By-Elections

[Eric Cartman]

Three taking place today.

Interested to see how Sunak tries to spin this if they lose all three. Two are absolutely stonking majorities so holding them wouldn't even be noteworthy in normal times.

Hard to justify having a mandate when you have veered so far from the manifesto, have had multiple leaders since the one who was elected and even the places who used to love you want you to feck off.

Interesting times if you are a boring bastard like me.

[JamesWales]

I think they will lose all three and that is unspinnable. Best thing is to graciously take it on the chin.

We all know by-elections are often an opportunity to protest and I guess he will hope it draws a line under things and serves to give people the feeling they have given the govt a kicking. There is probably a small amount of truth in that but I'm not sure how much.

His best hope is that people do feel that way, and that losing in Boris Johnsons seat especially exorcises a few demons for the voters and the general economic climate does get better.

Someton and Frome was Lib Dem as recently as 2010, Uxbridge and South Ruislip has been reasonably close in the last two elections. We would normally expect these to be in play. Selby and Ainsty really shouldn't be. Tories got nearly double the votes of Labour and Lib Dems combined in 2019..

If they win that one, they will take some comfort. Lose them all and like I said..totally unspinnable.

[Dorcus]

I think they will lose all three and that is unspinnable. Best thing is to graciously take it on the chin.

We all know by-elections are often an opportunity to protest and I guess he will hope it draws a line under things and serves to give people the feeling they have given the govt a kicking. There is probably a small amount of truth in that but I'm not sure how much.

His best hope is that people do feel that way, and that losing in Boris Johnsons seat especially exorcises a few demons for the voters and the general economic climate does get better.

Someton and Frome was Lib Dem as recently as 2010, Uxbridge and South Ruislip has been reasonably close in the last two elections. We would normally expect these to be in play. Selby and Ainsty really shouldn't be. Tories got nearly double the votes of Labour and Lib Dems combined in 2019..

If they win that one, they will take some comfort. Lose them all and like I said..totally unspinnable.

I'm hoping losing in Uxbridge EXERCISES a few demons on the right of the party. Oh dear Rish!

[pipster]

I'm hoping losing in Uxbridge EXERCISES a few demons on the right of the party. Oh dear Rish!

Your Dorcus tonight then ?
If Labour dont win Uxbridge then I think they have some issues to address

[Elwood Blues]

Tories hold Uxbtidge

[the other bob wilson]

Labour overturn the Conservative majority of 20,000 plus to take Selby and Ainsty with a majority of over 4:000. That’s a stunning win, just like the Lib Dem’s one earlier in the night, but, despite the fact that it seems to be widely held that it was a one issue election, the failure to take Uxbridge means that Labour support is very shallow. You could argue that taking Selby contends that it should be more of the same from Labour, but I’d say that bragging about being more conservative than the Conservatives and their leader lying and breaking pledges galore risks antagonising a section of voters who they cannot do without if they want to form the next Government.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Labour overturn the Conservative majority of 20,000 plus to take Selby and Ainsty with a majority of over 4:000. That’s a stunning win, just like the Lib Dem’s one earlier in the night, but, despite the fact that it seems to be widely held that it was a one issue election, the failure to take Uxbridge means that Labour support is very shallow. You could argue that taking Selby contends that it should be more of the same from Labour, but I’d say that bragging about being more conservative than the Conservatives and their leader lying and breaking pledges galore risks antagonising a section of voters who they cannot do without if they want to form the next Government.

If Labour had a decent leader they would get a majority

But he's utterly incompetent as are the idiots around him like raynor

Tonight has showed people want the Tories out but the biggest obstacle to defeating them is the pathetic state of the main opposition and the liberals

Merge or forever be the bridesmaids

The suggestion from ed davey and his new mp that the Liberal Democrats are back in the game after tonight's win are ridiculous

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Labour overturn the Conservative majority of 20,000 plus to take Selby and Ainsty with a majority of over 4:000. That’s a stunning win, just like the Lib Dem’s one earlier in the night, but, despite the fact that it seems to be widely held that it was a one issue election, the failure to take Uxbridge means that Labour support is very shallow. You could argue that taking Selby contends that it should be more of the same from Labour, but I’d say that bragging about being more conservative than the Conservatives and their leader lying and breaking pledges galore risks antagonising a section of voters who they cannot do without if they want to form the next Government.

The issue isn't the conservatives ......the majority of the country doesn't vote for them

It's our political system and the hopeless state of the opposition parties and their leaders

Starmer and Ed Davey have the combined charisma of jelly and custard

It's a case of better the devil you know even after these chancers have been pissed at the wheel for 13 years

[Eric Cartman]

Tories hold Uxbtidge

Fair play to the new Tory MP openly admitting ulez is the only reason he won.

Unexpected one though, was looking at the odds and a labour victory shortened a bit last night there whereas in the other seat it was definitely less 'certain'

Optically to the general public this actually doesn't look too bad for the Tories ('they each won one'), obviously if you delve into the numbers it's a disaster to lose two absolutely enormous majorities but I think Rishi probably gets away with it because of Uxbridge.

[Doucas]

If Labour had a decent leader they would get a majority

But he's utterly incompetent as are the idiots around him like raynor

Tonight has showed people want the Tories out but the biggest obstacle to defeating them is the pathetic state of the main opposition and the liberals

Merge or forever be the bridesmaids

The suggestion from ed davey and his new mp that the Liberal Democrats are back in the game after tonight's win are ridiculous

I'll keep banging this drum. It isn't incompetence, it is by design.

