Friday 1 October 2010

Labour hold Longdendale in cleanest by-election for years


Janet Cooper, the victorious Labour candidate in the Longdendale by-election shook hands with her Conservative and BNP rivals and gave both a peck on the cheek at last night's count in Hyde Town Hall. In many ways this summed up the low key and clean campaign over the last four weeks.

The Green candidate did not appear, though there was a Green contingent there. Of UKIP, nothing was seen.

Both Janet's and Bob Adlard's address at the end of the count were well received but as usual the Labour contingent, led by Hyde Godley Councillor James Fitzpatrick, walked out when the BNP candidate, Anthony David Jones gave his short address.

In his address he thanked all those who had assisted him and made allowences for his disability, irrespective of party.

The result was a disappointment for the three minor parties, undoubtedly due to the fact that national politics have changed since May 2010 with a new Prime Minister, a new Labour leader and a Tory Government intent on sweeping cuts. It is easy for the Labour party to pose as the champions of the underdogs and not the oppressive government.

For the record, the result:-

Labour 1275
Conservative 1083
Greens 99
BNP 80
UKIP 67

31 comments:

another failure said...

Another Quinn formula delivers the result for Tameside Labour,its based on hard graft and special formula,another missed opportunity for the Conservatives people will not vote for a split party.
What can we say about the BNP and others it was a disastrous night and a shameful night.
Mr Jones you may have to consider your position and allow the village idiot to take over,this will allow your party a quick painless exit,or you can carry on with the slow painful one you are having now.
The village idiot is a much more humane way let him take the rudder you sit back and enjoy life.

Anonymous said...

This will be seen by some as a massive victory for the Tories. In 2008 at the last normal(?) local elections they got 1057 so up 41. Labour got 1275 so down 41. Not a massive difference.

Anonymous said...

I don't know if I'd agree it was a low key campaign TC.

Longdendale has never seen so many Labour activists; and Labour have never been so on the wrong-side of the main story - the proposed Tesco on Hattersley.

Car parks full of activists, public meetings with over 100 in attendance, activists being roughed-up, 2 rainforests being consumed in literature....hardly low key!

The 'story' here is the terrible turnout, across all voters. The postal votes ended-up at over 40% of the total. Only 1400 votes were actually cast in the polling stations on the day, despite fine weather.

Labour held on due to their hard work at building upon an already strong pledge base, and getting them to use their postal vote (turnout was 6? (64?)%).

The boxes were neck and neck, reflecting the Conservative's growing pledge base and their work in highlighting the scandal of the 'secret' plan to build a Tesco of such scale.

If all of above still led to such a pathetic turnout, you have to wonder what would be required to get people out voting!

Never give up untill the fight is won. said...

another failure (John Taylor) see you in 2011. I'll keep you on your toes.

Where's my benefits? said...

Maybe if you took their plasmas off them and threatened them with no X-factor for a month.

An independent view said...

Take a look at the past ten years voting in Longdendale and you will see there was not much difference this year again.
National party's usually gain votes just after a election victory,this is not happening to the Tories,the Tesco issue did get them a few protest votes,scrapping the money for Longdendale School damaged them and being a one trick pony damaged them.
Labours campaigning skills can not be ignored,having dozens of party workers out day and night does have an effect, none of the other partys could match that,with the Greens,UKIP and the BNP that's excusable they don't have the troops and they have no campaigning skills, not so for the Tories they have the ability to match Labour but never do.
Rumours of splits could be true they have had three Golden opportunities to dent the Labour majority, Newton and Denton should have been easy wins for the then opposition party,Labour were being slaughtered all over the country.
Then we had the 2010 general elections and council elections on the same day, in Tameside labour held the three parliamentary seats and gained two council seats increasing majorities all over Tameside, except in one area Longdendale.
This by-election should have been a walk over for the Tories huge resources from all over the region should have been brought in,the regional party knew all about the Stalybridge and Hyde results at the last election when the Labour majority was slashed.
What did region do ? nothing once again a golden opportunity missed ,the Tories even changed their usual candidate who had been chipping away at Labour for a few years.
It looks like the split rumour is a fact and that's a pity they are playing into Labours hands, by the end of this year my best guess is the coalition Government will be very unpopular and the Tories in this area will get the blame because we have no Liberal Democrats to blame.
Labour will strengthen their grip on the council and hold onto the three constituencies, the only hope the Tories have in reducing that is a boundary change,and one that favours the Tories and that is being planned according to my inside information its called gerrymandering.
Finally you have to acknowledge the Labour campaign and their hard working members, they want to win and that makes the difference.

SuBo said...

Another duffer to swell the Labour ranks of ever-increasing duffers.

At the very least Roy Oldham had an astute brain. This lot seem to have an ever-decreasing talent pool happy to be led by a one-dimensional socialist and a 'love and hate' thug.

Take the council officers away and the nutters would run riot.

RTB said...

