Solid, if unexciting. That was the verdict on the Liberal Democrats’ performance in the local elections. Sir Ed Davey, the leader, talked them up, slipping into hyperbole. They weren’t "brilliant". They were good, though.
His party added more than 100 council seats and two councils, to take the number to 12 of authorities under Lib Dem control.
This, to be fair, was from a contest that was not focused on their traditional heartlands – these elections were primarily in the North and Midlands, in towns and cities where the Lib Dems are used to coming a poor third behind the Tories and Labour.
Still, they should take heart. After a disastrous period, which saw their popularity plummet, the Lib Dems are on an upwards trajectory again. Mr Davey is right, too, to stick to a strategy of concentrating firmly on those seats in the south where the Lib Dems traditionally come second to the Tories.
His is a rebuilding exercise, aimed at recapturing seats that used to be yellow shoo-ins, until that is the party paid the price of going into partnership with the Tories. Their approach was naive and they were clobbered.
The Lib Dems were seen as lacking in principles, prepared to sell out on key issues – the never-to-be-forgotten official video of Nick Clegg, at the time party leader, walking along the Embankment and promising not to raise university tuition fees, only to do exactly that once with the Tories in government, did untold damage.
Wary of Starmer
Now, as the general election nears, Mr Davey is aiming for a return to yellow in the south-west of England, in the university-dominated cities such as Oxford, in south-west London and south Manchester. He’s hoping as well to appeal to those Remainers across the south who are disenfranchised, not at home in the current, anti-EU Tory party and unable to vote Labour.
Once again, the Lib Dems are set to become the bane of the Tories, picking off seats here and there, and taking down high-profile Conservative incumbents. While no one is suggesting they will reclaim former recent heights, not yet anyway, the Lib Dems rediscovering their mojo could be of enormous significance.
While Labour crowed about these election results, hailing them as proof that Sir Keir Starmer was on his way to Number 10, that he would be overseeing a landslide, closer inspection suggests that is not the case.
Labour appears set to win, but not by enough to command an overall majority. Voters were turned off by the Tories all right. But the crucial point is that those votes did not automatically switch to Labour.
That’s the worry for Labour: that the country wants a change of hue in charge, it’s finished with blue. But it’s not screaming, now paint Downing Street red.
The Tories lost 474 councillors, a calamitous figure. Labour, though, gained 186. So, almost 300 council seats were picked up by other parties, by the Lib Dems, Reform, Greens, independents.
The message from the 2024 local elections was that while the electorate is not persuaded by Rishi Sunak, it’s not exactly bowled over by Mr Starmer either.
Price of power
It means the UK might be heading for coalition government again; certainly, provided he does nothing disastrous between now and the ballot, Mr Davey may well find himself in position A – with an increased tally of MPs and able to negotiate his way to holding the levers of power.
If the Lib Dems can put in a strong showing, Mr Davey could be courted, as Clegg was before him.
There will be those telling him to stay away, that the punishment was so severe for entering an alliance previously they do not want to commit the same mistake. But this would be with Labour, not the Tories.
What is more, it would be with Mr Starmer’s Labour. The two, Mr Davey’s Lib Dems and Mr Starmer’s Labour, are closer than they let on.
This time, too, the Lib Dems should be firmer, not so generous, making their demands clear and unyielding: they want electoral reform, something the party holds dear.
It isn’t a maybe or an issue that can be put to a referendum; an end to first past the post and the introduction of proportional representation or PR, is their price, pure and simple, no ifs and buts.
Next, where they would wish to see another national vote, would be on EU membership. That should be the second of Mr Davey’s shopping items: after the ushering in of public relations comes the scrapping of Brexit.
In the absence of any tangible form of Brexit dividend, the mood opposing exiting the EU has widened and hardened. The likelihood of that referendum going how the staunchly pro-EU Lib-Dems would like is strong.
Mr Starmer has stayed opaque where the EU is concerned, hoping to not lose working-class votes over it, seeing them persuaded by claims independence from the bloc would benefit UK manufacturing and further state aid for industry – which simply has not happened.
Here, as prime minister, at the cost of implementing Labour’s manifesto pledges, he would be agreeing to a Lib Dem proposal that he could go along with, in the knowledge that those other party policies would be getting the nod.
A coalition of yellow and red would be no bad thing for Mr Starmer for another reason: it would curb the left, putting the Corbynistas, who still exist, back in their place.
The great fear for the Tories is that this alliance would become permanent. That having achieved PR, the Lib Dems’ presence at the top table would be unshakeable. A hoped-for Lib Dem collapse, where the Tories are concerned, is not occurring.
Based on these local election results, the party that for so long has been used to running Britain possibly could be looking at becoming an also-ran. The next general election may herald momentous change.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
The details
Colette
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West
Our take: 3/5
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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%3Cp%3ECelebrated%20on%20October%2016%2C%20to%20coincide%20with%20the%20founding%20date%20of%20the%20United%20Nations%20Food%20and%20Agriculture%20Organisation%2C%20World%20Food%20Day%20aims%20to%20tackle%20issues%20such%20as%20hunger%2C%20food%20security%2C%20food%20waste%20and%20the%20environmental%20impact%20of%20food%20production.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mobile phone packages comparison
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