[Eric Cartman]

The issue isn't the conservatives ......the majority of the country doesn't vote for them

It's our political system and the hopeless state of the opposition parties and their leaders

Starmer and Ed Davey have the combined charisma of jelly and custard

It's a case of better the devil you know even after these chancers have been pissed at the wheel for 13 years

Why do you think charisma is so important? The results last night prove that the electorate doesn't really care about charisma, maybe they are tired of it after Blair --> Cameron --> Johnson.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Why do you think charisma is so important? The results last night prove that the electorate doesn't really care about charisma, maybe they are tired of it after Blair --> Cameron --> Johnson.

It's a shame but it's hugely important

Why ? Well Blair had it in spades even though he soon became a weasel

If Starmer had it the next election would , even with the huge turn around needed, be in the bag

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I'll keep banging this drum. It isn't incompetence, it is by design.

I vote Labour because I can't stand the tories not because I think Labour are the messiahs

I cringe at the utter hopelessness of the labour and liberal democrats and I firmly believe a united opposition under a rainbow alliance would give so many people a voice

The problem with the christ no way am I voting conservative population is that it doesn't have a real home whilst the tory vote does

[pipster]

It's a shame but it's hugely important

Why ? Well Blair had it in spades even though he soon became a weasel

If Starmer had it the next election would , even with the huge turn around needed, be in the bag

Uxbridge is in the top 100 on Labour's must win seats in order to win the next election said Angie Raynor on Radio4 this morning. The results last night seem to be reverting to type. Lib Dems used to be massive in West Country areas - got wiped out in 2016 and now they are back.

Selby - it seems has either been (on the whole) Lab or Con by a majority of 4,000 ish votes. Conservation 20,000 previous majority was a "Corbyn" issue I suspect rather than a conservative vote of confidence.

Overall - not as bad as conservatives feared - and not as good as Labour hoped for. The Lib Dems are back - sort of.

Next election will be won or lost in Scotland I suspect. SNP 50ish MPs - all looking on shaky ground - which will probably mean they'll switch to Labour

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Uxbridge is in the top 100 on Labour's must win seats in order to win the next election said Angie Raynor on Radio4 this morning. The results last night seem to be reverting to type. Lib Dems used to be massive in West Country areas - got wiped out in 2016 and now they are back.

Selby - it seems has either been (on the whole) Lab or Con by a majority of 4,000 ish votes. Conservation 20,000 previous majority was a "Corbyn" issue I suspect rather than a conservative vote of confidence.

Overall - not as bad as conservatives feared - and not as good as Labour hoped for. The Lib Dems are back - sort of.

Next election will be won or lost in Scotland I suspect. SNP 50ish MPs - all looking on shaky ground - which will probably mean they'll switch to Labour

Progressive Alliance Movement

Vote tactically to get the Tories out

It's a social media thing

Until it evolves into an actual party then we are always going to be stuck with labour , liberals , greens etc scrapping between themselves in public yet doing deals every time there is an election

Labour were 500 votes short of giving sunak a hat trick of bloody noses yet this morning sunak because of the emissions tax single issue is poncing around Uxbridge as if he's won the lottery

I am absolutely amazed that labour wasn't able to push things enough to win the seat outright even though they did well

Ed Davey is in frome now

He's another clueless jellyhead

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Ed Davey lighting a rocket firing lib dem confetti

Jesus Christ

Complete damp squid

[life on mars]

No clean sweep for Labour will worry them ?

Selby could be reversed come GE .

Frome not so .

Get ready for blood and gut politics as we near GE ..

[JamesWales]

I'm not sure whether this is light hearted fun or suffocatingly cringe? Probably a bit of both

https://order-order.com/2023/07/21/w...-act/#comments

[Dorcus]

I'm not sure whether this is light hearted fun or suffocatingly cringe? Probably a bit of both

https://order-order.com/2023/07/21/w...-act/#comments

I thought it was brilliant: maybe Guido was the only guy who didn't like it. Bonfire of the Tories Guido!

[Dorcus]

Your Dorcus tonight then ?
If Labour dont win Uxbridge then I think they have some issues to address

Well done Hip, you can obviously read then! Yes I'm always Dorcus.

The only issue Labour will have to address when they get elected to govern is how to bring the public with them as they implement more green policies.

[Dorcus]

No clean sweep for Labour will worry them ?

Selby could be reversed come GE .

Frome not so .

Get ready for blood and gut politics as we near GE ..

Selby and Frome can't be reversed because they will both be split in two come the GE through boundary changes.

The ULEZ issue will have been sorted by the GE so don't expect such a significant anti Labour protest vote by then.

[Dave Blue]

Let’s face it, it was only the Chelsea tractor crew demanding their right to pollute the air that stopped Rishi having an absolute hiding.

[life on mars]

Selby and Frome can't be reversed because they will both be split in two come the GE through boundary changes.

The ULEZ issue will have been sorted by the GE so don't expect such a significant anti Labour protest vote by then.

They need to stay as one and avoid in fighting that destroys them . Its hold your nose time as they know the election win is based on Tory Lite policies , Kier knows that and you could see that at the recent Tony and Kier event which was toe curling to say the least .

[the other bob wilson]

No clean sweep for Labour will worry them ?

Selby could be reversed come GE .

Frome not so .

Get ready for blood and gut politics as we near GE ..

I doubt if there was one person in the Labour Party who was contemplating a clean sweep - the fact that there was more chance of a Conservative one shows just how unlikely it was.

[Dorcus]

They need to stay as one and avoid in fighting that destroys them . Its hold your nose time as they know the election win is based on Tory Lite policies , Kier knows that and you could see that at the recent Tony and Kier event which was toe curling to say the least .

I can't disagree with that