Britain’s two main political parties suffered a severe rebuke from voters in local elections, according to results announced on Friday, in an indication of frustration and disenchantment over the country’s stalled withdrawal from the European Union.

The early results from the vote on Thursday showed that Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party had lost more than 400 seats, while the opposition Labour Party was down about 80, in a contest for thousands of elected positions in local municipalities across much of England and in Northern Ireland.

By contrast, two parties that oppose Brexit — the centrist Liberal Democrats and the Greens — did well in the vote, as did independent candidates, underscoring the rejection of the country’s main political forces.

Though big losses had been predicted for the Conservative Party, with many questioning Mrs. May’s leadership over Brexit, Labour’s disappointing performance was more of a surprise, analysts said, particularly given the recent chaos surrounding Mrs. May’s government.

In theory, electors were voting on local issues — councils control services like trash collection and planning — but experts said the backlash was a reflection of a growing disdain among voters over the Brexit malaise.

“What the voters have been saying is, ‘A plague on both your houses,’ ” Britain’s leading polling expert, John Curtice, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, told the BBC.

Voters were so annoyed by the current state of British politics, Professor Curtice added, that they were effectively punishing whichever party had been strong in their area.

Parliament is at an impasse over Brexit, which has been delayed twice after lawmakers voted against Mrs. May’s exit plans three times. Amid a sour national mood, several candidates in the local elections had suffered physical attacks during the campaign. Read more

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