Labour has won both byelections

Fantastic results for Labour! Surely Sunak should do the right thing, listen to the voice of the people, and call a GE. Of course, that’s the last thing he’ll do …

*You know when you are going through a very, very long and dark tunnel and you suddenly see a pinpoint of light ahead?

Well that is how I’m beginning to feel.*

Me too Whitewave. But I feel like I’ve got to hold my breath and keep my eyes fixed on that pinpoint so that it doesn’t disappear.

I see people in real life where I am, pretty much astounded.

They all need to wake up fast.
They cant see much wrong with what the Tories have done.

Or not done.

I dont take a whole heap of by elections.
But I do take notice of underlying trends.

I read recently of some talks by Margaret Thatcher.

The present Tories are miles away from how she spoke and acted.

I’d have loved a Labour government with Corbyn as PM ( a real socialist & what the Labour Party was - & should be )
But now they’re just ????? well, who knows?
But as long as they’re not the conservatives that’s all that matters to some.

But we got brexit & that was the main thing ( to many Labour supporters too ) now it’s just back to
‘ping pong’ - few years Tory, few years Labour.

I'm just surprised that anyone turned out for the conservatives

ronib

36 and 44 percent turnout
By-elections
A majority of 1000 ish votes in both seats
LibDems not in the race
Totally expected?

It sounded as if the stay-at-homes were proportionate to the voters re Liberal and Conservative ronib. Add to that the fact that not voting is a statement in itself and I would guess that a Conseratives hanging onto that bit of flotsam will drown their Party.

Something has gone incredibly wrong with all the recent iterations of the "Conservative" Party. Those who can't recognise and admit that, will put it on the road to its wipe out.

Hardly totally expected! But good news for the opposition. The Labour victory in Mid Bedfordshire is the largest numerical majority ever overturned in a by-election.

Tamworth is the second-biggest swing from the Conservatives to Labour at a by-election since 1945. I was in Tamworth pre election & quite a lot of Tory voters were stating they would be voting for Labour now, their disillusionment was with both the government & their previous MP who no-one had a good word to say about

I totally get it. Credit where credit's due, although I think it has more to do with disillusionment in the other camp.
I certainly wouldn't have voted, and probably won't in the GE either.

But now they’re just ????? well, who knows?

They are a party many more people can vote for - at least for one for one Parliament Kandinsky. A swing to the far left during that time would stop them being re-elected. Your best bet us to fight hard for PR within the party. You will then get an equivalent number of seats in government to those in the country who want a real socialist government.

I'm pleased Labour won, but like Kandinsky I struggle to know what a Labour government would really mean. Just not Tory isn't really enough for me.

I see that the Tories are blaming it on their usual voters staying at home.
Presumably that’d be because they couldn’t bring themselves to vote for the current shower, but but still can’t bring themselves to vote Labour or LibDem either.

In such circs I’d expect any Monster Raving Loony candidates to do a bit better than usual, courtesy of those people who on principle will never not vote, but need to put their big X somewhere.

Fantastic news. So pleased with both results.

Well bear with me but if either of my mps had been Nadine or Chris Pincher, there’s no way that any subsequent candidate would have my vote. So it’s the equivalent of saying go away and do a lot better! Fortunately not every constituency mp is in their mould.

In any event, the latest situation in Israel may well impact on the next Uk election in ways that even I don’t expect.

Good news...after Corbyn, it seems that Labour are making themselves electable to mainstream voters again.👍

Again I would say your best bet is PR Glorianny. In 2022 just 6% of voters said they were Socialist. This was at a time when Opinium found a Labour vote share of 44% to the Conservatives 29%. Labour is, and always has been, a broad church. It is certainly not a possession of the 6%.

Under PR this group would have 39 seats in Parliament and could make a difference.

CoolCoco

Lies; Liz Truss; cronyism; partygate; wallpaper; unelected prime ministers; record taxation ; ruined public services; strikes; inflation; bodged Brexit; HS2; any other reasons for not voting conservative?

Polluted rivers and beaches, crumbling justice system, higher crime because of lack of police, falling down schools... revelations of botched handling of covid leading to deaths that could have been avoided (anyone following the covid inquiry?)

Are there any reasons for voting tory?

Well done Labour.

Definitely some of the lost Tory votes was down to the behaviour of Dorres and Pincher but dislike of those individuals doesn’t totally account for the results.

Tamworth was the Tories 55th safest seat according to their own list!

Difficult to tell really. Voters are saying we don’t like what’s being going on. It could just be a warning shot across the bows, or something more. The Labour Party is divided on Israel/Palestine and the Conservatives are disintegrating. Sunak has probably left it too late to act like a real Tory leader. People do like a change but I don’t think it will be much different. I am very disillusioned with politics.

ronib

Mamie you are forgetting that the two former Conservative MPs in both seats were very undeserving of their office. Not at all unexpected in the circumstances.

Well, this Labour voter agrees with ronib
They were undeserving of their office and it was expected that Labour would win the seats.
It’s also highly expected that Labour will win easily in the next GE.
Many Conservative voters just won’t bother to vote this time around.

Whitewavemark2

My goodness how can anyone say it was “totally expected”

I do not “totally expect” the Tories to lose the GE when (please) it happens.

Absolutely nothing can ever be taken for granted. There is a long way to go.

That’s interesting Whitewave. I do expect Labour to win the next GE, and with a reasonably large majority. My opinion of Starmer has risen recently after feeling very unsure about him for a while.

I am very disillusioned with politics

You and me both Avalon.

Oreo

ronib

Mamie you are forgetting that the two former Conservative MPs in both seats were very undeserving of their office. Not at all unexpected in the circumstances.

Well, this Labour voter agrees with ronib
They were undeserving of their office and it was expected that Labour would win the seats.
It’s also highly expected that Labour will win easily in the next GE.
Many Conservative voters just won’t bother to vote this time around.

Christian Matheson lost his seat under similar circumstances to Pincher in this parliament, but the seat remained Labour. I think the electorate is capable of differentiating between an individual’s actions and party affiliation.

Kandinsky

I’d have loved a Labour government with Corbyn as PM ( a real socialist & what the Labour Party was - & should be )
But now they’re just ????? well, who knows?
But as long as they’re not the conservatives that’s all that matters to some.

But we got brexit & that was the main thing ( to many Labour supporters too ) now it’s just back to
‘ping pong’ - few years Tory, few years Labour.

Is your first sentence a joke?
In any case there’s nothing wrong with the ping pong, it’s probably a good thing as political parties can stay too long in power otherwise and things start falling apart, like as now.

Glorianny

I'm pleased Labour won, but like Kandinsky I struggle to know what a Labour government would really mean. Just not Tory isn't really enough for me.

You will find out when they release their manifesto.