The party lost all but four of the 63 seats available.
By Amani Hughes, Amy Martin and Jack Miller
Labour scored a landslide victory in Lambeth today, and returning council leader Lib Peck saw her party crush the opposition and gain an extra 15 seats for this term.
Labour lost just four of the 63 seats available, while the Conservative secured a clean sweep in Clapham Common, winning all three seats.
The day’s biggest losers were the struggling Liberal Democrats, and Ms Peck said their losses were a reflection of the hard work put in by Labour over the past four years.
“It’s amazing we do not have any Libs in Lambeth,” she said. “I think we have been judged on our record and we look forward to a series of very positive promises over the next four years.
“Today the story is that Labour have got a tremendous victory, that is the key message. I think people see us as the best people to look after them at a time when the government are making a lot of cuts.”
Labour pulled off a three seat swing from the Liberal Democrats across three separate wards.
Incoming Streatham Wells councillor Mohammed Seedat was one of those who celebrated his coup with a resounding cheer.
He said: “The loud cheering is a celebration because all of our hard work has paid off. There are people obviously feeling disillusioned with the coalition – the cuts have taken their toll.
“Ultimately our commitment to the local people, the pledges from the Labour Party nationally and Lambeth Labour locally make people feel connected to us.”
However, the shock of the day came when the Green Party came close to securing two seats in the hotly-contested St. Leonard’s ward, eventually having to settle for one after a tense recount.
The Greens performed strongly all day with strong showings across the borough, cashing in on disillusioned Lib Dem voters.
Scott Ainslie won the St. Leonard’s seat, and said he hoped the result would pave the way for more Green success in the future.
“It means that we can create a great base for Green candidates,” he said. “The Greens have twenty-first century solutions for twenty-first century problems.
“We are needed more than ever now we have a one party state in Lambeth. I hope we can really build on the modest basis we have today.
“It certainly points in the right direction with some of the figures across the borough for the future.”
Labour’s performance today bodes well for next year’s general election, proving they still have a firm grip on Lambeth and the other London boroughs.
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