Why aren't the Tories doing better in local by-elections?
Last night Labour gained a council seat in Hyndburn, a Tory parliamentary seat in the '80s and part of an electorally very important belt of heavily owner-occupied seats on either side of the Pennines.
On www.vote-2006.co.uk someone has commented:
" Since 1st Jan 2006 the Conservatives have only gained 4 seats from Labour in council by-elections:
9.3.06 South Kesteven, Market and West Deeping (Con unopposed)
4.5.06 Suffolk, Pakefield (Con majority 241 over Lab)
18.5.06 Wyre, Park (Con majority 104 over Lab)
25.5.06 North Kesteven, Branston and Mere (Con majority 130 over Ind, Lab to 3rd)
The three contested losses for Labour all happened in the aftermath of the Home Office prisoner scandal.In the same period, Labour have gained 3 seats from the Conservatives:
16.3.06 Dacorum, Warners End (Lab majority 113 over Con)
5.10.06 Ellesmere Port and Neston, Little Neston (Lab majority 34 over Con)
2.11.06 Hyndburn, Rishton (Lab majority 266 over Con)"
Is the Cameron effect actually making any difference on the ground?
posted by Luke Akehurst at 11:36 am
5 Comments:
It could have something to do with the fact that labour and especially the lib dems tend to have much better organisation on the ground.
2:26 pm, November 03, 2006
While Hyndburn was indeed Tory in the '80's, it was one of those traditionally Labour (if in this case never by large margins) seats that we should never have lost in the first place... still, it is reflective of the overall demographic and political leanings of the Pennine constituencies in most respects and if we're doing well there, we're doing well in the rest of East Lancashire (as 1992 shows).
Btw, the interesting thing about the Rishton result isn't that we won, it's that it was even especially close (it's been a knife-edged marginal for years now).
7:41 pm, November 03, 2006
There is something happening. i don't know what it is, or what is causing it, but it is happening out of the public eye.
We are getting an increasing number of enquiries about joining the party and seem to be getting more new members than we did last year when we had a concerted effort at a membership drive.
No idea yet if it is something we are doing right or a reaction against the new Tory council and their threats of service cuts.
12:25 am, November 04, 2006
Luke
I read in Tribune that you employer has been awarded a contract to handle the UK PR interests of the trade unionist murdering government of Colombia. Will you be working on that account?
10:32 am, November 06, 2006
No, I won't.
11:14 am, November 06, 2006
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