Labour Does The Double

[ichkeria]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/by-elections-results-live-tamworth-mid-bedfordshire-b2432668.html
 

Ok those seats may return to the Tories at the general election but what of the several more marginal neighbouring "blue wall" seats?

Interestingly, the Reform party vote in each case, had it gone a different shade of blue, would have saved the government. 

[diddlydo]

Fantastic results for Labour and for this country. Bring on the General Election before the immoral, incompetent Tories inflict any more damage.

[Untitled]

i am very pleased indeed that the tories have lost the seat but note that because if our utterly stupid voting system the electorate of mid beds have gone from having an mp who about 60% of people voted for to having one that about 68% of people did not vote for!!! 
 

first past the post is an absurd system

[Untitled]

 not 68% sorry, 56%

[ichkeria]

Well that's a lovely negative way of spinning it. Mid Bedfordshire was an absolutely extraordinary result. The biggest majority ever overtaken in a by-election?  In a Tory heartland, Brexit heartland moreover in a seat where the Tories had not one mainstream candidate campaigning hard but two. And in the end Labour, not the Lib Dems prevailed. Even if you accept that the Tories "may" retake this particular seat next time it still spells annihilation for the party as things stand.

[ichkeria]

"one mainstream candidate campaigning hard but two"

Campaigning against them I should have said 

[Untitled]

don't get me wrong i am pleased indeed that the tories lost but if you actually look at the vote shares i just think it brings home how stupid and reductive our electoral system is! an historic win and yet most people who voted did not vote labour 🤔

[ichkeria]

I support PR but criticism like that assumes - ironically - that elections are always bipolar. 
 

[Untitled]

they always are under FPTP

[ichkeria]

Not always. By "bipolar" I mean there are one lot for the government and one lot against and disregards the idea that maybe people voted for party X for a reason other than they aren't party y. My objector to the current system is just that if a lot of people vote for  party x in different seats, they  may still end up with no representatives because if FPTP

[ichkeria]

The "remedy" to your objection is to have electoral pacts. 

[Spungle]

Congrats to Labour- but this is for a 12-month interim job.  Whether that translates to a Labour victory at the next GE is another story- a week is a long time in politics, never mind a year.

[bhg481]

It's interesting to compare the results with 2019. As a first approximation Labour's vote was about the same number, the change in majority was due to Tory voters voting for nobody ie, not changing sides, just not voting. At a General Election things might be different.

[Zacs-Master]

Surely even the most ardent Cons must now realise the writing is on the wall for the party at the next GE?

Only the truly deluded would try to spin these appalling losses into a win. 

[Peter Pedant]

The Conservatives were defending a 19,634 majority in Tamworth, but Labour candidate Sarah Edwards won the seat by a margin of 1,316 votes.

am I deaf or did I hear the total labour vote last  night was 11,000 ?

[ToraToraTora]

Low turn out, Reform, protest, etc Back in Tory hands next election, nothing to see here.

[Zacs-Master]

Tora, even George Osborne has said “Tory governments lost and then still won general elections. But if they’ve also lost Mid Bedfordshire, Armageddon is coming for the Tory party.”

[William51]

 I think the writing is on the wall for the Tories. The question is how much of a wipe out they will suffer in next years GE.

[bhg481]

The Tories would do themselves no harm by all pulling in the same direction. They strike me at the moment as a party in turmoil - just get behind the current leader and you might have a chance; continue criticizing everything he does and you're toast.

[Zacs-Master]

Even if voting apathy is taken into consideration, it will be a hung Parliament at best. 

[ToraToraTora]

I am just saying the facts. They will return to Tory. Very low turn out the winner turned over neary 20000 with 11000, do the maths. The Tories may well be out on their Aprils but these seats will go back to Tory.