Few people south of Watford (including your humble servant) have paid much attention to the other by election that is taking place on Thursday - the one in Sedgefield. The Tory candidate is Graham Robb, who's quite a well known radio personality in the North East. He is, well, up against it, it has to be said and I don't think anyone is expecting an upset in Sedgefield. I wonder if it might have been different if Ealing Southall hadn't been taking place on the same day.
Anyone got any feedback from Sedgefield?
47 comments:
70 years of solid blind Labour support...who cares?
Strange thing is it's not particularly grim up there.
this from chatty ukip activist
http://www.ukipsedgefield.org/pages/posts/the-continuing-election-diary-of-toby-horton-aged-60-and-a-half6.php
ukip did well next door at hartlepool getting about 10% when mandelson quit.
sounds like a total non-event.
So Labourwatch man Greg Stone isn't exactly 'winning here' then? With all that ammo at his disposal too tut tut
David Anthony got it in one. What ever wins we will all suffer
Can anyone remember the name of Sedgefield's former MP or what became of him?
"Thousands of Sedgefield residents are set to benefit from radical Lib Dem tax plans." says Lib Dem Candidate Greg Stone. The proposals revealed by Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Menzies Campbell today will take the basic rate of income tax to its lowest level since 1916."
you gotta laugh.'Set to benefit'??? Does this mean the Lib Dumbs are on target to form the next government?Typical Lib Dum by election tripe.Indeed, it wouldn't surprise me if the tax plans were announced just for the by elections before vanishing sometime around Xmas...
Annonymous 7.14 ...
How could they benefit from any reduction in tax rates? Most of them are on benefits, so don't pay any tax.
They will vote for anyone that 'Gordon, queen of snots' puts up, to make sure their disability allowance will never be cut back.
p.s. Whowever came up with 'Gordon, queen of snots' deserves a medal; it's the best description of him yet.
If the Tories gain Sedgefield, Labour will be reduced to its lowest number of MPs for a century.
Ealing Southall, on the other hand, is probably just about in reach. I think that's the difference.
When I was in hospital last year, the cleaner opined that Gordon Brown was a 'girl's blouse'. How right she was. I like the gb echo/alliteration especially. 'queen of snots' is a bit too messy for my tastes, however appropriate.
BNP are trying to stir up support by claiming violence agsinst their Sedgfield candidate 'fuel strike' Andrew Spence's home.
http://www.bnp.org.uk/news_detail.php?newsId=1615
Patronising bullshit such as "70 years of solid blind Labour support...who cares?" is exactly the sort of thing that gets Conservatism a bad name up here.
Cameron had the right line, speaking in the roughest town centre in the constituency, being heckled and jostled by a Labour rent-a-mob. He said he didn't believe in safe seats, he believed in offering a democratic choice.
We've run a decent and positive Tory campaign with good support locally and from outsiders; full marks to the Shadow Cabinet for a persistent turn-out, especially William Hague.
And Graham Robb has stirred up enough interest to carry things forward beyond by-election day.
So I suggest you take your ill-informed stereotypes about electors on benefits and hide them from the sunshine.
Kamikaze?
I live in the same BBC TV and radio areas as the Sedgefield constituency. The BBC are incredibly biased towards Labour. There has been lots of footage of the labour candidate and Blair with gridging verbal acknowledgement of other candidates. The BBC line is that it must be Labour.
You're right Harry - shame on the BBC.
Sedgefield is rock-solid Labour, just like the rest of the NE.
The reality is that the Tory candidate stands no chance whatsoever and the BBC are reflecting that reality.
It would be dishonest to pretend anything else.
Teesbridge...
1) I'm from 'up here'
2) I was speaking about my general interest in the Sedgefield by-election.
3) I don't doubt that you've created a platform on which to build on for the future.
4) It may be interesting for Sedgefield constituents, but when the result comes in as another Labour landslide ...
5) I still won't care.
6) So I suggest you take your ill-informed stereotypes about North-east detractors and hide them from the sunshine.
and
7) Lighten up!
A constituency full of dole sponging ex-miners (who hated the pit any******way) and their unemployable spawn.
You'd like to think their voting Tory would be like turkeys voting for Christmas... but then again.
