You win some, you lose some…

While Labour districts are redder than ever, the blue tinge in northern and central Malta is increasingly becoming paler.

This is thanks to Labour's inroads in PN districts and the PN's catastrophic losses in both Labour and Nationalist leaning districts.

The political landscape emerging from last Saturday's general election shows the PN enjoying a popular majority in six districts, all located in northern and central Malta and Gozo. 

But in most cases, the PN's majority is small, to the extent that both the Gozo (13th) and the B'Kara (8th) districts yielded seat majorities for the PL.

On the other hand, the PL enjoys a strong popular majority in seven districts all located in southern and eastern Malta. 

In fact the PN only enjoys a majority of over 54% in three districts while the PL enjoys a majority over 54% in seven districts and a majority over 60% in four districts.

Moreover while the PN also registered its largest losses in the northern and central districts.

PN's largest dips

The PN's registers substantial losses in all districts. The highest dip is registered in the fifth district, which includes localities like Birzebbugia, Marsaxlokk and Safi, the district formerly contested by Franco Debono.

In this locality the PN has seen its support decrease from 38.3% to 31.8%, which represents a sharp 17% drop from its 2008 level of support. 

The second largest dip in support is registered in the third district (Zejtun, Fgura, Marsaskala) where the PN loses 16% of its 2008 level of support. 

In the north the PN registers a 14% drop in support on the 12th district (Mellieha, part of Naxxar and St Paul's Bay).

When it comes to actual votes, the PN surprisingly sees its largest dip in the 10th Sliema district where the party got 1,111 votes less than in 2008. 

But Labour failed to capitalise on this decline, increasing its vote by just 456 votes while AD gained 217 votes.

This is a clear indication that a number of former PN voters did not vote. In fact this district experienced one of the lowest turnouts.

In fact, despite losing the highest number of actual votes, the PN's percentage losses on the tenth district is the lowest in Malta and Gozo. On this district, the PN's support fell from 63% to 57%, which represents a 9% drop in support.

The PN also lost 1,110 votes on the 3rd district, where Labour increased its tally by 1,804 votes. In this district, the PN saw a decrease 16% in its percentage support. 

The PN only loses 590 votes in Gozo from 2008, the second lowest loss registered by the PN in all 13 districts. Actual losses were lowest in the seventh district, where the party's first-count vote decreased by only 469 votes. This district was contested by Lawrence Gonzi.

Compared to the 2008 election, the PN lost a total of 10,893 votes.

Labour's best gains

The PL registers its greatest percentage increase in the 12th district (Mellieha and St Paul's Bay). In this district, the PL has seen its support from 39% in 2008 to 47% in 2013. This represents a 21% increase in support.

Compared to 2008, in this district the number of PN first-count votes decreased by 1,019, while Labour increased its tally by 2006 votes.

The increase in Labour's support in this district can be attributable both the a shift in allegiances and demographic changes in localities like St Paul's Bay, which are known to attract low income residents due to the availability of cheap housing.

The PL registers its largest increase in support in northern and central Malta. In the 9th and 11th district, Labour has seen an 18% increase in support.

Labour's sharpest increase in actual votes is registered in the 5th district, where the PL increased its first-count votes by 2,600 votes over 2008. 

On the other hand, the 10th district registers lowest increase in the PL's vote. In the Sliema district the PL only increased its vote tally by 456 votes. 

But in all other districts the PL increased its votes by more than 1,500 votes.

In Gozo the PL has seen its first count votes increase by 2,126 over 2008. But the PN only lost 590 votes. This suggests that while the shift between the two parties was lower in Gozo, the PL won over a great majority of new voters in the sister island.

Compared to 2008, the PL has increased its votes by 24,035.

The Green vote

The Greens are stronger in those pale-blue districts, which still yield a Nationalist majority. But this could also be an indication that AD is stronger in more affluent middle class localities.

AD scores less than 1.5% in all districts between the 1st and 7th, all won by the PL.  On the other hand, AD scores above 2.3% in all districts between the 8th and the 12th. 

AD even surpasses the 3% mark in the 9th and 10th district. In the 10th district, (which includes Sliema) AD's support increased from 2.4% to 3.4% while in the 9th AD increased its vote from 2.1% to 3.1%.

In numerical terms, AD increased first-count votes by 257 in the ninth and by 217 in the 10th.

With 745 first-count votes in the 10th district, Michael Briguglio emerges as the most successful third-party candidate since the 1966 general election, surpassing Mabel Strickland's 600 votes in the 1971 election.

AD's support is weakest in the sixth district, which includes Qormi, and the Gozo district.

Compared to 2008, AD has seen an increase in votes in all districts except Gozo, where the green party saw a decrease in votes. 

Surprisingly AD's sharpest percentage increase (71%) was registered on the first district, which includes Valletta, Hamrun and Santa Venera, where AD fielded Arnold Cassola. In this district, the AD's vote shot up from 144 to 267. 

In the 8th district, which was contested by Michael Briguglio and Mario Mallia, the Greens increased their support by 47%. 

In this district AD's support increased from 1.7% to 2.5%. None of the two main parties commands an absolute majority in this locality.

Compared to 2008 the Greens have gained 1696 votes, increasing their votes from 3,810 to 5,506.