Does Theresa not understand?

[Itisnoteasybeingdifferent]

Political parties do not win elections.

The other party looses them....

The end result is the same so I doubt she cares. Like all previous PMs she'll take the credit.

I expect she understands a lot of things but simply doesn't care.

It's always the losers that say that isn't it?

I think either can be true, but right now Corbyn is losing

YABU. That was a resounding victory, like it or not.

I suspect thumbing her nose at Corbyn whilst singing "ner-ner you lost", or even the adult version "yeah we only won 'cause you're shit, but we still won" would be frowned upon.

Yabu - they won.

I'm furious with fucking Corbyn, and I'm not even a Labour voter. What a useless waste of space. He should just stick to leading Scunthorpe University's Socialist Workers or equivalent.

Honestly, at the moment I'm struggling to remember that there is a Labour Party at all. It's like they're fading into utter obscurity.

The first government bi-election gain since 1982 and the best result for a government in a bi-election since 1966. YABU.

And THIS is why the public shouldn't be able to have a say in who leads a political party. Let those who know how politics works run politics

Oh dear you must be a Labour supporter OP, so sad to be jealous

It has been over 35 years since a party in Government has won a by-election so Theresa May has every right to be thrilled with the Copeland result and say ya boo sucks to loser Corbyn.

Any more Labour MPs fancy resigning?

Rorty,,,
Please don't do that again. I nearly spilled my wine all over my tablet.. Labour supporter? You must be joking. Most people who meet me say I make Atilla the Hun look caring and kind. That's before they get to know me...

It's the lies and spin that I get annoyed about. A good part of the result was a comment against Corbyn as much as a vote for the Tories. I could respect May a lot more if she had acknowledged that. As it is, she is trying to say something that many people know to not be true.

I think in general yab a bit u.

But in the Copeland case.... It is depressing that there is no real opposition at all. So yes it is failure on Labour's part rather than May's fab performance imo that is the deciding factor here.

I agree with its

And i have voted tory in every election but one and would never vote labour

I agree with the op in that I don't think May's interpretation of the bye election victory as a ringing endorsement of her government is a particularly accurate assessment of the situation. On this occasion, I suspect the Conservative victory was mainly because of the utter shambles that is the opposition - both Labour and UKIP.

To my thinking she is insulting all the possible swing voters at the next election. They know the real reason Labour lost. And to ignore that part sends a message of contempt for the ordinary person.

And thats one of the things about mumsnet that pisses me off

Make a comment about labour losing and all of a sudden you are a disgruntled labour supporter

Isn't that the nature of party politics? Stop the other side from winning.

Well I am a disgruntled labour supporter (disgruntled at Corbyn and his general crapness) and I think May is perfectly within her rights to celebrate a victory. It's an absolutely gobsmacking result and most definitely a "win" if the party in power takes a safe seat from the main opposition in a by-election.

I have no idea why voters who feel sidelined and austerity-struck should blame labour and not the tories but they did win.

Ok so Sellafield and Trident won the vote in Copeland. Shouldn't be a huge surprise. Still disappointing though, I do think Tories cause more harm than good and feel other parties would have something better to offer, even in Copeland. But it's understandable that if you were in the area, you may not want to vote for a party whose leader is opposed to Trident and only recently (if I've understood correctly) supported Moorside. You may be mainly concerned about your job and so vote for that. With the Tories cutting everything and working towards privatising the NHS, having a secure job is vital. If only people would start to see that austerity is not working, Tory policies are ruining this country and MPs should seriously start opposing the government cutbacks. If only!

I think that this is a blip result. the issue here was nuclear. everyone knows how anti corbyn is. he couldn't spin it any other way. that's one of the main reasons labour lost here imo.

It might happen in another by election but there would have to be an "issue" If Trees thought otherwise the tories would be making plans to call an election.

And actually in a way, there is something kind of respectably old-school about them going for the tories instead of labour, and not UKIP.

It's not a blip, just read the polling results.

So sorry Itisnoteasybeingdifferent Atilla, am so used to responding to the preponderance of lefties on here. You're quite right of course, it was an anti Corbyn vote and no-one should be surprised at that. He should fall to his knees in gratitude at keeping Stoke. Still think it's ok for TM to be pleased though