Conservatives thump Labour (yet again)

[david dissadent]

Tory vote fell from 15 638 to 13 591 although on a much lower turnout. An unprofessional guess is that people are more disgusted with labour than moved by the tory message (fwiw).

 

[FreddyB]

What do people make of the 15% drop in turnout. Just because it's comapred to GE?

 

[butchersapron]

Usual for by-election.

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

They're called Conservative Future now, and I don't think they really reject people. The Libertarian case is different from the Conservative case.

Overall, I think this result shows that despite the UK whinge-athon about how dreadful establishment politics are, voters will still go out and vote for status quo in the main. Those who dont partake are only letting others decide. Let's not pretend that Norwich North is rammed with principled abstention anarchists.

This is a vote for corruption and financial ineptitude in that it most endorses the 2 parties most associated with them. I was flamed when I suggested, a couple of months ago, that there is a Stockholm Syndrome at large in our collective psychology. Being flamed doesn't make one wrong of course.

 

[_pH_]

From the Gruniads blog, is that Craig Murray the blogger Craig Murray?

As in ex consul to Uzbekistan?

 

[JimPage]

In council by elections yeterday, Greens won another seat in Brighton, and UKIP won 2 in Huntingdon.

 

[butchersapron]

Fuck me you're pompous taffboy. Best ever Parliamentary by-elction result for your own party and intead of commenting on it and what it means you're still wagging your finger at others. I mean, what exactly did you expect to happen in a parliamentary by-election? What were you hoping for?

 

[treelover]

it was the by election equivalent of a Metal Gear Rex. Key voters got hit with up to 13 mail shots and the leaflets were tailored and targeted down to individual streets. I think they were treating this as a rehearsal for the campaigning techniques they'll use in the GE.

Oh, yes, part of its marginal seats strategy as funded by Lord Ashcroft, isn't democracy wonderful?

 

[Urbanblues]

Yep, an 8ft x 3ft plot of it, about 6ft deep.

The more the merrier.

 

[butchersapron]

2001
Combined mainstream parties vote - 43 000
Non-mainstream parties - 1500

2005
44 000
3000

today
24 000
10 000

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

3rd to be honest.

It's not pompous to make that analysis though thanks for your later interesting stats.

Bottom line is that most votes are still for neoliberalism and corruption.

Again, that aint wagging a finger - just making a point that you are free to disagree with.

 

[butchersapron]

Most vote are for the system that those voters have grown up in and still see as legitimate. That what happens by definition in parliamentary elections. It doesn't amount to anything else. It doesn't mean that people don't want any wider change - it just as easily could be taken to mean that they see no practical way to effect change. I can well see why they don't trust other parties -eps examples of such as your high-hannded 'elect another people' approach.

Pompous was for the mock-moses style of condemnation from the mountain top btw

 

[ViolentPanda]

Tory vote fell from 15 638 to 13 591 although on a much lower turnout. An unprofessional guess is that people are more disgusted with labour than moved by the tory message (fwiw).

This is the feedback I've had from relatives in the constituency. Gibson was pretty well-liked by his constituents, mostly because of him getting stuck in and ruffling feathers on local issues. The vote appears to be more about people sticking their fingers up at the constituency and national Labour party, and less about people thinking that the tories had anything to offer.

 

[ViolentPanda]

2001
Combined mainstream parties vote - 43 000
Non-mainstream parties - 1500

2005
44 000
3000

today
24 000
10 000

I see your point; a more than tripling of the "non-mainstream" vote.

 

[durruti02]

2001
Combined mainstream parties vote - 43 000
Non-mainstream parties - 1500

2005
44 000
3000

today
24 000
10 000

THIS^^^

The tory got

Chloe Smith (C) 13,591 out of Electorate 75,124; Turnout 34,377 (45.76%)

which is a measely 18%

and as i have pointed out before many people are also not on the register

"Metropolitan population
Only 6% of people living in non-metropolitan areas are not on the register. For inner Londoners this figure stands at 20%.

Rented unfurnished
Only 2% of owner occupiers are not on the electoral register. Yet of those living in unfurnished, rented accommodation - which includes council housing - this figure is a massive 38%.

New Commonwealth
And 36% of new Commonwealth citizens who are entitled to vote are not on the register.

Young People
Only 2% of people over 50 years old are not on the register. Yet for people aged between 20-24 this figure is 20%..."


so i would suggest this tory has been elected with the support of no more than 1 in 8 residents ..

 

[durruti02]

and this collapse of the 3 main parties was the same at the euros and counties

 

[greenman]

Not only did the Greens get their best vote in a Parliamentary by-election in Norwich this week, they also won a Town Council seat in Totnes from a local bigwig who was on the local rag and owns two of the town's pubs, and won a crucial seat from the Tories in Hove which loses the Tories control of the local Council.
Glory days!

 

[shagnasty]

The third umpire would have given gordy out but still he would not walk he is taking nu labour to the bitter end.i believe that he is the main architect of nu labour and to see his neck in the noose will be very enjoyable

 

[Hocus Eye.]

They're called Conservative Future now, and I don't think they really reject people. The Libertarian case is different from the Conservative case.

Overall, I think this result shows that despite the UK whinge-athon about how dreadful establishment politics are, voters will still go out and vote for status quo in the main. Those who dont partake are only letting others decide. Let's not pretend that Norwich North is rammed with principled abstention anarchists.

This is a vote for corruption and financial ineptitude in that it most endorses the 2 parties most associated with them. I was flamed when I suggested, a couple of months ago, that there is a Stockholm Syndrome at large in our collective psychology. Being flamed doesn't make one wrong of course.

