Judging by material coming through letterboxes across Watford recently, you will have noticed that there were elections this month. Here in Watford, we were electing councillors, like much of the country, but also a mayor for our town.

After the leaflets and the door knocking, we’ve had the reams of press analysis and hours of rolling news commentary. But what has actually changed?

We have a council that is still largely as it was – a Lib Dem mayor and council with Labour in opposition and no presence on the council for the Conservatives (despite narrowly holding the parliamentary seat), Greens or UKIP.

Across England, 150 councils were up. Despite the media palaver, the results are broadly what people would expect at this time. The Conservatives have lost 35 seats. Labour made respectable gains on the excellent 2014 results, taking another 79. The Liberal Democrats have added 75, presumably as memories of their role in the Coalition government fade, and the Greens gained eight.

However, there are two real stories of this election and they are related. One is the collapse of the UKIP vote, down from 17 per cent in 2014 and leaving the party with just three councillors, having lost 123. The other is that they reflect the uncertainties that the country feels around the consequences of the 2016 referendum vote, narrowly in favour of leaving the European Union.

It’s nearly two years since this decision was taken, which gave voters no ability to express their wishes on what type of exit they want from the EU, what their priorities should be and how it should happen.

As we watch the cabinet slug it out on the Single Market and Customs Union and increasing public demands to have a say on the final deal, expect little change till this is resolved.

- Matt Turmaine is Labour councillor for Holywell