Analysis this week across Britain has shown that Labour have only contested 60% of all the council seats for May's English local elections. This is the lowest number of candidates fielded by any Party of government at this particular election cycle. By contract, Conservatives are fielding a record number of council candidates.
But local analysis by West Worcestershire Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Harriett Baldwin shows that the situation in Worcestershire is even more serious for Labour. Harriett Baldwin said, "There is a marked absence of any Labour candidate in the whole of the Malvern Hills District. While the local Conservative Party has put up candidates for 100% of the seats up for election, the Liberal Democrats struggled to get candidates and have only stood in 76% of seats available. The Liberal Democrats also suffered defections to the Conservatives, with three of their former councillors standing as Conservatives."