – at the local council elections on May 6.

With the Liberal Democrats also failing to stand in Knighsbridge and Belgravia, and only one other Green party candidate, the Tories are guaranteed at least two seats before residents even go to the polls.

Labour have framed the situation as an opportunity to unite the tactical anti-Conservative vote, but it has been pounced on by the Conservative leadership as a sign of flagging support for the party in the borough – they say it was “bad for democracy”.

Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of the Labour group, said: “Labour voters in these three wards can help to defeat the Conservatives by lending their support to other parties for this particular election. They have never been won by Labour because of the large number of very wealthy people who live there. If all the anti-Conservatives unite behind the same candidates, then we can give the Conservatives the fight of their lives.”

Councillor Colin Barrow, leader of Westminster’s Conservative Party, said: “It’s clear that the Labour Party in Westminster has given up. Two weeks ago Labour said it was time for big change in Westminster. How can they change Westminster when they can’t even be bothered to fight every seat?”

The Tories are fielding a “full house” of three councillors in all 20 wards, while Labour has 51 candidates, followed by 43 Lib-Dems hoping to take their first council seat, 17 from the Green Party, four UK Independence Party candidates, and a handful of independents.

This week the Tories put low taxes, cleaner streets and improved social housing at the heart of their vision for the borough. Among their election pledges are repairing 1,000 streets across the city, putting Leicester Square and Piccadilly at the forefront of Olympic celebrations, and planting more trees. But with ink on the manifesto barely dry, it has already upset Labour who claim that by calling the manifesto “Living City” – a slogan already used under the council banner – it is sailing close to breaking election rules that forbid using Town Hall machinery for party political purposes. Cllr Dimoldenberg has written to City Hall chief executive Mike More requesting a breakdown of how much money has been spent on the initiative.

Mr More said: “The council’s Living City agenda was formally approved and adopted at a meeting of the full council in March 2009. If the majority party wish to use the phrase ‘Living City’ it is a matter for them.”