The social progress of the consitutency says alot about how hard the w***** who's been their MP for more than 2 decades worked by the way!
well if they spent twenty-five? years voting for a dangerous narcissist do we really want them?They need compulsory sterilisation imo.
One of the biggest letdowns of the current time is UK POLLING which is reporting very little of substance on any constituency, let alone Sedgefield.
Only two months ago Bloggers Geeks and political Anoraks were flooding UK Polling with interesting views and Opinions, making it a good read.
Actually the site now is so boring compared to Iain Dale. Keep it up.
Nice to see the raving right out in force,if only Cameron voiced the opinion of the grassroots more vocally ...
The way Bliar and Gordon Queen of Snots speak for the dole scrounding heart of the Labour Party do you mean 'anonymous 8:39' ye wee socialist fraudster.
Live up here and you'll know what a disaster Labour is for the region. We've got little more than a goat track from Newcastle to Scotland and a construction boom where 90% of the floor space is HMG funded white elephants...sic Sage and Baltic.
Votedave said: 'If the Tories gain Sedgefield, Labour will be reduced to its lowest number of MPs for a century.'
Er, what on earth are you going on about ...?!
I think the Sage is a good thing for the NE.
Like most, I agree that the Baltic is not the good thing it could be.
Sage looks nice from the outside I'll grant you 'Ethelred the Unhinged...'
But..given local and nation ScumLab use it as their own private venue albeit we paid for the ****** (try getting a booking if you wash your socks and pay tax!).
And...the internal finishes are pish (I've left a wistful missive of what I'd like to do with Hilary Armstrong and a half smoked Craster kipper scrawled in the cheap pitch pine balistrade in the lobby)...
I can't find it in myself to love it.
It's the epitome of ScumLab Tax (cut?) and Spend (Invest?) pork barrel politics.
Agreed that UK POLLING is a Bore.
Posters are prattling on about things which are nothing to do with the Constituencies.
Just checked Sedgefield and there is no report for 2 days.
Votedave said: 'If the Tories gain Sedgefield, Labour will be reduced to its lowest number of MPs for a century.'
Er, what on earth are you going on about ...?! "
I'm assuming 'Vote Dave' means that if Labour lose Sedgefield at a general election the swing may see Labour with the lowest blah blah etc etc
The bookies have the Tory odds about 23 times those of the Lib Dems against. So the LDs are jeering and saying their odds are the same as Rennie's in Dunf/Fife ... meanwhile the Labour odds are something like 750 times better.
There is no story up there. The Labour leaflets are looking far and away the most effective of those of any party I've seen for either by-election.
Though I've not seen that much of the ES material.
Juan Kerr said...
First time I seen it ,was on Guido's Friday picture competition by the Rt Hon the Hitch
Will the by-elections be covered by any TV channels? According to the BBC TV listings page, it's just another normal Thursday night. Perhaps Iain can be persuaded to pull an all-nighter on 18 Doughty Street, Dimbleby-style!
Just out of interest how will the postal voting be in both by-elections or will they be a vote early vote often elections.
It's all gone quiet about Ealing. What's happening?
Weren't there meant to be more defections by Labour cllrs to the Tories? And weren't there meant to be more defections of Tory MPs to Labour?
I can add no further insight into what's happening on the ground in Sedgefield, but I do know Graham Robb reasonably well, and even as a non-Tory voter I agree that he would make an excellent MP.
I think the Conservatives will end up in a poor third and the Lib Dems will be the main gainers. Interesting that on Betfair the available odds to back are at 540 (next best is 450) - which suggests the Conservative candidate is more likely to be struck by lightning to get elected.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeDDb5VYwbY
Iain, i think i've found Mr Bin Laden!!!!!!!
Where do i collect my money?
The BBC should send Crick there, anyone else think he is getting to look more and more like Michael Moore.
There's more from our UKIP man in Sedgefield. That's from Toby and the rest of the team up there. Interestingly, in that entry, he points out that "Old Labour is alive and well here and they hold New Labour and Blair in contempt..."
Disclaimer: I manage both the UKIP Sedgefield and the UKIP Ealing sites, but I don't write the entries.
