Council by-elections
Some interesting by-elections on Thursday, with UKIP losing two of the
county seats they gained this May:
Codnor & Waingroves Ward, Amber Valley DC. Lab hold. Lab 557 (52.3%,
-5.8), UKIP 250 (23.5%, +9.5), Con 219 (20.6%, -3.3), LD 39 (3.7%, +3.7). Swing
of 7.7% from Lab to UKIP since 2012.
Penyrheol Ward, Caerphilly UA. PC hold. PC 929 (51.9%, +6.6), Lab 554
(30.9%, -4.8), TUSC 173 (9.7%, +3.9), Con 135 (7.5%, +7.5). Swing of 5.7% from
Lab to PC since 2012.
Thetford West Division, Norfolk CC. Lab gain from UKIP. Lab 1071 (45.2%,
+9.8), UKIP 900 (38%, +2.6), Con 282 (11.9%, -3.5), Ind 78 (3.3%, +3.3), Green
40 (1.7%, -1.1). Swing of 3.6% from UKIP to Lab since May this year. Great
victory thanks to intensive campaigning for Labour’s Terry Jermy who only lost
by 1 vote in May. No LD candidate in a ward they held from 2009 to 2013.
Littlemoor Ward, Ribble Valley DC. LD gain from Con. LD 361 (44.9%, +6.1),
Ind 249 (31%, +31), Con 109 (13.6%, -23.3), Lab 85 (10.6%, -13.7). Swing of
12.5% from LD to Ind since 2011. LDs resilient in a rural area where they have
strong organisation.
St Mary’s Division, Worcestershire CC. Con gain from UKIP. Con 504 (28%,
+2.9), UKIP 442 (24.6%, -2.9), Lab 338 (18.8%, -4.6), Health Concern 321 (17.8%,
+2.3), Ind 195 (10.8%, +10.8). Swing of 2.9% from UKIP to Con since May this
year.
posted by Luke Akehurst at 8:34 pm
2 Comments:
I share the concerns first raised by Tony Blair and now by other senior Labour figures that Labour is not clarifying its policies. Recent council by elections testify to the potential meltdown in Lib Dem votes come 2015, any (illusory) economic recovery will not benefit Nick Clegg's party at all and so this is now a straight fight between Tories and Labour.
I reiterate what I've said on here before about Tim Bale's excellent book on the Tories after Mrs Thatcher; according to Bale's persuasive account an opposition party must focus on Education, Health, Housing and Jobs to the virtual exclusion of all other topics if it wants to be elected. I am therefore worried to read in the Observer that Labour is preparing to fight the 2015 Election on a supposed 'expose' of the falling living standards that has occurred under Cameron and on immigration policy, if it does so then, as a convinced 'Balean' I'm afraid Labour will lose.
10:28 am, August 10, 2013
Unfortunately the wrong Milliband brother was elected (by the unions - not the members or MP's). You can never outflank the Conservatives on immigration (they can point to Labour's record in Government). Just like the Conservatives cannot outflank Labour on say the NHS.
5:20 pm, August 19, 2013
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