Richmond Park by-election

[goslow]

Not really a surprise. Tactical voting in a former Lib Dem seat.

By the way, I can recommend the books by the Labour candidate Christian Woolmer on British railways. 'Fire & Steam' is fascinating, especially the early chapters on the navvies who built the railways, tunnels and bridges. Most came from Ireland, Scotland, Lancashire or Yorkshire and lived in labouring clans that were hard as nails, wore fancy clothes (hats, waistcoats and boots) and on average drank 8 pints of beer a day. They also died young.

They drank beer because the water would kill them.

[jon1959]

They drank beer because the water would kill them.

Partly true. The other reason was that for a lot of them half their 'wages' were paid in company beer!