The Witney election result was hardly surprising in delivering a Conservative hold. But a 19.3% swing to the LibDems was like something from the history books.
Now I am not suggesting a LibDem revival (as yet, although I hear a lot of people saying they will consider them again in my part o the world: their role in the Coalition is being reappraised and tuition fees forgotten). But I am saying that is something that Theresa May will not risk. With that sort of swing out there she cannot possibly afford a general election when she already has the narrowest of majorities.
This government will stagger on until floored by Brexit.
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Maybe some people you know are forgetting tuition fees, but I’m not, or their assistance in destroying the NHS and I never ever will. And neither is anyone else I know. Perhaps Norfolk is its own world.
In mos of East Anglia Labour is never going to win
When most people think of not voting Conservative they think LibDem
That may mean old issues are forgotten, but that’s the reality
Ditto for most of the Southwest as well sadly.
Ouch…..I mean…………a swing to the Lib Dems.
History’s view of Cameron as a complete wally is already being formed it seems and rightly so.
I wonder if he’s got around to wearing a toga and playing a harp yet in his newly found spare time?
I’ve voted linden many times in the past. But tuition fees really shouldn’t be forgotten. Fallon’s pitch as a home for Blairites is similarly both unattractive and politically disastrous.
Well, I glad some people can ‘forget’ tuition fees but just ask my daughter if she’s forgotten…I think not somehow.
But I hope you are correct in the Brexit fiasco leads to some serious consequences for those in power who used the referendum as a proxy to resolve an internal Tory party struggle.
Without proportional representation, our parliamentary democracy demands a strong opposition. The alternative, as far as I can see, is a single party state.
As a drift towards dictatorship will not serve the best interests of any of us, and as Labour continue to be ineffective in opposition, and unable to increase their share of votes that could see them take over government, then what choice is there?
Voting LibDem may require that we forgive past cock-ups, but I am happy to consider that if my vote helps to prevent the Conservative Party continue to drive the UK back to “little England” dark ages.
I voted Lib Dem in the last general election. Purely because they were the only other party which had the a ghost of a chance against the Tory candidate (Hexham constituency has been Tory (or Unionist) for over 100 years). It’s a real shame that the PR referendum was a failure.
I’m not sure if anyone saw Question Time last night; don’t normally watch it but Varoufakis was on and was his usual excellent self. The Hartlepool audience was quite scary – Brexit zealots. Hartlepool is most famous for hanging a monkey as a French Spy. One interesting thing was the look on Ken Clarke’s face when Varoufakis said the Brexit department was led by people of very low IQ.
To me Brexit is is a self inflicted wound of asinine stupidity. I’m not surprised the Lib Dems are doing well as they have been most vocal and united against it. The political parties badly need realigning – I’m actually warming to some of the anti-Brexit Tory’s: Anna Soubry for example.
What PR referendum? We’ve never had one. We had a referendum on the Alternative Vote, that was voted against, but that had nothing in common with PR voting! There is a campaign to get PR voting adopted in the UK, look it up and support it if you want Pr to be brought in.
Nick Clegg had an interesting message when canvassing in Witney. Witney voted quite strongly to remain in the EU, whereas the new Conservative MP is a Leave supporter. Nick’s message was that if people wanted somebody whose EU views were like Cameron’s, they should vote LibDem. It could have been a reaction to ‘hard Brexit’ and a one-off. We’ll see!
A pro-Brexit candidate in a pro-Remain seat probably helped matters for the LibDems but a welcome swing never the less.
Interesting that the Lib-Dem + Lab + Green votes exceed the Con + UKIP bloc.
Even in this safest of safe Tory seats a single progressive candidate could win.
The case for a Progressive Alliance in seats like this is unanswerable, if only the Labour leadership saw this.
They won’t
I voted LibDem because it favours PR with the single transferrable vote. It’s the system used in Ireland and it works very well. Without any mechanical linkage the share of seats won by parties tends to reflect their share of the votes overall. Yes, there are fewer single party governments, though there have been many, but there have been more bad judgements by supposedly strong governments than by coalition governments. Most of the “sacred link” nonsense about MPs and constituencies uttered in the UK is cant. Irish constituents have a choice of representatives and if one will not embarrass the govt an opposition one will. One’s vote always counts and one has more than one representative. The simple reason the established parties oppose it is that they like the ability to ride roughshod over those that didn’t vote for them if and when they get a chance and call it “strong government”. This just doesn’t happen in countries with PR and it leads to higher levels of political engagement and lower levels of cynicism about politics. I am sufficiently persuaded that I would vote LibDem exclusively except in the case of an opportunity to vote tactically for an anti-Brexit party more likely to win.
With apologies, I hear “But you PROMISED me a pony” when the LibDems and fees are mentioned, which isn’t to say it wasn’t a mistake. But really, “you didn’t give me pony so now I’m running away and I’m never coming back” is self-defeating.
As a member of the Green Party I tend to agree with Paul (above). By the time the GE comes around I believe many voters who deserted the LibDems for all the reasons mentioned, will recoalesce around a centre-left banner assuming 1) Tim Farron doesn’t commit any major sins (possible); 2) the Labour Party continues on its current trajectory (likely); 3) Theresa May fails to pull her senior colleagues towards the middle-ground (probable); and 4) the Brexit negotiations go demonstrably pear-shaped to the degree that the Torygraph has difficulty in defending the decision (50-50). My take-home message to them is “you’ve got an opportunity; don’t squander it”.
Paul is correct here. When I lived in Dublin I had a variety of TDs (MPs) 3: at time one from each Labour, Finna Fail and Fine Gael in my constituency. In The UK I have a Tory MP who I didn’t vote for and have no desire to meet.
I certainly hope for a centrist banner but I can’t see it working without pre-election pacts. Had Labour and the Lib Dems run a joint candidate Witney would probably have changed hands.
I have no idea why John D is so optimistic about Brexit. The odds of it going “Pear Shaped” are much higher than 50-50. I would certainly sat that this will happen on the balance of probability 60-40 and even beyond reasonable doubt 80-20. I do hope I am wrong but on the current trajectory I am deeply pessimistic. If you are a fan of Fascinating Aida you might find their “So Sorry Scotland” gives you a laugh; not child friendly though as contains a few swear words. I also love their Cheap Flights – Stanstead to Tralee song if you get their sense of humour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVy7faNKEtM
I wholeheartedly agree
Where I live I will never have anything but a Tory represent me under FPTP
But there are thousands who would like a bigger constituency and the chance that one member might think vaguely like us
This is not breaking the ties with a locality – it is building it
And I do like Fascinating Aida….
Sean – personally I’m not at all that ‘optimistic’. My comment was made in the context of the Tory press and how they will manipulate (disemble) whatever the May government achieves in order to mollify their Brexit readership. If one includes the Telegraph, Mail, Sun, Express & Star – print & online – it adds up to several millions. Plus, of course, tv and social media. The essentially right-wing UK MSM has influence!