Labour hold Batley & Spen by 323 votes

1andrew1 · 02-07-2021, 09:35

Quote:

Labour's Kim Leadbeater has narrowly won the Batley and Spen by-election following a bitter campaign.

After defeating her Conservative rival by just 323 votes, she said constituents had "rejected division" and "voted for hope".

It means she will now represent the seat previously held by her sister Jo Cox, who was murdered there in 2016.

The result will ease pressure on Labour leader Keir Starmer after recent election defeats for his party.

Ms Leadbeater said the "vast majority" of her conversations with voters during the campaign were about local rather than national issues.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57691543

papa smurf · 02-07-2021, 09:55

Batley and Spen by-election result LIVE: Galloway demands recount and threatens court

He accused the Labour-controlled Kirklees Council of removing thousands of posters from his Workers Party of Britain from lamp posts throughout Batley and Spen.

Mr Galloway also claimed "Labour issued a leaflet that claimed our campaign was running out of steam" on the same day the posters were allegedly removed.

The Workers Party of Britain leader added: "I did help write the law that lays out very clearly the requirement for posters on lamp posts.

"This law was broken by Kirklees Council and they have preferred to implement what they said is their policy, which was applied to only our posters.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...alloway-tories

**Chris** · 02-07-2021, 10:09

The Labour Left will be rather disappointed this morning. They needed a Tory win here in order to build (oho!) momentum behind their get-rid-of-Keir campaign.

Pierre · 02-07-2021, 10:18

Keir gets a stay of execution.

1701-e · 02-07-2021, 10:40

Good result for Kier.. bad result for Labour.

heero_yuy · 02-07-2021, 10:43

For the Torys both bad and good:

Bad they didn't win.

Good that loser Keir stays in "charge" of Labour.

**Chris** · 02-07-2021, 10:49

I’d say for the Tories it’s disappointing for them because they knew it was winnable, but politically it certainly isn’t bad. This is a safe, solid Labour seat, Cons have been in government since 2010. The standard by election script says they hadn’t a hope in hell of taking it. That it was even considered possible (and came within 400 votes of happening) shows just what a state Labour is in right now.

1andrew1 · 02-07-2021, 11:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa smurf

Batley and Spen by-election result LIVE: Galloway demands recount and threatens court

He accused the Labour-controlled Kirklees Council of removing thousands of posters from his Workers Party of Britain from lamp posts throughout Batley and Spen.

Mr Galloway also claimed "Labour issued a leaflet that claimed our campaign was running out of steam" on the same day the posters were allegedly removed.

The Workers Party of Britain leader added: "I did help write the law that lays out very clearly the requirement for posters on lamp posts.

"This law was broken by Kirklees Council and they have preferred to implement what they said is their policy, which was applied to only our posters.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/polit...alloway-tories

The Express seems sufficiently rattled about this result to give space to The Workers Party of Britain which is pretty amusing.

Mr K · 02-07-2021, 11:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

I’d say for the Tories it’s disappointing for them because they knew it was winnable, but politically it certainly isn’t bad. This is a safe, solid Labour seat, Cons have been in government since 2010. The standard by election script says they hadn’t a hope in hell of taking it. That it was even considered possible (and came within 400 votes of happening) shows just what a state Labour is in right now.

There was the Galloway factor here. He took 8000 votes that would usually have gone to Labour, thanks to lies/violence. People didn't flock to the Tories. It still wasn't enough. (Tbh I'd rather a Tory win than Galloways lies/violent backers, which would have been a disaster for everybody. ).
Tories are upset today because, like Galloway, they wanted rid of Sir Keir, and shift to the Corbyn left again. They aren't getting that.

**Chris** · 02-07-2021, 11:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

The Express seems sufficiently rattled about this result to give space to The Workers Party of Britain which is pretty amusing.

Hardly.

George Galloway’s antics make good copy. It’s as simple as that really.

Though I can understand why you might feel the need to try to paint the Tories’ failure to win a safe Labour seat as leaving their supporters “rattled”.

Carth · 02-07-2021, 11:24

Galloway "took 8000 votes that would usually have gone to Labour, thanks to lies/violence"

LMAO You need to cut back on that rhubarb Mr K, it has strange mind bending properties

Pierre · 02-07-2021, 11:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr K

There was the Galloway factor here. He took 8000 votes that would usually have gone to Labour.

Let's say for arguments sake that a large % of those were Muslim votes. That's who he was going for, that what won him Bradford several years ago.

Do you think the Islamic communities in the UK have conservative or liberal values?

How many muslim households would you suspect have had a "pride" flag in their window this past month?

How many muslims do you think advocate for trans rights?

I wouldn't be so sure that Labour would have got all those 8000 votes.

1andrew1 · 02-07-2021, 12:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pierre

Keir gets a stay of execution.

Are you surprised by the result, Pierre? I seem to recall you confidently predicting a Conservative victory.

**Chris** · 02-07-2021, 13:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Are you surprised by the result, Pierre? I seem to recall you confidently predicting a Conservative victory.

They came within 400 votes of doing so, in a safe Labour seat, only a week after a grubby adulterous scandal involving a very high profile minister. Yes, the Tories could have won it, it’s disappointing that they didn’t, but attempting to paint it as some sort of Tory calamity is silly.

Labour has just about clung on in a seat that ought to have been beyond contest. And all I’m hearing in media commentary today is people asking whether this means Keir Starmer is safe, for now at least. So the win hasn’t even moved the needle towards any sort of “Labour on the up” narrative. All it’s done is move it fractionally away from the “Keir must go” narrative.

1andrew1 · 02-07-2021, 13:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

They came within 400 votes of doing so, in a safe Labour seat, only a week after a grubby adulterous scandal involving a very high profile minister. Yes, the Tories could have won it, it’s disappointing that they didn’t, but attempting to paint it as some sort of Tory calamity is silly.

Labour has just about clung on in a seat that ought to have been beyond contest. And all I’m hearing in media commentary today is people asking whether this means Keir Starmer is safe, for now at least. So the win hasn’t even moved the needle towards any sort of “Labour on the up” narrative. All it’s done is move it fractionally away from the “Keir must go” narrative.

I've not painted it as anything, I've just asked Pierre if he was surprised by the result.