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Original poster

Norwich North by-election thread

31 replies

policywonk · 13/07/2009 11:24

Just getting in there early.

Tories expected to gain from Labour, Greens might overtake LibDems for third place, former boxer Terry Marsh and FO irritant Craig Murray are standing, and the BNP candidate is a farking Reverend (do you think he's fundamentally misunderstood his own religion a bit?)

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policywonk · 25/07/2009 17:03

Interesting article here saying that Richard Reed, the Greens' candidate in NN, was an extremist who scared mainstream voters. Have no idea whether this was actually the case.

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policywonk · 25/07/2009 16:55

Heh. Someone on one of the political blogs I read is saying that the LibDems and Greens fighting over third place is like watching two bald men fighting over a comb.

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policywonk · 25/07/2009 16:45

The Greens did win the Goldsmid ward in Brighton and Hove on Thursday (council by-election), making them equal-second-largest group on the council (together with Labour - Tories are largest group by some distance). It's regarded as an important result; a Tory win would have meant that they held the balance of power on the council. And it represents a big advance for the Greens in Brighton in terms of the number of votes and the proportion (compared with the results in that ward at the last council election).

I realise that this is an object lesson in straw-clutching, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

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Threadworm2 · 24/07/2009 17:39

couple of percent in share-of-vote terms, I mean

Threadworm2 · 24/07/2009 17:38

oh yes, I see they tripled their vote in absolute terms. And up by a couple of percent. So quite good in that sense. N.ot enought though

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policywonk · 24/07/2009 17:33

at Thready

That's what's disappointing about it Hassled - Norwich is their second-strongest area (after Brighton). I think they were aiming for 11-12 per cent. Being beaten by fricking UKIP makes it even worse.

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Hassled · 24/07/2009 17:26

According to the BBC, it was still the Greens' best ever by-election result (9.7%)but yes, surprising and disappointing.

They're so strong in Norwich at local level - more votes than labour at the city council elections last year, and were first in Norwich at Euro elections (though not East of England). I guess it just shows that while people might "gamble" in local/Euro elections with smaller parties, when it comes to the crunch they'll go for the big parties they perceive as safe.

Threadworm2 · 24/07/2009 17:19

It is disappointing that the Greens don't seem to be gaining much from the disillusion with Labour.
I very much like the fact that Labour campaign manager is called Bob Lizard. His assistants are presumably Jill Slimeball and Adrian Creepy. Almost as good as a politician called Fabricant.

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policywonk · 24/07/2009 15:54

Labour will have been happy (ish) to come second though, I suppose. I like Clegg myself but he doesn't seem to be having much impact does he?

Very disappointing result for the Greens. Wonder what happened there.

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policywonk · 24/07/2009 15:52

I've only just got in and heard Cameron's speech - it is a bit shocking isn't it (size of the majority, not the speech)? Nobody expected them do do that well. And UKIP beat the Greens? Really? Shit.

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Hassled · 24/07/2009 15:16

Bloody hell. Bollocks. I knew they'd lose, and sort of knew they deserved to lose, but I still hate to actually see it happen. And UKIP beating the Greens? I thought the Greens would do really well.

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policywonk · 23/07/2009 23:12

G'night

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Hassled · 23/07/2009 23:03

Missed it - DCs off school now so am R4 deprived. They talk too bloody much for radio(the DCs, not the R4 bods). Something about George Galloway makes me feel a violent rage coming on.

Am off to bed - thanks for the shared interest .

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policywonk · 23/07/2009 22:51

It's funny isn't it? He must have been some MP to have escaped the fury of his electorate.

Did you hear this week's R4 documentary about Westminster during the expenses crisis? Lots of MPs bleating. Made me very cross.

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Hassled · 23/07/2009 22:44

Question Time on now - audience v.cross re Gibson. But they're missing the point - yes, others sinned more, but he still sinned. The fact others behaved worse doesn't negate his actions.

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policywonk · 23/07/2009 22:39

Aw, poor wee fella with the flu.

Wonder whether Labour will be 2nd, 3rd or even 4th. Also wondering whether Greens will overtake LibDems. Also wondering whether Tory majority will be much to write home about. Will have to wonder until tomorrow however as results aren't out until midday (?)

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Hassled · 23/07/2009 22:23

Labour are going to lose, and lose badly. Swine Flu chap might get a few sympathy votes, but Cameron has become omnipresent round these parts recently.

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policywonk · 23/07/2009 19:54

La la la

Turnout low apparently - bad for Labour, given that it's one of their 'heartland' seats.

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policywonk · 15/07/2009 14:23

at Glenn Tingle

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EffieGadsby · 15/07/2009 13:59

Oh I love by-elections; the candidates always seem to have such interesting names. Who do we have here, then? Glenn Tingle of Ukip - that's quite sweet. I also rather like the Lib Dems' April Pond. One sadly has to assume that Laud Howling isn't his actual birth name.

Hassled · 15/07/2009 13:54

Yes, the bearded wonder himself. He seems like a nice bloke (we have DSs who were schoolfriends), although was a piss-poor constituency MP while he was Home Secretary which is fair enough, I guess. But I think he's left his sudden interest in all things local too late - the Green Party, meanwhile, are very proactive and very efficient at letting us know what they've been up to. People have been very exercised about a new local Tescos, for example, and the Greens have been well and truly on the case.

knpeppa · 15/07/2009 13:48

As a Norwich citizen I am amazed that this has made it onto Mumsnet! Will follow this thread with interest. Still don't know who to vote for though.

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policywonk · 15/07/2009 13:41

Is that Charles Clarke, Hassled? Will be interesting to see what happens there at the GE.

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Hassled · 15/07/2009 13:36

I heard the piece today - he is much loved in Norwich, and well known. But the censure was the right thing to do; yes, there may have been an element of example-setting, but he certainly pushed his luck. It's a real shame. If it had been Norwich South (Clarke), I think the Greens may have taken it.

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policywonk · 15/07/2009 13:30

Well, I guess I just disagree with you that the below-market-rate thing was irrelevant. It seems like corruption to me - use taxpayers' money to subsidise your daughter's lifestyle, and then sell a flat that the taxpayer had an interest in (not an actual cash interest, but we had paid £80,000 towards its mortgage) at below-market value.

I take your point that the taxpayer wouldn't have seen a huge difference (in terms of cash) if he'd done things differently, but it's about the principle, not just the cash.

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