The old parliamentary boundaries massively favoured Labour. The balance is simply being redressed. If you want to talk about gerrymandering, on a national scale what about Labour's ten year deliberate, planned mass importation of non-white Commonwealth immigrants (into core Labour areas) who, for some inexplicable reason, are given full voting rights the minute they set foot in the country. It is a stastically proven fact that these groups (sub saharan Africans and immigrants from the Indian subcontinent) vote Labour 85% of the time. Large areas of Greater Manchester have been transformed in a few years.
Back in Longdendale, a massive Labour effort resulted in one in every 6.25 of the electorate voting for them despite their supporters knowing how close it would be. Without the postal vote pledges built up it probably would have been one in ten.
All round, a disastrous day for democracy.

Anonymous said...

David Jones would never allow the village idiot as you call him take over.
He will be dealt with shortly but it is fun having him in Dukinfield challenging the Labour Mafia.

oops not the m-word. said...

Vote Fraud: Muslim Tory Party Chairman Refuses to Say the M-Word.

Race Riots à la Techno Parade 2010 said...

Mr Tom Hatton you are right, there really is no problem with Multiracialism in Europe.

Becoming all too common now in Europe.

Garfield said...

Don't gloat too much labour, your ally here is apathy 'nothing will change so why bother' apathy, nobody won anything here, sure the party people were out but not ONE of the candidates was anywhere to be seen where I live, just walkers asking for my vote - based on what - a leaflet through a door?? - no way, you want my vote? come and tell me what you are going to deliver for it.

Like many others I have spoken to here I don't want another major Tesco /Asda / Morrisons / Sainsbury or any other damn supermarket anywhere near here.

I don't care about a bypass but I do care about the traffic which has to be sorted somehow, no more talk - 20 years of labour = 20 years of no progress, yet Ashton spends millions on the Tram that is of no benefit to me or others in this area whatsoever.

We do not need more committees, debates or 10 year consultancies we need action on the traffic issue - of course a big Tesco in the middle of it is bound to help ease the situation isn't it - but this is yet another example of where commercial interests are placed above social ones.

I am not interested in party politics I am interested in what the local candidate will do for the area - unfortunately the track record for labour will be the same as always - NOTHING CHANGED - party first, do nothing that is unpopular.

We need somebody with the guts to stand up for the area, not their particular 'party', we need somebody who will say what needs saying whether it is popular or not, regardless of any BS dictates from Westminster whips.

It seems that the only people who get a say in what happens to our area are people who don't live here !!

The ones who do live here are so fed up with the situation that they simply can't be bothered any more, nothing will change so why bother.

Theres trouble int mill said...

We have been told the village idiot is in deep shit with the BNP local members are not happy with his public spat with the respectable David Jones.
Griffin is in full expulsion mode at the moment hes afraid of his lieutenants who have plotting against him,Mr Jones is one of them but its well known that the BNP leadership are aware of the embarrassment factor of West the village idiot,Mr Jones is the lesser of two evils for them.

Glen or Glenda? You're both said...

Maybe they'll both go. But why do you give a s**t if you don't vote for them.

Individual action said...

A few more years on the country's current course and the spineless, apathetic, ignorant morass that now constitutes a large part of the British people will have destroyed their own nation and identity.

Alf Garnett said...

The shit will soon hit these middle class idiots, so see who they will vote for in the next few years.

Scorched earth said...

Bloodbath before destruction.

RTB said...

Aluman, if it's not too late.

the lovely debbie mcgee said...

I agree with SuBo. It's only the council staff that have a modicum of talent at the council. The Labour councillors haven't a clue about half that's going on, and clueless about the other half. So long as their petty demands are met, then the staff have free rein to get on with running things. They are despised by the staff who know a bunch of dumb arses when they see one.

Namor said...

How many of these Labour councillors have any success in the real world?

Anonymous said...

Never mind the Councillors. How many of the OFFICERS have had any success in the real world?

PMT said...

lots of sour grapes on show this week looks like a bit of envy is also in the air,now come on girls put the finger nails away you have been shafted once again by a better outfit.

Simon Cowell said...

Namor said...
How many of these Labour councillors have any success in the real world?

Answer: NONE!

Reimer said...

"what about Labour's ten year deliberate, planned mass importation of non-white Commonwealth immigrants (into core Labour areas) Large areas of Greater Manchester have been transformed in a few years. "

Passed through Gorton & Longsight today...shudder.

Keith Flint said...

Pointing out the reality of the corrupt, gutless bought and paid for media and the pig ignorant, apathetic, yellow British populace is simply telling it how it is. It could only be sour grapes if it wasn't true.

Kleenex said...

Is it true some Tories were crying at the count last Thursday ?

Silver prick said...

John Bell wasn't he couldn't care less.

Anonymous said...

I was there it was Peter crying Peter Hayes I went over and told him not to worry we will win it next year, I know hes passionate about the ward.

crocodile tears said...

Peter was crying because he wanted to be the candidate he was cry tears of joy, he thought he would have won it,a bit of I told you so.

Working Togeather In The National Interest said...

Tories crying? That is garbage!
If anyone actually believes anyone was crying at the result then they need to see a head doctor

Anonymous said...

Peter was in tears there's nothing wrong in being passionate about something you believe in.
Next time it will be Labour members in tears