In other news, the Lib Dems won a council byelection last night in what had previously been the safest Tory ward in Dominic Raab's seat. I can assure you that Cobham (the ward in question) is pretty posh.

Congratulations to Kim Leadbeater for coming through in the end. As discussed, the fact the Tories' candidate barely campaigned in person during the campaign cost him a fairly decent chance of a victory, whilst George Galloway once again showed his ability to build up support of a large amount of a electoral population in a short length of time. Of course, the biggest winner of all is me, given I've won £80 from the various bets I made on this income.

 

Now looking forward to hearing from those who would have demanded Keir Starmer to resign if Labour didn't win this election to claim that this victory was due to Kim Leadbeater and Kim Leadbeater alone.

 

He still has to go. They scraped a win and their Corbyn majority collapsed.

In other news, the Lib Dems won a council byelection last night in what had previously been the safest Tory ward in Dominic Raab's seat. I can assure you that Cobham (the ward in question) is pretty posh.

 

To be honest I think the Lib Dems are pretty much the party of the poshos now - I expect them to take vast swathes of Surrey, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the South West. Their problem would be to attract the working class vote and the North but a progressive alliance might help there.

To be honest I think the Lib Dems are pretty much the party of the poshos now - I expect them to take vast swathes of Surrey, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the South West. Their problem would be to attract the working class vote and the North but a progressive alliance might help there.

 

A strong Lib Dem party USUALLY helps Labour, aa in the Blair years. Let them take as many southern seats as they can. Labour should pull our of close Lib Con marginals too. Not sure if it would work the other way round, as they can attract disaffected Tory voters in certain Lab marginals.

Interestingly, a number of people (not all of them Lib Dems) are speculating that the presence of a Lib Dem candidate helped Labour win. The logic goes like this -

 

A lot of Lib Dem members may well have voted Labour.

A significant number of other Lib Dem voters may well have voted Tory as their general political beliefs are more ant-Labour than pro-anything.

 

BUT

 

Anti-Johnson Tories may have voted Lib Dem. Again, these may be people who are more anti-Labour than pro-Tory. Had there been no Lib Dem candidate, they may well have held their nose and voted Tory. Bear in mind that Tory-inclined voters are more likely than Labour-inclined voters to feel they have a duty to vote.

 

I don't know how valid that argument is. Of course, when a candidate wins by such a slim margin, there are always lots of theories about what made the difference but it is an interesting contribution to the debate about whether the Lib Dems should stand aside in some Tory-Labour marginals.

A strong Lib Dem party USUALLY helps Labour, aa in the Blair years. Let them take as many southern seats as they can. Labour should pull our of close Lib Con marginals too. Not sure if it would work the other way round, as they can attract disaffected Tory voters in certain Lab marginals.

The key there, though, is that a lot of people are more prepared to vote Lib Dem if they are comfortable about the prospect of a Labour government, as was the case in 1997 or they know it simply isn't going to happen, as in 1983.

Based on how the last couple of major by-elections have gone I have a feeling this isn't even going to be close. Mind, I still don't know who will win. Just have a feeling that whoever it is will be by a surprisingly large margin.

 

Well I was wrong :lol: though it was still a third (English) by-election in a row where one party got a much higher share of the vote than expected. It's just in this case it was the one who came 3rd rather than the winner.

 

Relief to see Labour holding this seat but it says a lot that that result even has to be a relief, it should have been a given.

He still has to go. They scraped a win and their Corbyn majority collapsed.

 

 

I agree but I don't think Rayner is the answer. She can't even speak properly! Biggest joke was her as Shadow Education when she got knocked up at 16. Some fine example. Can't imagine her with World leaders. They have no-one who could reverse their fortunes really. I say let Starmer lose in 2023/24 then he'll go hopefully.