DK
The main part of the campaign revolves around one particular town(neglected for years)and the new development that has come to a halt.
Its become the main thing that Blair's replacement is fighting on. Even a petition to Save The Town but as the local and National politicians have been the same during all these years, just who is the petition to be given to?
Also, the past two Tuesdays he excelled himself by bringing in the clincher to win the by election...Liz Dawn(Vera Duckworth of Coronation Street)and John Middleton(The vicar in Emmerdale)
That's all it needs to swing things his way.
Or will we see a surprise?
In the last local election this same town was the one town in the constituency to vote differently to the rest of the area. Now it may go back to it's old ways.
But hey, whoever wins, within two years we'll all being doing this again.
I've met Graham Robb and been around Sedgefield lately. Ignore the buffoons that don't know the North East, Good luck.
Who let that tw*t Chris Paul on here?
We may not agree with Chris Paul BUT he has every right to post here! Chris adds an aspect which is useful to this blog and although he sometimes toes the party line I have noticed a more even handed approach to the issues than people give him credit for. With Chris you get a different point of view and he takes the sometimes very harsh critism in good part and does not whinge and moan about his treatment! I think many of us have a grudging respect for him and I think this blog would be the poorer if he did not post.
The dirtiest trick I have ever seen regarding flyers put out by any party in this election(or perhaps any election I have been able to vote in decades)has just come through my door, the day before the election.
I am saying this purley on news grounds nothing else.
Not because I support a particular party.
Its produced in the Lib Dem colours and has what looks like the Lib Dem logo(only its been altered)
It's full of statements from people only named as Glenda from and Local Resident Maxine said etc...
One example being Jim from Newcastle who says "The Lib Dem candidate said he'd always put me first when he wanted my vote. Now he's saying the same thing in Sedgefield. You can't trust a word he says"
Even if this quote was true. Of course you work for the people of the area you are successfully voted in as an MP. That's commonsense.
It's obviously not from the Lib Dems and I was at a loss to see who had been putting this out.
I couldn't see any reference so thought its just some pressure group etc...and then in writing so small you need really good eyesight to read(or a magnifying glass)I don't think I can measure it...the leaflet has been printed and promoted by the person who issues all the printed material for...
The Labour candidate.
It is a really nasty piece of work. It goes beyond spin in my eyes.
Good to see Paul Linford demonstrating his customary lack of political grip.
Interviewed by Andrew Neil, Tony Benn recently relayed how he turned up early at Waterstone’s to buy Alastair Campbell’s The Blair Years, “in case there'd been a queue, like for Harry Potter”.
Not only was there no such queue, but the shop assistant asked him “How do you spell Blair?”
Truly, there is no one the land more former than a former Prime Minister.
Incidentally, Fox-Hunting Militant From Consett, greetings from Lanchester.
anonymous 9.14pm, thank you. That's exactly what I meant, of course.
Sadly coming across a fair few BNP posters, also I guess that labour will have sewn up the postal votes which will give them an advantage, I can't think that the lib dems or tories had strong organisation in this very safe labour seat at previous contests, the short amount of campaigning time will help Labour avoid a classic by-election squeeze.
We have had a good response in Sedgefield (which is essentially a small market town which makes up only a fraction of the constituency). Many people are pro-wind farm around here, which is great!
The lib dem its 'a two horse race' tactics are pissing off other candidates, especially the Tory.
Well there you go, hopefully a honest response, from a party worker (in my case Green Party).
We have got very wet on occassion as well, off to see how the campaign on the ground is going in a minute.
Votes As Cast In The By Election
Phillip Wilson - Labour 12,525
Greg Stone - Liberal Democrat 5,572
Graham Michael Robb - Conservative 4,082
Andrew Spence - British National Party 2,494
Paul Gittins - Independent 1,885
Toby Horton - UK Independence Party 536
Christopher Michael Haine - Green Party 348
Tim Granger - Christian Party Proclaiming Christ's Lordship 177
Stephen Paul Gash - The English Democrats Putting England First Party 177
Alan Howling Laud Hope - Monster Raving Loony Party 147
Norman Scarth - Anti-Crime Party 34
Labour Majority of 6,956(compared to 18,500 in 2005)
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