The just concluded Local Councils Elections held in 230 of 317 councils, within district, borough, county borough and unitary authority councils in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield, and Middlesbrough have been devastating for the ruling conservative party which has been in power for over ten years.

The results inflicted a shattering and crushing blow for the ruling Conservative Party which lost over one thousand seats (1000) while the main opposition Labour Party won over six hundred seats making Labour the largest party of local government.

It is reported that, “Labour is now the largest party in local government, surpassing the Conservatives for the first time since 2002. It has gained 632 seats while the Lib Dems have gained 417 seats”.
Responding to the massive and tsunamic local council elections defeat, Prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “The message I am hearing from people tonight is that they want us to focus on their priorities and they want us to deliver for them. And that’s about halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting waiting times, stopping the boats.”

Lessons For The Sierra Leone People’s Party
As Sierra Leoneans go to the poll on June 24th, 2023, it is pointless to remind President Julius Maada Bio who is the Presidential Candidate for the ruling party that relying on the effect of the COVID 19 and Russia Ukraine War would not convince Sierra Leoneans that that were the only reasons for the immense economic hardship affecting every Sierra Leonean household in the country save the politicians and few of their benefactors.

I think lack of clear pathways to economic recovery at the moment barely a month to elections won’t help the ruling SLPP especially amongst the rational voters in Sierra Leone.
Instead of explaining to Sierra Leoneans as to how the SLPP government would address the economic problems such as the inflation, and reducing unemployment amongst other things, the President is busy recruiting disgruntled APCs into the fold of the ruling party. Sierra Leoneans want to know how long it would take the ruling party (SLPP) to reverse the bad economic trend in the country and how is the government going to reverse it.

I think it high time the SLPP tightened its belt and come up with a clear and archivable plans or mechanisms that would reverse the current abysmal economic situation in the country rather just jading Sierra Leoneans with too many excuses for their failures.
In relation to the England’s Local Council’s results, Johnny Mercer, the MP for Plymouth Moor View states, “The conservative party needs to learn from these defeats and make material difference to the quality of people’s lives”.

Furthermore, Lucy Frazer, Culture Secretary said, “…the pandemic has disrupted many people’s lives and has consequences on the economy and War in Ukraine also has negative effect as well”
Katy Balls, a political pundit said, “Sunak’s recovery narrative has taken a hit,” The SLPP has plenty to learn from the above statement.

But despites all these excuses, the voters have expressed their dissatisfactions and discontents against the conservative government through the ballot box in just concluded local council elections.
It is also said that the local council results clearly punish the Tory party (ruling conservative party) for the chaos and hardship in the country.

My question to the SLPP is that are you guys honestly trying to make significant difference in the lives of poor Sierra Leoneans?
I hope the SLPP will learn now before you put you cross your hands on top of your head in regret when the June 24th Elections will be announced.

Lessons For The Main Opposition All People’s Congress
In a jubilant disposition as the local council results showed that the opposition Labour Party is in the lead and is destined to win many seats and control many councils, the opposition leader, Keir Starmer said, “The Labour party is on track to win the next general election, after taking control of key councils in the English local elections, including Medway, Plymouth and Stoke-on-Trent”
In addition, Vince Maple, Medway Labour leader elect said “We know that families are struggling…” referencing the current economic hardship in the country.

However, the Shadow Health Secretary said, “Labour feels confident but not complacent regarding the next general election”.
To the main opposition APC, I can categorically state that your party can’t only rely on the hardship and economic failures of the ruling Party to win the June 24th June elections.
If you party is to succeed to capitalise on the current failed economic policies ruling SLPP like what the Labour Party has done in the England, you must come up with sound and achievable economic policies to sell to Sierra Leoneans voters and the APC should not be complacent with just the level disenchantments in the country at the moment.

Don’t just be complacent with the current economic failures and massive hardship in the country thinking that that alone will guarantee victory for the APC.
In addition, another political pundit, Martin Kettle said, “The big story for the opposition parties is that they can beat Sunak but perhaps only together”.

What the main opposition APC is to learn from the above submission is that the APC needs to fix their internal squabbles and spats, build a united force, and also encourage those other mushrooms Political Parties which had not formed an alliance with the ruling party if they want to beat the ruling SLPP party.
Finally, I will conclude that both the ruling SLPP and the main opposition party should come up with well thought solutions to the current abysmal economic situation Sierra Leone is being plunged into for the past five years under the New Direction government.

It is on this note I ask, what can the ruling SLPP, and the main opposition APC learn from the just concluded Local Council Elections Results in England?
I rest my case.