County Durham, Home Of New Labour?

I've heard some offensive things in my time, but none comes close to that.

Anyway, here in the Derwentside corner of the county, what of the elections to the new unitary authority? It is very telling that the Tories couldn't even take a seat here in Lanchester, though no more so than that Labour managed only one out of two in each of Annfield Plain, Consett North, Esh, and Tanfield, and none at all in Benfieldside (which includes Blackhill, Bridgehill, &c), Burnopfield & Dipton (Patrick, who comments here, do pass on my commiserations to your dear mother), and Leadgate & Medomsley (not very long ago held by the then Leader of the County Council).

And as for the Tory gains in the North generally, when are the London media going to wise up to the fact that not everywhere in the North of England is a Labour stronghold? They should be asking the Tories how they ever lost control of somewhere like Bury or North Tyneside (which is largely Tynemouth) in the first place, and why they are not even the largest party on the new unitary authority in Northumberland.

But they won't. Just as, last year, they didn't ask the Tories how they had ever lost of control of Dover, Rugby, Windsor & Maidenhead, South Norfolk, Chester, or the East Riding of Yorkshire in the first place. And just as, in 2005, they didn't ask the Tories how they had ever lost such parliamentary seats as Guildford and Wimbledon in the first place.