Local Lib-Dem disarray

I promised a bit more analysis of the by-election result yesterday ... but I think the Evening News has beaten me to it and their front page today just about sums it all up!

... all further emphasised by the results-graph on page 2 (here) which contrasts the Parties' 2011 vote in the City Centre Ward, with their 2007 vote.

For the local Lib-Dems, its all a grim picture:

• their vote just went from 20% to 7%
• they were 'first elected' in 2007
• 'first rejected' in 2011
• one of their Councillors has already defected: Morris
• there are now only 16 of them left
• 6 of those 16 have now publicly announced that they are not standing again in May 2012: Dundas, Grubb, MacLaren, Peacock, Snowden and Wheeler
• I'm certain more will follow and will announce soon they don't intend to contest a seat next May
  
  Frankly, they are in total disarray.
  
  Some more interesting analysis of the by-election can be found here and here ... the second link contains a good graphic (also on the left here) which shows just how close it all was ...
  
  ... but not for the Lib-Dems :-(