Rather refreshingly for a Tory, Amanda Miller, the co chair did say that the Hancock affair could have been a vote loser for the Tories and it came up on doorsteps - she could have spun this as a win in a Labour seat anyway with a high profile candidate. Although she didn't go as far as to talk about Johnson's numerous scandals and dishonesties (Acuri, bodies high, protecting Patel/Hancock etc) Funny that one man's behaviour is enough to cause a fall but the leader is impervious to any such attack. We'll see if the public still continue to have this blindspot as time goes on.

I agree but I don't think Rayner is the answer. She can't even speak properly! Biggest joke was her as Shadow Education when she got knocked up at 16. Some fine example. Can't imagine her with World leaders. They have no-one who could reverse their fortunes really. I say let Starmer lose in 2023/24 then he'll go hopefully.

Christ alive. You’re no judgemental at all are you.

 

She’d put a better public face to the world than you’re fave wee clown Boris who can’t get dressed properly or brush his f***ing hair. Honestly. How you haven’t been banished for blatant trolling I don’t know

I agree but I don't think Rayner is the answer. She can't even speak properly! Biggest joke was her as Shadow Education when she got knocked up at 16. Some fine example. Can't imagine her with World leaders. They have no-one who could reverse their fortunes really. I say let Starmer lose in 2023/24 then he'll go hopefully.

While someone who has "knocked up" several women who were not his wife (or partner), to use your delightful turn of phrase, and whose speech is littered with Bah, erm and various incomprehensible noises is fine.

I agree but I don't think Rayner is the answer. She can't even speak properly! Biggest joke was her as Shadow Education when she got knocked up at 16. Some fine example. Can't imagine her with World leaders. They have no-one who could reverse their fortunes really. I say let Starmer lose in 2023/24 then he'll go hopefully.

 

Um ... I don't even know whrre to start, but this is woman shaming and shaming the north. She speaks perfectly, and I would FAR listen to her than the boviating raq-raw accent of Blojo thr wannabe dictator from Eton.

Christ alive. You’re no judgemental at all are you.

 

She’d put a better public face to the world than you’re fave wee clown Boris who can’t get dressed properly or brush his f***ing hair. Honestly. How you haven’t been banished for blatant trolling I don’t know

 

 

I am on pre-mod so blame whoever let my post through too. They considered it fine to be allowed on so wind your neck in.

Um ... I don't even know whrre to start, but this is woman shaming and shaming the north. She speaks perfectly, and I would FAR listen to her than the boviating raq-raw accent of Blojo thr wannabe dictator from Eton.

 

LOL. I'm not shaming the North at all. :rolleyes: I'm actually from the North.

So many possible reasons why Labour won last night.

 

Hancock scandal

Johnson failed to sack Hancock

Greens pulled out

Symphony vote as sister of murdered MP

Tactical voting

The split Galloway vote

Torys did not campaign enough in constituency

 

 

 

Lib Dems siphoning off disgrunted Tories might offset the new influx of new "Tories", jumping on thr political bandwagon, laughing at "woke culture", ans supporting "our Boris". Labour should consider working more closely with them.

Rayner more than has what it takes to be a fantastic leader, I would back her 100%!

 

I wanted her to go for it last time.

Rayner more than has what it takes to be a fantastic leader, I would back her 100%!

 

I wanted her to go for it last time.

 

Me too! She's no Corbyn, and only Bernie measures up to him, but she's great. I'd prefer someone a bit more socialist, like Richard Burgon, who for me is the next best hope after Corbyn, but Raynar is far rnough left for her politics not to be a problem for me, she has oodles of personality, and shebis a real person, unlike blustering Blojo the Etonian pheasant-hunting Etonian swine.

So many possible reasons why Labour won last night.

 

 

Symphony vote as sister of murdered MP

 

 

I think this could have win her quite a few votes actually.

Why oh why did Rebecca Long Bailey stand instead of her housemate in that leadership election?

 

The only consolation would be that Rayner is gaining experience as deputy for when she makes the move. Unless she waits for Burnham in a few years.