If the #byelection result tonight goes to #potato, then i'm done with this country, hopping in my car, driving north, crossing the border, & moving to Canada.
#Labour took a minus 44% swing having suspended their own candidate over comments on #Israel & #Gaza.
#Galloway won by campaigning on Gaza ceasefire discontent and dissatisfaction with Labour's lack of socialist policies mostly, but also campaigned against trans rights wokeness etc in parts of the constituency. Showing a much more sophisticated micro targeting & granular political machine than most independents can ever muster/afford.
Nominally pro-gaza pro-Muslim Galloway also received support from radical islamaphobe, far right white nationalist Nick Griffin. Which makes absolutely no sense what so ever.
Unless you put stock in factoring they are both the sort of extremist divisive agitators that #Moscow & #Putin seeks to support in driving wedges in to democracies.
The sad loss for the people of Rochdale was decent local independent #DavidTully with a normal independents low level election machine and backing only came in second place. After being entirely ignored by mainstream media, as a decent not inflammatory candidate with integrity that doesn't bait clicks.
Galloway, called a divisive grifter by some & regular on #RussiaToday channel, will doubtless continue to get completely outsized media coverage as an 'exciting figure' that generates views. Many politicians and commentators are already using this upset to 'prove' the UK electorate support some version of their personal views.
#ScottBenton is, of course, notable for retweeting the official #GOP account when it gloated over the end of #RoeVsWade. He quickly undid this. I wonder why?
Anyway, said unsavoury character may have brought about another #ByElection. Perhaps this time, #Blackpool voters won't elect a #Tory just to spite themselves and the universe in general.
I think what's most notable about the by-election results last night is that Labour got about the same actual number of votes in #Wellingborough compared to 2019, and actually went down in #Kingswood. The biggest net change appears to have been 2019 Tory voters just staying at home instead. To me, it suggests a lack of real enthusiasm for Labour, just even less enthusiasm for the Tories. #byelection#election
Here's the ever reliable John Curtice (Strathclyde U) offering his overview of this week's two #byelection results.... for this with an eye to the detail, the last couple of paragraphs on #voters turnout will likely be the most important.... large drops in turnout can be expected din by-elections, but these were particularly large... what that might predict for an #election later this year may be of some concern?
Ministers and MPs said they had not faced any of the normal demands to go to the two seats this weekend to drum up last-minute votes as is customary before byelections.
Possibly this is the Tories showing care for their ‘employees’. They are disliked so much and by so many people…. Ice creams might be employed.
REMINDER: Jamil Jivani, the Conservative Party’s candidate for #Durham, doesn’t live in Durham.
He’s never lived in Durham.
He’s a parachute candidate who has absolutely no connection to the riding and every conservative operative across Canada is helping him cover up his #antiGay#antiVax#antiScience views. Bell Media fired him in 2023 for his discriminatory comments
Another week, another rat leaving a sinking ship... making a complaint about #NortSeaOil & the rowing back on #netzero commitments, Chris Skidmore quits & forces another (unwelcome for #RishiSunak) #byelection.
However, as his constituency disappears next election, anyone winning will have a pretty short Parliamentary career... while Skidmore no doubt burnishes his credentials as a Right-Green, which he may be able to turn into a nice little earner (I'm sure).
Looks like another #byelection could be in the offing as #PeterBone's six week suspension gains House of Commons approval, triggering the prospect of a recall petition & our seventh by-election since the start of July... and on current experience might be another high profile swing against the #Tories.
Prof. John Curtice, helpfully sums up his reading of the impact of last night's #byelection results:
'it looks as though Rishi Sunak will have to achieve what John Major proved unable to deliver before 1997 - a dramatic reversal of a public mood that is inclined to turf the Conservatives out of office. He now knows that will not be easy'!
Speaking to friends in Mid Beds, it sounds like it's on a knife-edge, we could win or lose by a few hundred votes either side. Tamworth is a stranger one. No one I know in Labour is particularly confident about it, but apparently the Tories are telling journos in private that they've lost it
On a low turnout (37.2%), Labour secured a 20% swing in tis favour to win the #Rutherglen#byelection beating the SNP by 58% to 27% of the vote... while the #Tories crashed to 3.9%.
And, now the reading of the runes can get under way....