Results like these at a general election would mean Tory annihilation

[noblegiraffe]

Says a BBC headline this morning.

Anyone else stockpiling popcorn?

The Dorries factor was significant but not the whole story. Traditional Tory voters were just fed up with what their party has done to the country and were also concerned about local issues.

You need to move to wherever Andrew Bridgen is MP to be top I think.

This.

Oh, a challenge!

Just a small message from a secure saving new pensioner. At 67, with some assets and money in the bank for my old age, I am fairly sure we would be better off in another country. Paying my income tax elsewhere. I know I shall pay income taxes, and probably also health insurance premiums too. But the £20K pa tax I won't pay in the UK is going to leave any UK government a bit short of funds too.

For all their "But Corbyn"-ing it's amazing to me that Tories don't seem to realise how much 2019 was a vote for "Not Corbyn"

@Howpo Trotted out? You mean facts? It’s a fact the turnout was low. Uxbridge ditto - 46.1%. We all know why Labour didn’t win Uxbridge despite getting a greater share of the vote: ULEZ. So there was a narrow majority for the Cons in a seat they should have lost. As the GE turnout was 68.5%. So 22% missing. May well have been Con voters but we don’t know. As I said earlier, by elections can be a surprise and definitely not reliable due to low turnout. This doesn’t mean they are not winnable by Labour next year but turnout matters. It really does. As does post bloody nose voting.

The Honorable member for Moscow and Riyadh would like to throw his hat into the ring if someone is willing to pay him.

Shall we discuss the fact that the swing away from the Tories in Uxbridge was large enough if it was replicated at a GE to ensure they would be in opposition?

🤣🤣

In a bye election, I would only bother to vote if there was a superb candidate. Andrew Strathern looks a welcome addition to the debate. The Labour candidate photographed with SKS looks a bit like standard Labour cannon fodder... IMVHO.

Starmer might not be the most charismatic politician ever but he's got Labour back into a position where people outside of rabid conservatives aren't going to be frightened to vote for him. The idea that Labour would mismanage the economy hardly holds water when one looks at the mismanagement under the Tories.

I raise you the unnamed MP who hasn't voted since April 2022 because he's still on bail for a charge of rape.

I actually like SKS, and Wes Streeting and Yvette Cooper and Rachel Reeves. If my local constituency put up the same candidate as last time, they will get my vote. I don't promise it to them forever, but boring politicians are preferable to the excitable ones.

Labour didn't win Uxbridge because evidently Uxbridge is a very gullible part of the country.

Steve Tuckwell tan on a campaign pledge to "Stop the ULEZ expansion" but often his campaign just said "Stop ULEZ" on the front page.

Non-gullible voters only needed to ask themselves one question

Q1) How is Steve Tuckwell going to "Stop the ULEZ expansion"? Let alone "Stop ULEZ"

But here's a bonus round:

Q2 Has Steve Tuckwell in fact "stopped ULEZ" or "Stopped the ULEZ expansion"?

Q3 Which party's transport Minister expanded ULEZ?

Q4 Which party's policy is ULEZ?

Q5 Which party brought in ULEZ in the first place?

Alistair.

It's actually the same in Bedford/shire with the Tory Mayor wo pledged to deal with the East West Rail Link. Mainly because it runs through his won farms. He isn't. But Tory central government backpeddling on transport spending may actually accidentally mothball the whole thing. What a hero.

I think the argument the previous poster is making is that the Brexit referendum was not won because a majority of voters did not vote for Brexit.

Please, please miss, pick me I know the answer, please.

@jgw1 Yes but a by election is not an accurate guide when the turnout is low and other factors are important to voters. Labour didn’t win Uxbridge. We don’t know how the No shows would have voted. We do know enough anti Ulez turned out. We’ve had many by election results that get overturned at a GE. This doesn’t mean Labour cannot win but voting in the Red Wall and Scotland will be more interesting, I think.

I think they will still have a majority government

Lol @jgwi

You get a gold star for not being gullible and easily manipulated⭐️

I think the comment on the news about voters returning to Labour, who had previously voted Tory because of Brexit, interesting.

Seems Brexit has not been popular either.

If this is replicated, there will be quite a few northern constituencies that return to their Labour roots.

Its a shame there haven't been any by-elections in the last year or two in Scotland or the Red Wall.

Oh wait, there have and we all know the result.

I think we will too, but I won't mind a coalition.

The Tories, however, will be lucky to form an opposition.