With regards to the council elections, apparently the Electoral Reform Society say there's a strong chance Lewisham will become a virtual One Party State: http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/press-releases/

"One Party States, defined as councils at least 75% dominated by one party, are bad for voters because they are almost never based on popular mandate in line with the amount of power the ruling party enjoys. In Lewisham, for instance, the ERS expects over 90% of the council seats to be taken by Labour, but barely half of the electorate actually to vote for them. One Party States also tend to lead to bad governance, as a council dominated by a single party lacks the scrutiny provided by an effective opposition."

They're forecasting that 92.3% of Lewisham will be Labour-held after today's vote.

You may see this as a reason to vote... or a reason not to.