LONDON, May 2: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s governing Labour Party was crushed in local elections and seemed set to lose the London mayoralty on Friday in results dubbed a “bloodbath” by commentators.

In a rout which augurs badly for general elections due within two years, Brown — facing the polls for the first time since taking office last June — oversaw his party’s worst local election results since the 1960s.

“This has been a disappointing night, indeed a bad night for Labour,” Brown said, linking the effects of the global credit crunch to the centre-left party’s defeat.

“We have lessons to learn from that and then we will move forward.” Labour finished third behind the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, the BBC’s results showed, 11 years to the day since Brown’s predecessor Tony Blair swept into office on a landslide of popularity.

Conservative leader David Cameron said the results were “a very big moment” for his party and a “vote of positive confidence” in the Tories.

Some commentators suggest their strong showing could be a springboard to victory in a general election which must be held by mid-2010.

The front page of London’s Evening Standard newspaper read “Bloodbath for Brown,” while the Daily Mail called it “Black Friday.” Labour seemed set for further humiliation in the closely-fought London mayoral race, with Conservative maverick Boris Johnson leading eight-year incumbent Ken Livingstone after around half the votes had been counted.

Johnson was beating Livingstone on first-preference votes in eight out of the 14 London constituencies.

Johnson said he had “not a clue” who would triumph.

“I think the party’s done fantastically nationally but London is a very different kettle of fish and we’ll have to see what happens,” he told BBC television.

Livingstone said he would have a “bloody great drink” if he won — likewise if he lost.

He added: “None of us can be certain until they announce those results,” which are not expected until around 10:00pm (2100 GMT).

Betting firm Paddy Power paid out early on a Johnson win.

Officials said the London turnout was about 45 per cent, up from 35 per cent in 2004. Voters were also choosing the 25 London Assembly members.

Calling it a “terrible day,” Brown’s London Minister Tessa Jowell said: “If Ken hasn’t won, London has lost somebody very special who is passionate about this city and has done fantastic things for this city.” In the wider local polls, held only in England and Wales, the other parts of the United Kingdom operating separate political systems, the Conservatives had a 44 percent projected share of the vote, the Liberal Democrats 25 percent and Labour 24 percent, the BBC said.

With results from all 159 local councils counted, the Conservatives controlled 12 more at 65, Labour lost control of nine to leave 18, and the Liberal Democrats were up one at 12. The remainder were not controlled by any single party.

Labour lost 333 councillors, the Conservatives gained 260 and the Lib Dems 34. Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru added 31 councillors while the far-right British National Party was up 10.

Worryingly for Brown, Labour lost seats in key heartlands such as south Wales, while the Conservatives made gains beyond their southern England powerbase.

Senior government ministers insisted Brown was still the best man for the job, in number 10 Downing Street. However, disgruntled backbenchers were more outspoken.

Labour MP Derek Wyatt said: “Gordon has committed spectacular own-goals and the public is punishing him for it.” Fellow backbencher Ian Gibson said Brown was running out of time to prove he could turn things around.

“I’ll give him six months to do it or there will be really hard talking,” he warned.Despite a strong start, Brown has been shaken in recent months by poor opinion polls and backbench dissent over tax reforms and plans to extend the period of pre-trial detention for terror suspects to 42 days.—AFP