Friday 16th February 2024

[refitman]

Morning all.

[refitman]

[AnatolyKasparov]

I mean, it is genuinely an utterly meaningless statistic - seriously. Labour's biggest byelection swing from the Tories since WW2 remains (narrowly) Dudley West in 1994 - you would never guess given said stat that their numerical vote was actually *down* on the previous GE in 1992? But it was.

[frog222]

[frog222]

I suppose the opposite of technical recession must be technical growth ?

Just have lots of car accidents and then repairs and Sinook wins his bet !

Also applies to other parties

[AnatolyKasparov]

No doubt any defeat at the coming GE will be "technical" as well.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

I must say it's quite something to see Conservatives and the Corbynite left on Twitter clutching at exactly the same straws.

Let's not forget under Corbyn the Labour party failed to overturn a single Tory majority at any by election, in fact they managed to lose one while trashing their vote in a number of others.

https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/ele ... -election/
https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/ele ... ions-2017/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Copeland_by-election

Conservative candidate Trudy Harrison gained the seat from Labour, the first gain for a governing party in a by-election since 1982.

This was the first time since 1935 that Labour had failed to win the constituency or its predecessor, Whitehaven. It was the largest increase in the share of the vote of a governing party in a by-election since the Kingston upon Hull North by-election in January 1966.

Just thought a bit of context might be in order given some of the desperate rubbish I've been seeing.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Thank you for reminding me, Sky.

Remarkably enough, the Tory numerical vote was down a bit on the previous GE there as well. Meant precisely zilch, just as it does with Labour now.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Indeed, because Labour lost 5000 votes. In others they barely clung on by their fingertips.

Have a look at these two from 2018/19.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Lewi ... y-election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Newp ... y-election

The Labour vote absolutely tanked.

I understand people are unhappy with Starmer, I'm no fan myself, but for the left to try to denigrate these huge, historic by election victories while conveniently ignoring the dreadful performance in them under the previous leadership is disingenuous at best.

[refitman]

Hey, some slightly good news

[refitman]

Tbh, I wasn't really looking at the comment regarding the vote gain/loss, when I posted the tweet. More just the result itself.

Weird how you can read into things, isn't it?

[refitman]

Bigots really are just the most pathetic people

[AnatolyKasparov]

Tbh, I wasn't really looking at the comment regarding the vote gain/loss, when I posted the tweet. More just the result itself.

Weird how you can read into things, isn't it?

Point is, there were loads of people shouting about it this morning - as if it actually meant something.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Tbh, I wasn't really looking at the comment regarding the vote gain/loss, when I posted the tweet. More just the result itself.

Weird how you can read into things, isn't it?

I didn't mean you mate, it's been all over Twitter and in the Guardian comments all day.