Norwich Bye election.....

[R1Geezer]

It seems that the previous MP was well liked but seems to have been prevented from standing by the Noo labour spin machine. From various interviews from voters etc and Question Time last night, no one seems to have a bad word to say about him. I reckon if he stood as an independent he'd win hands down, anyone know why he didn't? Surely it can't be out of loyalty to the party that just hung him out to dry. Please don't turn this into another "expenses" wrangle we've done that to death. BGB's are available!

[R1Geezer]

thanks for that, believe it or not I do have access to the News site. Care to have a go at answering the Q.

[youngmafbog]

Perhaps he is just sick of politics. He can have a go in the General election.

Just seen some noo labour tw*t trying to defend the result. He seemed to be saying not that bad as it was a low turnout, but surely turning a 5000 majority into a 7000 los with a smaller turnout is even worse than the figures at a glance suggest.

Be great if annialted labours vote

[R1Geezer]

yep I think the Noo Labour "project" is comming to an end!

[Gromit]

Brown made an example of him and said he would be de-selected at the next election.

In either a clever move or a cynical one depending on your point of view, he stood down forcing a bye election.

Had he then stood in the bye election, all those people saying he was a great MP would just conclude he was trying to evade his punishment and that he has no integrety. Having his cake and eating it so to speak.

[Mohne]

Naaah! standing as an Independent would have made no difference and in my opinion he knew that.

The electorate, rightly or wrongly have decided that they want Labour OUT and the only way to do that is to vote Conservative.

Health, Education, Afghan War, Expenses and Economy totally irrelevant to the main object.......to get Labour out.

[R1Geezer]

Most seem to say he was a good MP so I would have thought that they would think that the "punishement" is spurious, invalid, and would have welcomed the chance to elect the bloke as an inpependent, just my view. In fact I'm delighted that they have a Cameron Babe in his place!

[ludwig]

Both clever and cynical Gromit. Brown defended his cronies over expenses while refusing to back other 'troublemakers' who'd behaved exactly the same as the cronies. Hazel Blears is an example.
She had her revenge as well.

Of course there's always the chance that being by all accounts a man of integrity, he's seen the error of his ways, is sick of the whole sordid business of politics and has decided to go off and earn an honest living at the first opportunity.

[Mohne]

ludwig.......LOL LOL ...where would you suggest that he goes to make a "honest living" in the UK?

How about Banking or the City?LOL

[ludwig]

..well I don't know - anything's pretty much a step up from a politician, honesty wise.

[kinell]

i hear labour want a re-count, and a re-count and another re-count......

until they get the answer they require.

[sambro]

all you who voted labour last time,and are going to vote tory in the next election,one question,how much is your house worth?

[rov1200]

The tory split vote with UKIP will make the conservatives an unelectable party at the general election.

[jno]

didn't Labour dump him after the expenses scandal?

Just goes to show: for all the righteous fury the scandal generated, maybe when it comes right down to it, voters couldn't care less? They liked him and didn't care what his expenses were?

[ludwig]

It does seem to be true that in this case the man was such a popular constituency MP that people were willing to overlook whatever expenses dishonesty he'd been up to.

I think this a very rare case though. Contrast to Julie Kirkbride and that dork of a husband of hers where people were marching up and down with banners saying 'Julie Out' etc - all that despite her being very popular locally as well. Or the labour woman - can't remember her name, that Esther Rantzen threatened to stand against, and someone painted 'That's life' on her constituency office.

What this result really shows is that people hate Gordon Brown and his way of doing things and want him gone, almost at any cost.