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Three local by-elections tonight – won last time by UKIP, LAB & CON

Three local by-elections tonight – won last time by UKIP, LAB & CON

Harry Hayfield’s preview Camborne, Pendarves on Cornwall (UKIP defence) Result of council at last election (2013): Independents 37, Liberal Democrats 36, Conservatives 31, Labour 8, United Kingdom Independence Party 6, Mebyon Kernow 4, Green Party 1 (No Overall Control, Independents short by 25) Result of ward at last election (2013): UKIP 340 (32%), Conservative 319 (30%), Mebyon Kernow 211 (20%), Labour 200 (19%) Candidates duly nominated: Nathan Billings (Lib Dem), Peter Channon (Ind), Val Dalley (Lab), Deborah Fox (Mebynon Kernow),…

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Corbyn: Winning the election but losing the argument?

Corbyn: Winning the election but losing the argument?

Don Brind says the leader of the Opposition has to be seen as a potential PM I’ve cast my vote and I’m pretty sure I’m backing a loser. I’m also fairly certain that we are winning the argument.By we I mean Paul Flynn and me (and a few others) who don’t believe Jeremy Corbyn is a credible Labour leader because he is unelectable as Prime Minister. The few others, of course, include Tony Blair, David Blunkett, Gordon Brown Alistair Campbell,…

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Unusually for a Tusday we have a local by-election

Unusually for a Tusday we have a local by-election

August 18th 2015 West Mainland on Orkney (Non Party Independent defence) Result of council at last election (2012): Independents 11, Non Party Independents 10 (Independent majority of 22) Result of ward at last election (2012): Emboldened denotes elected Non Party Independents 322, 33, 238, 427, 287 (71%) Independents 74, 73, 249, 132 (29%) Candidates duly nominated: Barbara Foulkes (Ind), Fiona Grahame (Green), Rachel King (Orkney Manifesto) Elections to Orkney Island council can be, well how can I put it politely,…

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Corbyn’s impending victory affects the Mayoral betting

Corbyn’s impending victory affects the Mayoral betting

Take on the mystery Betfair punter Mike ran a thread the other day looking for markets that might be affected by Jeremy Corbyn’s likely victory in the Labour leadership stakes. He highlighted NO in the EU betting where I’d agree odds of nearly 4/1 are tempting. However to my mind there are even better bets available in the London Mayoral voting – which will still be value even if Corbyn falls just short. Labour’s candidate is being decided on the same…

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An LD gain from CON and a CON gain from LAB the main highlights of this week’s local by elections

An LD gain from CON and a CON gain from LAB the main highlights of this week’s local by elections

Crosskeys on Caerphilly (Lab defence) Result: Labour 354 (51% -4%), Plaid Cymru 179 (26% +13%), United Kingdom Independence Party 166 (24%, no candidate in 2012) Labour HOLD with a majority of 175 (25%) on a swing of 8.5% from Labour to Plaid Cymru Glasbury on Powys (Con defence) Result: Liberal Democrats 457 (44%, no candidate in 2012), Conservatives 415 (40% -15%), Independent 106 (10% -23%), Green Party 52 (5%, no candidate in 2012) Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative with a…

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Tonight’s by-elections see 2 contests each in Scotland, Wales and England

Tonight’s by-elections see 2 contests each in Scotland, Wales and England

Harry Hayfield’s preview Crosskeys on Caerphilly (Lab defence) Result of council at last election (2012): Labour 50, Plaid Cymru 20, Independent 3 (Labour majority of 27) Result of ward at last election (2012): Labour 543 (55%), Independent 281 (28%), Plaid Cymru 126 (13%), Conservative 39 (4%) Candidates duly nominated: Chris Cook (Plaid), Julian Simmonds (Lab), Joe Smyth (UKIP) The natural assumption of most people to Caerphilly would be “Yawn, Labour hold, next council please!” but to disregard Caerphilly would be…

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Don Brind: Why having an “electable” leader matters so much

Don Brind: Why having an “electable” leader matters so much

The great chronicler of US presidential elections, Theodore White, tells the story of a Democratic candidate for minor office in New York who complained to the local party boss that the party had issued no publicity with his name on it. Go down to the harbour, he was told. Look at the Staten Island ferry. When it comes in to dock it drags harbour garbage in its wake. “Franklin Delano Roosevelt is your Staten island ferry, ” An “electable” leader…

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Big swings to the SNP in the latest local by-elections: Full results

Big swings to the SNP in the latest local by-elections: Full results

Anderston and City (SNP defence), Calton (SNP defence), Craigton (SNP defence) and Langside (Green defence) on City of Glasgow Anderston and City Result: SNP 1,441 (48% +18%), Labour 857 (29% -21%), Green 414 (14% +4%), Conservatives 164 (5% unchanged), Liberal Democrats 66 (2% unchanged), UKIP 43 (1%, no candidate in 2012), Libertarian 12 (0%, no candidate in 2012) SNP HOLD on the sixth count with a majority of 584 (19%) on a swing of 19.5% from Labour to SNP Calton…

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