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Looking forward to the County Council Elections 2017

Looking forward to the County Council Elections 2017

With no by-elections tonight and five weeks until the local elections, I thought it might be an idea to have a look at how the counties (last elected in 2013) might go this time around. Of course, since that night we have had a large number of things happen, the first Conservative majority government since 1996, Milliband standing down and Corbyn getting elected as Labour leader (twice) and the small matter of an EU referendum, therefore I have had a…

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Local By-Election Review March 2017

Local By-Election Review March 2017

Higher Croft on Blackburn with Darwen (Lab defence, death of sitting member) Result: Labour 446 (58% +12%), United Kingdom Independence Party 190 (25% -8%), Conservative 133 (17% -4%) Labour HOLD with a majority of 256 (33%) on a swing of 10% from UKIP to Lab However, late yesterday afternoon it was discovered that the Labour candidate should not have been nominated as he was employed by an organisation that Blackburn with Darwen council have a material interest in, therefore the…

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Local By-Election Preview : March 23rd 2017

Local By-Election Preview : March 23rd 2017

Yesterday, Westminster was attacked. If the aim was to stop democracy, then it clearly failed. Higher Croft on Blackburn with Darwen (Lab defence, death of sitting member) Result of council at last election (2016): Labour 45, Conservatives 16, Liberal Democrats 3 (Labour majority of 26) Result of ward at last election (2015): Labour 1,283 (46%), United Kingdom Independence Party 927 (33%), Conservative 570 (21%) EU Referendum Result (2016): REMAIN 28,522 (44%) LEAVE 36,799 (56%) on a turnout of 65% Candidates…

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Osborne’s new job: Rewarding failure

Osborne’s new job: Rewarding failure

Don Brind on the ex-chancellor’s extra job “He wrecked the economy and he’ll wreck anything he gets his hands on.” — the verdict on the new editor of the London Evening Standard from a Tory activist vox popped at the Conservative Spring Forum in Cardiff by Channel Four’s Michael Crick. Brutal as it was, that judgement on the erstwhile Chancellor George Osborne didn’t, in my opinion, go far enough. Not only was Osborne a failure as a Chancellor but he…

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Local By-Election Results : March 16th 2017

Local By-Election Results : March 16th 2017

Warbreck on Blackpool (Con defence, death of sitting member) Result: Conservative 728 (55% +18%), Labour 468 (35% +6%), UKIP 75 (6% -13%), Liberal Democrat 57 (4% -3%) Conservative HOLD with a majority of 260 (20%) on a swing of 6% from Labour to Conservative Saham Toney on Breckland (Con defence, resignation of sitting member) Result: Conservative 335 (48% -3%), Liberal Democrat 105 (15%, no candidate at last election), Independent 104 (15%, no candidate at last election), UKIP 80 (11% -21%),…

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Tonight’s Local By-Election Preview : Three CON defences and a LAB one

Tonight’s Local By-Election Preview : Three CON defences and a LAB one

Warbreck on Blackpool (Con defence, death of sitting member) Result of council at last election (2015): Labour 29, Conservatives 13 (Labour majority of 16) Result of ward at last election (2015): Emboldened denotes elected Conservatives 1,237, 1,197 (37%) Labour 962, 876 (29%) United Kingdom Independence Party 633 (19%) Green Party 250 (8%) Liberal Democrat 237 (7%) EU Referendum Result (2016): REMAIN 21,781 (33%) LEAVE 45,146 (67%) on a turnout of 65% Candidates duly nominated: Kevan Benfold (Lib Dem), Walter Cairns…

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The search for the answer to Labour’s woes

The search for the answer to Labour’s woes

What happens when the focus is on “knocking on doors” John Prescott’s view that Jeremy Corbyn and his top team are “not up to the f***ing job” which earned him a “potty mouth Prescott” headline  in the Mail on Sunday won’t have come as surprise to the Labour leader. I understand that the former deputy Prime Minister has said as much to Corbyn’s face. “You’re not a leader and you never will be while you’ve got a hole in your…

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The first electoral test following the budget – tonight’s local by-elections

The first electoral test following the budget – tonight’s local by-elections

The by-elections held today are the first electoral test of the Budget announced yesterday. Here, for reference, is what happened after the 2016 Budget: Budget Local By-Elections 2016: March 17th 2016 Lincolnshire Independents GAIN Ashby de la Launde and Cranwell on North Kesteven from Conservative on a 44% swing from Conservative to Lincolnshire Independents Liberal Democrat GAIN Aylsham on Broadland from Conservative on a 5.5% swing from Conservative to Liberal Democrat Conservative HOLD Hutton on Redcar and Cleveland on a…

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