Barnsley Central By-Election.

[Hyperduck Quack Quack]

Labour won the Barnsley Central by election, as expected, but the Lib Dems slipped from 2nd in 2010, with 17.2% of the vote, to 6th yesterday, with 4.1%. They lost their deposit and were even beaten by the BNP.

Nick Clegg says people shouldn't write off the Liberal Democrats. The unelected Torylition government must be holed below the water line now, hopefully before David Cameron's 'Blairitis' gets too bad and we find ourselves militarily involved in the Libyan civil war.

[Self Employed Youth]

It was a bloody good laugh that election.

FUY was there and promoting the loonies, just knocked sick from work too, the hangover was immense, we had a bar at the election! (About £50 is going to go through on my card, I bought all the birds behind the bar - you see [no other fooker tipped em!])

Jarvis had a surprisingly weak handshake.

UKIP whom came second, were a friendly bunch indeed. I have a photo of myself with Farage, although he refused a pint.

[sundance_kid]

It matters little.

The only joy I'll find will be watching the hopes dashed of an 'electorate in complete denial' of the hole we are in.

How many messengers will they shoot before reality kicks in.

[rantnrave]

So much for the coalition paving the way for similar arrangements after future general elections. Clegg's decision is hurting the Lib Dems much more than the Tories, making coalitions far less not more likely from now.

[Hyperduck Quack Quack]

Being pro EU, I wouldn't vote for UKIP, but the three main parties are all implicated in the mess we're in now, and UKIP isn't, although their behaviour at the European parliament has been scandalous at times.

[noodle doodle]

So we have a by-election caused by labour's last candidate being a thieving criminal stealing from the public, and the barnsley public vote in a new labour candidate by a bigger majority. Well, at least the ones that could be arsed to vote. Looks like most people voted with their feet, or lack of use of.

[Timak]

Everywhere I've lived the Lib Dems have campaigned as being a party to the left of New Labour.

The fact they have shown so little fight to stand up for what they campaigned on means there is literally no point in voting for them if you are even slightly left of centre in your political views.

[sun n sea]

People in Barnsley ALWAYS vote Labour so I'm not sure what your point is?

Round where I live the Labour party have NEVER been higher than 4th place..... thank god.

The unelected coalition who between them received more votes than anyone else?! Just because you are a Labourist doesn't mean you automatically have first dibs on power.

If Gaddafi unleashes chemical weapons against the poor Libyan citizens I hope we squash him like a bug.

[Bob Loblaw]

So we have a by-election caused by labour's last candidate being a thieving criminal stealing from the public, and the barnsley public vote in a new labour candidate by a bigger majority. Well, at least the ones that could be arsed to vote. Looks like most people voted with their feet, or lack of use of.

There was a thick Northern woman on the news who when asked would she vote Labour because of the previous candidates theft she said 'Of course I will, after all they are all at it'.

[leicestersq]

It was a bloody good laugh that election.

FUY was there and promoting the loonies, just knocked sick from work too, the hangover was immense, we had a bar at the election! (About £50 is going to go through on my card, I bought all the birds behind the bar - you see [no other fooker tipped em!])

Jarvis had a surprisingly weak handshake.

UKIP whom came second, were a friendly bunch indeed. I have a photo of myself with Farage, although he refused a pint.

I hear he only drinks litres.

[Self Employed Youth]

2nd - UKIP

3rd-cons

4th -BNP

the only female candidates were for UKIP and the BNP, both were friendly, but Enis of the BNP had the nicest ****.

Farage was the only party leader to turn up, bar Howling Lawd Hope of the loony party

[Hyperduck Quack Quack]

Everywhere I've lived the Lib Dems have campaigned as being a party to the left of New Labour.

The fact they have shown so little fight to stand up for what they campaigned on means there is literally no point in voting for them if you are even slightly left of centre in your political views.

I totally agree. I was a lifelong Lib Dem supporter but I'll never vote for them again.

People in Barnsley ALWAYS vote Labour so I'm not sure what your point is?

Round where I live the Labour party have NEVER been higher than 4th place..... thank god.

This thread is really about the colloapse of the Lib Dems and the Torylition, the Labour win in Barnsley is just incidental! Edited March 4, 2011 by Hyperduck Quack Quack

[Self Employed Youth]

I hear he only drinks litres.

