Can someone explain why local council election results are considered some sort of indictment of the national party leaders? Are Miliband, Clegg, Cameron also leaders of the local council variations of their respective parties?
I know next to nothing about local councils and how they work - but aren't they basically just the equivalent of municipal elections here in Canada? We don't use parties at the municipal level in Canada, so the closest comparison i'd have here would be provincial elections, and no one would ever consider the success or failure of, say the New Brunswick NDP party as a reflection of the federal NDP party. They're separate entities that campaign on different platforms - one geared to federal issues, the other addressing provincial issues.
I just find it really bizarre that losing council seats would somehow be seen as a measure of success or failure of the national leaders. I mean, do council candidates campaign on the national party's manifesto or something? It's just rather confusing.