Britain’s main Conservative and Labour parties took a hammering in local elections as Brexit-weary voters expressed frustration over the country’s stalled departure from the European Union.
With results in early Friday from about 40 percent of the 259 local authorities up for grabs, the governing Conservatives had lost more than 400 seats and the opposition Labour Party more than 50.The Conservatives had previously held about 60 percent of the more than 8,000 seats being contested. The rest of the results are due Friday across England and Northern Ireland. Elections are not being held in London, Scotland or Wales.
The Conservatives and Labour are bracing for even worse results in European Parliament elections in three weeks.
Britain was due to have left the EU well before the European vote, but the departure has been delayed until Oct. 31 because Prime Minister Theresa May has been unable to get Parliament’s backing for her divorce deal with the EU.
