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Labour By Election Disaster

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ardross
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Ardross

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Pretty humiliating for Brown to lose the next door constituency .

In my opinion, what this Government just doesn't get is that Labour Party supporters want a party that has some vestige of socialism in it ! Gordon Brown is really misjudging the situation by trying to be more Blairite than Blair .

What are they up to ID cards, education reforms that will increase social segregation and do nothing for those struggling at the bottom and creeping privatisation in the health service

And what do we get ostrich like suggestions of it all being down to local issues - I remember the Tories used to say this sort of crap too


BBC


The Liberal Democrats have delivered a major blow to Labour by winning the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election.
The party secured an 1,800 majority on a 16.24% swing, overturning a large Labour majority at the last election.

The winner, Willie Rennie, said the result would "rock the foundations" of Downing Street, but ministers said it was due to "local issues".

The seat, which neighbours Gordon Brown's, was made vacant following the death of MP Rachel Squire in January.

BY-ELECTION RESULT
Willie Rennie (Lib Dem) 12,391
Catherine Stihler (Lab) 10,591
Douglas Chapman (SNP) 7,261
Carrie Ruxton (Cons) 2,702
John McAllion (SSP) 537
James Hargreaves (SCP) 411
Thomas Minogue (AFBTP) 374
Ian Borland (UKIP) 208
Dick Rodgers (CG) 103


More candidate details

Mr Rennie, the former Lib Dem Scottish chief executive, secured 12,391 of the by-election votes.

Labour's Catherine Stihler received 10,591; the SNP's Douglas Chapman was third with 7,261 votes and Tory Carrie Ruxton secured 2,702 votes.

At last May's General Election, Ms Squire won the seat for Labour with a majority of more than 11,500.

The by-election turnout was 34,578 voters or 48.69% of the electorate - down by 11.21% on the General Election.

Mr Rennie said: "Tonight they have sent a powerful message to the Labour government that will rock the foundations of Downing Street, Number 10 and Number 11.

"Labour has taken the people up and down the country for granted for far too long, too much spin and not enough delivery - it is time that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown both got that message."


Acting Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said the victory had been won because of a "very good local candidate" who had fought a "very good campaign".

"I think they saw that this was an opportunity to put the difficulty of the last few weeks behind us," he added.

'We would cop it'

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said the government had lost mainly because of "local issues", such as plans to increase tolls on the Forth Road Bridge and the quality of hospitals.

He said it had been a "bad performance", adding: "If people were going to send a message and show their disappointment, we would cop it - and we did."


Turnout was down on the General Election last year

Scottish Lib Dem leader Nicol Stephen said: "People are getting a positive message from the Liberal Democrats and they are fed up with Labour.

"They feel Labour has neglected the area and we campaigned positively on the key issues."

Defeated Labour candidate Ms Stihler, a Scottish MEP, paid tribute to Ms Squire and said: "This is not a result which Rachel would have wanted but I think I know what she would have said.

"We have to listen to the people and we have to learn."

The Lib Dems increased their share of the vote on the last poll by 15.67% (35.83% share), while Labour's fell by 16.81% (30.63%). The SNP saw a slight increase of 2.07% (21%), but the Tories were down by 2.51% (7.81%).

Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said: "This has been a strong SNP performance, with the swing varying dramatically across the various areas of the seat."

The Scottish Tories were in fourth place, despite campaigning support from party leader David Cameron.
 
I am of the same opinion , Ardross.

For this party to use the term Labour in their title is an insult to all socialists who have gone before them.

But, and I think it is a big but, is a socialist party electable?
 
For this party to use the term Labour in their title is an insult to all socialists who have gone before them.
Click to expand...

I'LL agree with that statement after being a Labour party member for 30yrs but never again............ :angy:

and it seems the rest of the people are now sussing them out as well .................. :rolleyes:
 
Well,where can the Electorate go when the only other choice they have is Campbelleron.

Have you seen the photos of Campbell and Cameron,they could be brothers or at least have the same Father.

There policies are indenticle as well.
 
If the electorate cease to be scared of the Tories and believe that Cameron will deliver a more liberal version of the New Labour project with similar economic policies the Tories will do well .

The question will be whether he can suppress the right of his party as Blair was successful in suppressing the Labour left.

Brown is making a serious mistake in my opinion iin his recent assertions that he will roll on with more reform , as reform is now seen in the party as being lurching to the right .

The country too I think is tired of Blair's agenda and a refocused Labour Party policy - remaining responsible on economic policy but more liberal on social policy would be far better received . The 30% of the electorate that vote Labour come what may are fed up with the Tory lite policies of Blair .
 
Originally posted by Ardross@Feb 11 2006, 08:18 AM
You might be right Colin - Cameron is Tory lite too !
Click to expand...
Have the Tories actually got a chance with this dweeb in charge?

Surely this guy is unelectable and as unpalatable to most of the country as Kinnock and Foot were...for different reasons obviously...

He looks like one of these sugar sweet Yanks and worryingly his hair appears to be unmovable...aways a bad sign in a man imo.
 
I am beginning to wonder if he wants the job - he seems to be doing his best to alienate the membership

Anti-terror laws may have to get even tougher, Chancellor Gordon Brown is to declare in a dramatic appeal for backing for controversial security policies.

As the Government faces rebellions over ID cards and a bid to outlaw glorification of terrorism, he will make a hard-hitting speech calling for a "shared national purpose".
 
What appalled me far more was listening to Three Jag's speech yesterday. How anyone could vote for a party with that buffoon as the Deputy Leader ?
 
I disagree - it demonstrates every bit as well that, just as in the other parties, those that gave/elected him the job are suspect in the extreme.

As to him havng no infuence or paower - rubbish - why have him there in the first lace other than the fact that he appeals to a certain section of the Labour electorate.

And if Mr Tony drops dead of a heart attack or gets blown away, all of a sudden it's Three Jags in the cat-seat.....
 
He does appeal to a certain section of the electorate, but Tone gave him the deputy position to keep him quiet. Blair and Brown are the only people with real power in the government.
 

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