Remember the Saturday when the Telegraph and Sky News both declared that Alan Johnson had won the deputy leader election

Remember the Saturday when the Telegraph and Sky News both declared that Alan Johnson had won the deputy leader election

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With AV LAB elections don’t always go to plan Remember June 2007? So many Labour MPs had chickened out of doing other than nominate Brown for leader that there weren’t enough left for another candidate to go on the ballot. The result – the party got what the polling indicated was a leader who was an electoral liability – not someone who could lead them into a fourth successive general election victory. Instead there was a hard-fought deputy race which…

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David Herdson asks: Where are UKIP’s 34 peers?

David Herdson asks: Where are UKIP’s 34 peers?

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An unreformed Lords shouldn’t be a closed shop for the old parties Sex, money and people in high places all make for a good scandal, as Lord Sewel found out to his cost this last week. And as usually happens when a member of the Lords gets into trouble, the opponents of the institution cite it as an example of the need for reform of it, or even its outright abolition. Not that there’s a chance of serious reform any…

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Tim Farron’s LDs the main gainers, leaderless LAB the main losers in the July Local By-Election + overnight results

Tim Farron’s LDs the main gainers, leaderless LAB the main losers in the July Local By-Election + overnight results

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The overnight results Hilton, Woodside and Stockethill (SNP defence) and Kincorth, Nigg and Cove (SNP defence) on City of Aberdeen Hilton, Woodside and Stockethill Result: Scottish National Party 1,690 (55% +19%), Labour 771 (25% -20%), Conservative 350 (11%, no candidate in 2012), Green Party 130 (4% +1%), Liberal Democrats 125 (4% unchanged) Scottish National Party HOLD on the first count with a majority of 919 (30%) on a swing of 19.5% from Labour to SNP Kincorth, Nigg and Cove Result:…

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Only 3 LAB leaders have ever won overall majorities and the creed of the most successful is now being dismissed as a “virus”

Only 3 LAB leaders have ever won overall majorities and the creed of the most successful is now being dismissed as a “virus”

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Electability has to be paramount or else what is the point? One of the things that is often said, particularly by Tories, is that excluding Tony Blair the last time Labour secured an overall working majority was in 1966. That was a very long time ago. For in Labour’s entire history just three leaders, the ones pictured above, have led led the party to working majorities at general elections. And only one of these, the “virus” as we are being…

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A busy night of local by-elections previewed by Harry Hayfield

A busy night of local by-elections previewed by Harry Hayfield

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Hilton, Woodside and Stockethill (SNP defence) and Kincorth, Nigg and Cove (SNP defence) on City of Aberdeen Result of council at last election (2012): Labour 17, Scottish National Party 15, Liberal Democrats 5, Conservatives 3, Independents 3 (No Overall Control, Labour short by 5) Hilton, Woodside and Stockethill Result of ward at last election (2012): Emboldened denotes elected Labour 1,421, 271 (45%) Scottish National Party 512, 823 (36%) Independents 87, 101, 55 (6%) Liberal Democrats 145 (4%) Green Party 99…

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Don Brind says he’s voting for party unity by putting Liz Kendall first

Don Brind says he’s voting for party unity by putting Liz Kendall first

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It was, if you like, my Liz Kendall moment Just as Kendall has been told she’s a Tory I was told “You should go and join the SDP”. It was wounding – the more so because it came from a friend. It was the 80s and we were on opposite sides of one of the many controversies inspired by or centred on Tony Benn. Happily she is still a friend and says now “The 80s were a mad time. We…

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The Corbyn polling could be the 2015 version of what happened to Hilary Benn in 2007

The Corbyn polling could be the 2015 version of what happened to Hilary Benn in 2007

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Don’t attach too much credence to numbers at this stage There have been only two Labour elections in recent times where there has been polling and we are able to look back and compare the survey numbers with the actual votes received. In 2010, as I’ve reported before, the final YouGov members’ survey taken after the voting had started showed EdM with a 4% lead in this part of the electoral college. David actually won this segment by 8.8%. Three…

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