Although largely overlooked by the continental media, another set of elections were going on in the United Kingdom on Thursday. These were the local elections for some 164 local councils. At the moment, with 158 of the results in, Labour has gained 420 councillors and 15 councils, the Conservatives have lost 123 councillors and 8 councils, and the Liberal Democrats have lost 144 councillors and 4 councils. Confused? The explanation, at least in part, is that Labour was starting from such a poor result at the previous local elections and so a swing back up was only to be expected. But this set of results surely further blurs the message that the British electorate may, or may not, have wished to give to its political parties.