LONDON, May 6 (UPI) -- The Liberal Democratic Party was punished at the polls Thursday in English local elections for its governing coalition with the Conservatives, analysts said.
The party also did badly in elections for the Scottish Parliament, the BBC reported.
"It's going to be difficult," said Tim Farron, the party's president. "This will be a very unpleasant night for many Liberal Democrats up and down the country."
In England, local elections often serve as an advance warning of national elections, with Conservatives the big winners four years ago and Labor trouncing Conservatives in the last local election before the party's historic 1997 victory. This time, the results were mixed, with Labor poised to get 37 percent of the vote, the Conservatives 35 percent and the Liberal Democrats 15 percent based on early results, the BBC said.
Labor picked up local council seats in many major cities.
In Sheffield, represented in Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic leader Nick Clegg, Labor gained control of the council. The Lib Dems lost nine seats in Sheffield, 12 in Liverpool and 10 in Manchester.
Liberal Democrat poll numbers have plummeted since last year's national election. The party has done badly in several by-elections, running behind the British National Party, the UK Independence Party and an independent candidate in one safe Labor district.
