Great note on a door in Eastleigh

[Pete]

And so polite...



 

[Fly]

One leaflet-less house then. Ask any Sheffield student 

[Slacker]

One for Facebook I think

[therealjr]

Surely they will just stick leaflets through the door and claim they can and are doing that?

[chesterfieldchris]

POST DELETED AT USER'S REQUEST

[Pete]

Well, it's all done and dusted now - and what an interesting result...

1) The people of Eastleigh want a new LibDem. Surprising that, I would've thought after all the bad press Nick Clegg and his party have had over the last couple of years that they would have trailed in below the other three main parties. Yes, there are now four main parties in the UK.

2) UKIP - from outsiders to coming second to the LibDems beating the Cons and Labour... A protest vote? An example of the way UK voters are rejecting the same old same old politics? According to some of the press it's a sign of how many folks want out of Europe. I think it's a measure of how people are fed up with many years of mass immigration, whaddya reckon?

3) Mr Cameron's mid term wake up call. His plans are failing, the UK's economic woes increasing under Osborne and a complete lack of confidence by businesses and consumers in their ability to generate growth in our stagnant economy.

4) Labour - They don't seem to have anything to bring to the table. A leader no one seems to notice and vague hints at policies that would probably never see the light of day. Honestly, I can't think of anything else to say - they are rapidly becoming the invisible party.

Anyone?

[therealjr]

Lib Dems: I dont think their victory was that surprising. Eastleigh council is dominated by the LD's (40 TO 4 Cons and no Labour) and I think the people there were able to separate the issue of what the Lib dems are doing nationally with what they are doing locally and chose to vote in an MP who would be a hard working 'local' MP rather than a cabinet high flier like Mr Huhne. I think the press did their best to de-rail the Lib Dems with their timing over the allegations relating to their former chief exec.

UKIP: In the past protest votes like this would have gone to the Lib Dems. Given that the Lib Dems are the most Pro Europe party I doubt many of their supporters voted UKIP (and yes before Slacker says anything  I know a former Lib Dem cllr in Chesterfield made that exact move) You assume therefore that the majority deserted the Tories which is ironic given that the Tory back benchers have been coming out and saying that the problem is that they have no managed to widen their appeal outside of core support. I'd have thought it the other way round.

Tories: As I say if the Tories did desert to UKIP I'm not sure where that leaves Mr Cameron. His party has always been the most Eurosceptic in recent times and also most anti immigration. If voters are perceiving that UKIP now offers the best option on those two issues he is in trouble. Granted as I have banged on many times our archaic voting system means UKIP won't win many, if any, seats they might take enough tory votes away in marginal seats to prevent them winning the next election outright. Of course the irony for UKIP would be that this will let in parties far more Euro friendly!!

Labour: They were never going to win in fact they got a higher %age of the vote in the By-election so you could argue their performance improved. That said I'm sure Mr Ed would have expected to pick up quite a few disaffected Lib Dem Voters which on the face of it he didn't do. He probably isn't the man to lead Labour into the next election but I don't know if they actually have a credible alternative this close to the date.

[Pete]

Good post Jon - but it doesn't help me decide who to vote for at the next election - looks like Monster Raving Looney party for me. Nah, can't do that, a Tory vote is wasted vote in this town.

[Fly]

Me being me, I hope I get struck down dead if I ever vote Tory !