He had a pint and a flat cap

[The Knimbies who say No]

I hear he only drinks litres.

Now that's a good one..

[leicestersq]

He had a pint and a flat cap

How many votes did UKIP get?

I am surprised they put a woman up, UKIP seems like a blokes party to me. That makes them unelectable given that women decide who rule us. I always vote for them, getting out of Europe is a necessity. A free trade zone with Europe, yes. Everything else is a costly disaster. I dont understand why people cant see that. We can still visit Europe and stuff, and travel across borders with a UK passport, whilst at the same time not taking on their daft laws and paying the Eurocrats billions to waffle on. I am bemused as to why anyone thinks that the UK would lose out in anyway at all if it went down that route.

Can any Euro enthusiast tell me how the UK would suffer if we changed to having just free trade with Europe?

[Self Employed Youth]

How many votes did UKIP get?

I am surprised they put a woman up, UKIP seems like a blokes party to me. That makes them unelectable given that women decide who rule us. I always vote for them, getting out of Europe is a necessity. A free trade zone with Europe, yes. Everything else is a costly disaster. I dont understand why people cant see that. We can still visit Europe and stuff, and travel across borders with a UK passport, whilst at the same time not taking on their daft laws and paying the Eurocrats billions to waffle on. I am bemused as to why anyone thinks that the UK would lose out in anyway at all if it went down that route.

Can any Euro enthusiast tell me how the UK would suffer if we changed to having just free trade with Europe?

2900 or so.

[The Knimbies who say No]

How many votes did UKIP get?

I am surprised they put a woman up, UKIP seems like a blokes party to me. That makes them unelectable given that women decide who rule us. I always vote for them, getting out of Europe is a necessity. A free trade zone with Europe, yes. Everything else is a costly disaster. I dont understand why people cant see that. We can still visit Europe and stuff, and travel across borders with a UK passport, whilst at the same time not taking on their daft laws and paying the Eurocrats billions to waffle on. I am bemused as to why anyone thinks that the UK would lose out in anyway at all if it went down that route.

Can any Euro enthusiast tell me how the UK would suffer if we changed to having just free trade with Europe?

No they can't. That's why they don't dare give us a referendum on the issue.

[sun n sea]

I totally agree. I was a lifelong Lib Dem supporter but I'll never vote for them again.

This thread is really about the colloapse of the Lib Dems and the Torylition, the Labour win in Barnsley is just incidental!

As a solid Tory voter I'm quite happy that the Lib Dems have seen their vote collapse. In Tory areas the Lib Dems campaign as Tory-Lite In Labour areas they campaign as Low Calorie Labour.... this double dealing was bound to end in tears.

[Hyperduck Quack Quack]

Can any Euro enthusiast tell me how the UK would suffer if we changed to having just free trade with Europe?

Leaving the EU would mean we lose our rights as EU citizens to live, work and do business freely throughout the EU. Also we would still have to abide by many EU regulations, like Norway does, in order to do business with the EU, but we'd have no say in the making of those EU decisions.

Also leaving the EU would lead to the break-up of our country since the Scots and the Welsh are more supportive of the EU than the English and would probably rather leave the UK than leave the EU. The thought of an isolated, independent England outside the EU is ghastly.

Edited March 4, 2011 by Hyperduck Quack Quack

[leicestersq]

Leaving the EU would mean we lose our rights as EU citizens to live, work and do business freely throughout the EU. Also we would still have to abide by many EU regulations, like Norway does, in order to do business with the EU, but we'd have no say in the making of those EU decisions.

Also leaving the EU would lead to the break-up of our country since the Scots and the Welsh are more supportive of the EU than the English and would probably rather leave the UK than leave the EU. The thought of an isolated, independent England outside the EU is ghastly.

I think that the assertion that British people couldnt go to Europe to live and work is just scare mongering. Might be a tad more difficult, perhaps. Might even be easier.

Abiding by EU legislation when doing business with Europe isnt as bad as having to abide by the same legislation internally, so a definite improvement there as well.

As for getting rid of Wales and Scotland from the UK and leaving England, BRING IT ON!!!! I hadnt thought about that as a benefit. The government would be awash with extra cash. Tax cuts all round for St George!

