Barnsley by-election: LibDem vote collapses

[meditrina]

Seat retained by Labour, with similar size majority (as was always going to be the case, so nothing really to comment on there).

But look what's happened to the other parties: complete collapse of LibDems, and far right gaining ground:

Dan Jarvis (Lab) 14,724
Jane Collins (UKIP) 2,953
James Hockney (C) 1,999
Enis Dalton (BNP) 1,463
Tony Devoy (Ind) 1,266
Dominic Carman (LD) 1,012
Kevin Riddiough (Eng Dem) 544
Howling Laud Hope (Loony) 198
Michael Val Davies (Ind) 60

Far right outstripping the Conservatives? LibDem below an independent candidate? A verdict on
the Coalition so far?

definitely a vote on the coalition. Doubt if General Election would have similar figures - the total turnout was only 36% (56% last year).

I hope it pulls them up short (but I doubt it )

But nice to see the seat going maroon: Dan Jarvis is a former Parachute Regiment officer.

I'm from Barnsley & was up there last week visiting family. The Lib Dems were very visible leading up to the election - lots of canvassing going on, but it doesn't seem to have done them much good at all.

Major Dan sounds fab

oh - just read in your link about his wife, meditrina I wonder how he'll manage with his children between Barnsley & London?

It looks as if he's only just left the Army, so I should imagine he knows that what ever arrangements he has will work. He seems to have one hell of a "can do" attitude, and I hope he does well.

"far right gaining ground"

The BNP? Their vote collapsed as well. The drop in turnout was 35%, the BNPs vote dropped by 55% so way above that.

"I hope it pulls them up short"

I doubt it too.

They're locked into a course now and are no doubt hoping that if after 5 years they've got this country back living within its means and ticking over nicely people will vote them back in.

I think before the last election a lot of people that this time things might just change and it was worth taking a punt on the lib dems to get a 3 party system.

That patently didn't pan out (not quite - if a few more had voted that way it might well have done). And most people have reverted to the tradtional 2 party system and so see no point in voting lib dem.

And there is also an element of lib dem supporters not being happy with the coalition so not voting either.

Also in a strong labour seat (or conservative) in a by election lots of people think there is little point in voting if they don't want the status quo.

See also thread in "Politics".

Aniyan - that's interesting because they're being quite 'oh well we knew it was going Labour so didn't campaign much y'know' about it. Interesting to hear otherwise!

For comparison: general election 2010 results for Barnsley:

Labour 17,487
Liberal Democrat 6,394
Conservative 6,388
British National Party 3,307
UK Independence Party 1,727
Independent 732
Independent 610
Socialist Labour Party 356

BNP down in numbers, but UKIP up. The lower turnout is a major confounder, but the far right vote held up better than the Lib Dems and Tories.

"The lower turnout is a major confounder, but the far right vote held up better than the Lib Dems and Tories."

I would call a 55% collapse in the BNP vote when the drop in turn out was 35% "holding up". It's not that far removed from the Conservative drop of 68%, both parties votes collapsed and I don't see how a collapse for the BNP can be called "gaining ground", and thankfully too.

Sorry...

I wouldn't call a 55% collapse in the BNP vote when the drop in turn out was 35% "holding up".

I meant both UKIP (up approx 50%) and BNP (big fall, but not as big as Lib Dem or Conservative).

"I meant both UKIP (up approx 50%) and BNP (big fall, but not as big as Lib Dem or Conservative)."

Ah yes if you include UKIP as "far right", which I wouldn't, then things do look different. I've got the feeling that that's where the Conservative voters went.

And I was meaning only to describe, not promote.

"And I was meaning only to describe, not promote."

I know.

I just think that this election shows the far right taking yet another electoral kicking and that we don't need to particularly worry about them gaining ground.

But yes that does depend on my exclusion of UKIP from the "far right" group.

I see a switch to them as saying far more about the feelings of Conservative voters rather than any swell of support for extremism.

Northernlurker - apart from the NUM building in Barnsley being plastered with giant VOTE LABOUR posters, the Lib Dems were the only party I saw actively campaigning while I was there - knocking on doors, leafleting etc.

Of course it's only one person's experience but I did note it at the time.

Surely the Lib Dems will only worry if they drop from 2nd to 6th in the seats where they realistically stand a chance of using that 2nd place as a springboard to winning. They are never going to win Barnsley Central, and they know that.

no, but to have their sorry asses whipped by both UKIP & the BNP - how embarrassing is that!

It does seem a shame that people are keen to harp on about the one major Lib Dem error so far, while conveniently forgetting those of the other parties. The last 13 years of history are rather conveniently being airbrushed.

They seem to be getting a lot of the flak right now - possibly because it is easier to attack them them the Tories?

I think it's being seized on because it was so dramatically bad to lose the deposit.

Are there any other by-elections in the offing?

Possibly Leicester South, where the sitting Labour MP Sir Peter Soulsby is running to be mayor.

www.petersoulsby.org/

Leicester is a university town. Libs might not be popular.

To go from 17% of the vote to 4% is terrible however you try and dress it up. Barnsley was always going to stay Labour in May last year but people still turned out to vote LD albeit in a relatively small number. That small base crumbled yesterday and it wasn't because the voters thought the seat would stay Labour, it's because very few will trust the LD party with their vote now.