An interesting by-election at last! The Independent MP for Blaenau Gwent, Peter Law, died today after a long battle against cancer. He won the seat at the last
election having resigned from the Labour Party over all-women shortlists and turned a Labour majority of 19,000 into a majority for him of more than 9,000. An amazing feat. Frankly this is a seat that is never going to vote Tory or LibDem in a zillion years, so I wonder if it will occur to the two parties to stand aside and support a GET BLAIR OUT Candidate. The name Reg Keys springs to mind. It was he who stood against the Dear Leader in Sedgefield after the death of his son in Iraq. I'm sure there might be others of an independent nature who could do the trick. Just a thought!
An interesting by-election at last! The Independent MP for Blaenau Gwent, Peter Law, died today after a long battle against cancer. He won the seat at the last 
election having resigned from the Labour Party over all-women shortlists and turned a Labour majority of 19,000 into a majority for him of more than 9,000. An amazing feat. Frankly this is a seat that is never going to vote Tory or LibDem in a zillion years, so I wonder if it will occur to the two parties to stand aside and support a GET BLAIR OUT Candidate. The name Reg Keys springs to mind. It was he who stood against the Dear Leader in Sedgefield after the death of his son in Iraq. I'm sure there might be others of an independent nature who could do the trick. Just a thought!
At last an interesting by-election?
ReplyDeleteCome on now, Livingstone, Dunfermline, Moray. I know they're all Scottish but they've all been great. What needs to happen before it becomes interesting?
Have there been any boring by-elections since the 2005 GE?
Iain,
ReplyDeleteHave you ever been to Wales? It's Law, not Laws and what about the Nationalists?
As there is going to be a Welsh Assembly election too, your idea is going nowhere.
Also, what about the Cathcart Scottish Parliament by-election? Caused after a Labour MSP got drunk in a hotel and when he was told, "sorry the bar's closed, it's 4 in the morning" responded by introducing mr match to mr curtain. Now serving time in some Glasgow prison.
ReplyDeleteSurely you must agree that that's interesting?
Iain, while I normally find your opposition to Blair/Labour amusing and relevant I think you're excitement here is a litte badly timed. Poor taste mate, the guy has just died...
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, Thank you for pointing out the incorrect spelling. I am correcting it. Have I ever been to Wales? Sure, and as you may know, I shall be there for a very important event on the 13th. Leon, no offence intended at all, and I don't think the piece sounds over-excited. But if I've fallen into the LibDem trap of salivating at the thought of a by-election I apologise wholeheartedly!
ReplyDeleteIt was reported in the Welsh press that his agent could have stood for the Assembly seat next year. Not sure what are his plans now that Law has died.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a mistake for Tories or Lib Dems to stand down for an alternative candidate. The only person who could beat Labour would be one of Law's allies from the hard left and for others to stand down would be pure opportunism without seriously affecting the result (Law was a fine man, but he was a firm socialist which is fair enough but not something Conservatives or Lib Dems sign up to).
ReplyDeleteAll recent stand downs have involved standing down for somebody who you can broadly support ideologically. Martin Bell was centre left and acceptable to Labour and the Lib Dems (even then I am not sure they should have stood down). Dr Taylor in Kidderminster got the Lib Dems to stand down and his voting record confirms very close correlation with the Lib Dems since then. The Lib Dems also stood down for rump SDP MPs in Greenwich and Woolwich in 1992 for obvious reasons.
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=16992068&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=spotlight-on-former-labour-stronghold-after-law-death-name_page.html
ReplyDeletePeter Law's allies are thinking about fielding a candidate.
Reg Keys? Shurely shome mishtake. An odious little man. Whatever one may make of politicians of all parties nowadays, to inflict that man as a constituency representative would devalue Parliament even further.
ReplyDeleteThe premise is a good one though, but it should be,to echo a popular comedy programme, a local person for local issues.
The grapevine has it that Law's agent, Dai Davies will run for the Westminster seat - more interestingly however Ron Davies is being touted to run in tandem with him for the Assembly seat!
ReplyDelete