[profitofdoom]

As a solid Tory voter I'm quite happy that the Lib Dems have seen their vote collapse. In Tory areas the Lib Dems campaign as Tory-Lite In Labour areas they campaign as Low Calorie Labour.... this double dealing was bound to end in tears.

Yes that is certainly true.I am solidly Labour and the twists and turns of the LD's are amazing to see.I was a Labour councillor for fourteen years and I always got on best with the wet Tories.

[Self Employed Youth]

I'll have you all know that the monster raving loony party, was the only party to tip the barmaids.

[stormymonday_2011]

There was a local council by election last night near where I live on the South Coast which just happened to coincide with the poll in Barnsley. Normally it is a straight Tory and Liberal Democrat fight but in this case the Conservatives did not put up a candidate so it was a contest between the Liberal Democrats and an Independent. I was interested to note that the Liberal Democrat was beaten out of sight by an individual with no party machine backing and who could not even afford to leaflet. If this is a pointer as to what is to come in May's local government elections then Clegg's party is going to be routed. As local councils are largely populated by local party activists who do all the leg work for MPs in a General Election then they are going to be less than ectstatic at being made to pay the price for Clegg's ambitions. Nor are they likely to bust a gut getting MPS who have dished them so thoroughly reelected. As a consequence many of the current Liberal Democrat incumbents of the House of Commons will be looking for new jobs in 2015, This is probably not going to be an appealing prospect to those who had set their heart on a long term career in politics. I have seen some people argue that the meltdown in the Liberal Democrat core vote means that they are less likely to want to bring down the coalition. However, that assumes that they are content just to be off the evil day of their oblivion for 4 years. More likely in my view is that the party will begin to fragment with some Liberal Democrats defecting to Labour while a rump consisting of Clegg and a few other will become Tories. It is worth remembering that Cable was once a member of the Labour Party while it seems that Clegg was a Conservative fellow traveller in his student days (although he denies it). The clock is ticking.

Edited March 4, 2011 by stormymonday_2011

[profitofdoom]

There was a local council by election last night near where I live on the South Coast which just happened to coincide with the poll in Barnsley. Normally it is a straight Tory and Liberal Democrat fight but in this case the Conservatives did not put up a candidate so it was a contest between the Liberal Democrats and an Independent. I was interested to note that the Liberal Democrat was beaten out of sight by an individual with no party machine backing and who could not even afford to leaflet. If this is a pointer as to what is to come in May's local government elections then Clegg's party is going to be routed. As local councils are largely populated by local party activists who do all the leg work for MPs in a General Election then they are going to be less than ectstatic at being made to pay the price for Clegg's ambitions. Nor are they likely to bust a gut getting MPS who have dished them so thoroughly reelected. As a consequence many of the current Liberal Democrat incumbents of the House of Commons will be looking for new jobs in 2015, This is probably not going to be an appealing prospect to those who had set their heart on a long term career in politics. I have seen some people argue that the meltdown in the Liberal Democrat core vote means that they are less likely to want to bring down the coalition. However, that assumes that they are content just to be off the evil day of their oblivion for 4 years. More likely in my view is that the party will begin to fragment with some Liberal Democrats defecting to Labour while a rump consisting of Clegg and a few other will become Tories. It is worth remembering that Cable was once a member of the Labour Party while it seems that Clegg was a Conservative fellow traveller in his student days (although he denies it). The clock is ticking.

An interesting piece of information.I must say that when their vote held up in Oldham I was convinced that this was on the back of borrowed Tory votes,not least because their own candidate was a muslim.I think in May it's going to be a wipeout with LD seats vulnerable to anyone who cares to throw their hat into the ring.

[kenzdawg]

Leaving the EU would mean we lose our rights as EU citizens to live, work and do business freely throughout the EU.

Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are all part of the Schengen Area without being in the EU, so sorry but that's just not true.

As for the LibDems, the country is waking up to the fact that they are essentially a protest party and nothing more. A none-of-the-above/we're-not-the-tories party. And like almost all protest parties getting within sniffing distance of power has been their undoing. Once they lose the voting reform referendum (and who wants more effing coalitions now?) their reason for being will have gone forever.