Hi taffboy

Any chance of a translation for those of us for whom English is our first language. I am not extracting the urine, but would just like a bit of clarification as to your main message. Are you saying that people should go out and vote for non-mainstream candidates, and if so, which ones?

As for not voting letting others decide the outcome, why would it matter if both parties are the same? Are you saying that there is a difference.? If so which mainstream party do you favour. You seem to be all over the place if your post is taken without checking previous ones by yourself, and life is not really long enough to check this.

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

Hi taffboy

Any chance of a translation for those of us for whom English is our first language. I am not extracting the urine, but would just like a bit of clarification as to your main message. Are you saying that people should go out and vote for non-mainstream candidates, and if so, which ones?

As for not voting letting others decide the outcome, why would it matter if both parties are the same? Are you saying that there is a difference.? If so which mainstream party do you favour. You seem to be all over the place if your post is taken without checking previous ones by yourself, and life is not really long enough to check this.

Sorry if that comes over muddled. My point is the contrast between "anger" at politicians and the fact that the status quo remains despite all the sound and fury.

The annoyance in general is said to be over expenses. I happen to be pissed off about the banking heist and the fuckup of casino capitalism.

only 1 month ago there was a load of wibble about changing democracy. Not a sniff now. Not even the state-predicted "summer of rage" is amounting to much.

So in all I suppose I am frustrated at the "all mouth no trousers" public. I know that may sound preachy to some, but it is evident all the same.

Out the other end of all this: A tory government. No change.

I am not, as Butchers implies, invoking Brechts joke about "electing a new people". It is the people who need to rise up if they are as pissed off as they seem to be saying.

The system is fucked but a quick, easy and direct way of registering that within the system is indeed to vote for a non mainstream party. I would hesitiate to suggest one unless I was overtly campaigning. Some have taken that and gone and voted for fascists, I won't get into that can of worms here. I also think UKIP are a joke: Freedom from Europe to be slaves to global capitalism is no solution.

It is for the progressive non-establishment parties to provide sound economic analysis and a new programme for this country.

 

[tbaldwin]

UKIP and the Greens did well again. And none of 3 main parties did that well. BUT has that translated into more people being active supporters of the Greens,UKIP and other smaller parties? Probably not. People may not be too enthusiastic about the 3 main parties but neither are they enthusiastic about any alternatives.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

Nevermind the likkle wibertarian kiddie, that fucking stupid horsefaced tory bitch that won it was only 27 ffs!

FUCK THEM ALL.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

David Cameron may be forced to stage a rapid post-election budget to calm the markets and prevent a drop in Britain's credit rating in the first days of a Tory government, Philip Hammond, the shadow Treasury chief secretary, warns in a Guardian interview today.

Anticipating an era of deep short-term cuts in public spending, Hammond urges voters to give the Conservatives a big majority so a new government can act boldly to cut the public debt, warning that the public finances are in such a state "the worst outcome for Britain would be an unclear political result at the election".

Hammond, destined to be the man to rein in public spending if the Tories gain power, also concedes he is "likely to become a great figure to pin up on the dartboard, and throw darts at. I am sure there will be short-term pain and brickbats."

But he argues: "It is absolutely not the case that people in the public services are dreading this, or saying 'oh my God, what is going to happen?' " He claims civil servants are preparing to make cuts without waiting for instructions from on high. "There is a sense of liberation that we are going to empower public sector professionals to undertake the reform."

What a fucking joke - if it were not a criminal offence I'd advocate hunting Mr Hammond down and killing him to death until he died and was all deaded and diseased. But I'm not going to tho.

 

[DotCommunist]

here is a sense of liberation that we are going to empower public sector professionals to undertake the reform."

Empowered to fall on ones own sword. Such liberation!

 

[Jeff Robinson]

Empowered to fall on ones own sword. Such liberation!

I believe it's what Naomi Klien calls "the Shock Doctrine".

I have a profound sense of dread and dispair. I think humanity's fucked to be honest.

 

[Cobbles]

and as i have pointed out before many people are also not on the register

well, if they haven't got the base intelligence necessary to work out how to register then their opinion is utterly valueless anyway.

 

[rioted]

But conservatives are against the working class and the Labour party are for us!

 

[MikeMcc]

Tory vote fell from 15 638 to 13 591 although on a much lower turnout. An unprofessional guess is that people are more disgusted with labour than moved by the tory message (fwiw).

Aye, even as a small c Tory I can't crow about this. It was hardly a sign of a resurgent Tory party. Despite it being such a high profile by-election a large number of voters really just couldn't be arsed with any of them. It just happened to be more Labour party voters who were dis-illusioned this time around. Not really a sign of anything other than general apathy with the political system as a whole.

 

[JHE]

An unprofessional guess is that people are more disgusted with labour than moved by the tory message (fwiw).

The governing party is likely to get more of the blame, but I think there's a bit more to it than that.

Lots of people are disgusted by politicians in general following the exposes of MPs' 'expenses', but the disgust is not evenly spread. I think working class people and habitual Labour voters are more likely to be disgusted enough not to vote than middle class people and habitual Tory voters, so the Labour vote is more damaged, although the scandal was about MPs from all parties.

 

[Balbi]

Come the G.E next year, the turnout'll probably be about the same as before, there'll be a marginal rise in votes for the parties outside of the Big Two and Lib Dem's Too - and the Tories will win. Not in a 1997 landslide crusher, but with enough of a majority to find themselves able to cut the public spending and raise taxes, which they will then be attacked for by the Labour party's new frontman/woman despite the fact that whoever wins next year's going to be handed Pandora's Jack in the Box with the handle already wound.