Witney by election ( Cameron's old seat).

[Tashyboy]

Just looking at the results and it was no great suprise to see the Tories retain the seat. but they lost 20,000 voters. Fully aware that by elections can be anti establishment votes, but Labour got thumped. Voters left in droves to an extent that the lib Dems came second. What have they done to warrant that?
Can Labour not see what or who is doing them more harm than good( Corbyn). Do know that me/us as a voters do not have much of a choice when it comes to politics.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Don't think anybody can read too much into a result when only 46% bothered to vote
It's a very very safe Tory seat, many didn't vote because what's the point , torys are going to win anyway (although a few will wish they had voted this morning)

Labour getting thumped there is again no surprise at all.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Good to see the Lim Dems getting some votes to counter the increasing ideological lurches to the left and right by the 2 main parties. Who knows, we might actually get some consensus politics based on compromise.

 

[chrisd]

Politics are in an awful state at the moment. I an a traditional Tory voter so happy enough, but they have absolutely no opposition which is a really bad thing for the country. When they were in the same position before they got arrogant and lazy and thought they could do whatever they wanted so a strong opposition pushing them hard is what we need. The Labour Party are dead and buried under Corbyn, Lib Dems appear to have lost any credibility, UKIP aren't needed now ......... that doesn't leave much in opposition!

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Just looked up the figures

In the 2015 General election the turnout was 73%, turnout for the by election 46%

Labour had their vote halved and the lib dems did better than expected, but I cannot see how anyone can read anything into this result apart from a bit of voter apathy

 

[Hacker Khan]

Politics are in an awful state at the moment. I an a traditional Tory voter so happy enough, but they have absolutely no opposition which is a really bad thing for the country. When they were in the same position before they got arrogant and lazy and thought they could do whatever they wanted so a strong opposition pushing them hard is what we need. The Labour Party are dead and buried under Corbyn, Lib Dems appear to have lost any credibility, UKIP aren't needed now ......... that doesn't leave much in opposition!

I'd argue that is the same for both main parties for a long time. They've usually get into power on a slightly left or right of centre manifesto. But as time progresses they move even further left or right and there is more and more infighting within the party. They then eventually get booted out and the other party gets in on a centralist ish manifesto.

Trouble I see now is that both parties are starting from a very left or right wing position, and then they will potentially moving even further left or right when they get into power. So you end up with the US model of diametrically opposite political views on just about everything, the respective stances are hardened on both sides leading to a more polarised and divided society.

 

[User62651]

Hopefully the LibDems can come back as I think having more parties increases likelihood of hung parliaments and cross party co-operation in government which reins in extreme views better. Rainbow coalitions for me. 2 party politics is old hat, first past post is wrong, whole system needs reviewed and PR brought in to give every voter and every vote some worth and clout. Westiminster isn't fit for purpose, get rid of or change drastically House of Lords and qualifying criteria etc.
Can't see significant changes happening any time soon though.

 

[delc]

Hopefully the LibDems can come back as I think having more parties increases likelihood of hung parliaments and cross party co-operation in government which reins in extreme views better. Rainbow coalitions for me. 2 party politics is old hat, first past post is wrong, whole system needs reviewed and PR brought in to give every voter and every vote some worth and clout. Westiminster isn't fit for purpose, get rid of or change drastically House of Lords and qualifying criteria etc.
Can't see significant changes happening any time soon though.

The Lib-Dems suffered in the last election from being the minor partner in a coalition government. I am sure that they didn't like some of the policies persued, but were overridden by the Tory majority. They have generally been the party of protest, but this role was taken over by UKIP last time. Witney was pro remain in the referendum and the Lib-Dems are also in favour of the Single Market or staying in the EU, so that must have helped their cause in this instance. Labour was badly beaten into 3rd place.

 

[Farmergeddon]

Hopefully the LibDems can come back as I think having more parties increases likelihood of hung parliaments and cross party co-operation in government which reins in extreme views better. Rainbow coalitions for me. 2 party politics is old hat, first past post is wrong, whole system needs reviewed and PR brought in to give every voter and every vote some worth and clout. Westiminster isn't fit for purpose, get rid of or change drastically House of Lords and qualifying criteria etc.
Can't see significant changes happening any time soon though.

Every change that weakens Tory grip on government increases the chance that Corbyn could get hold of the country, do you really want that????

 

[Tashyboy]

Every change that weakens Tory grip on government increases the chance that Corbyn could get hold of the country, do you really want that????

Being a wise old owl up until Corbyn came onto the scene I would of agreed with everything maxfli said. However my voting of late seems to be not who I want in but who I don't want in.

 

[GG26]

Politics are in an awful state at the moment. I an a traditional Tory voter so happy enough, but they have absolutely no opposition which is a really bad thing for the country. When they were in the same position before they got arrogant and lazy and thought they could do whatever they wanted so a strong opposition pushing them hard is what we need. The Labour Party are dead and buried under Corbyn, Lib Dems appear to have lost any credibility, UKIP aren't needed now ......... that doesn't leave much in opposition!

That's a very good summary of how I feel things are at the moment.

 

[delc]

Being a wise old owl up until Corbyn came onto the scene I would of agreed with everything maxfli said. However my voting of late seems to be not who I want in but who I don't want in.

Sounds like we are getting more like the US!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Turn out for a by-election in a safe seat is never going to be high. I didn't think the general election figure was too bad (not sure what the average was across the country). The labour shift is no great surprise either. It's whether that is felt in more traditional labour heartlands at the next election that will indicate whether the public see them as a credible force or whether Corbyn and the in fighting has done long term damage

 

[delc]

Turn out for a by-election in a safe seat is never going to be high. I didn't think the general election figure was too bad (not sure what the average was across the country). The labour shift is no great surprise either. It's whether that is felt in more traditional labour heartlands at the next election that will indicate whether the public see them as a credible force or whether Corbyn and the in fighting has done long term damage

The fact that many people (probable overconfident Remainers) failed to bother to vote on a horrible wet day in the June Referendum is the reason we are in such a mess now. The right to vote was fought for on a number of fronts and should be exercised. I have never failed to vote in any election in my whole life.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The fact that many people (probable overconfident Remainers) failed to bother to vote on a horrible wet day in the June Referendum is the reason we are in such a mess now. The right to vote was fought for on a number of fronts and should be exercised. I have never failed to vote in any election in my whole life.

Not sure what the Brexit vote has to do with a parliamentary election. I agree people should vote every time and I'd like to see it mandatory but thats a whole different thread I think.

 

[SocketRocket]

The fact that many people (probable overconfident Remainers) failed to bother to vote on a horrible wet day in the June Referendum is the reason we are in such a mess now. The right to vote was fought for on a number of fronts and should be exercised. I have never failed to vote in any election in my whole life.

So the country only voted to leave the EU because it was a wet day! Priceless

 

[delc]

So the country only voted to leave the EU because it was a wet day! Priceless

It's normal to get a lower turnout on a wet day. Also the polls were predicting an easy win for the Remain campaign, so maybe some people on that side thought that their vote wasn't really necessary. Opinion polls always seem to be wrong these days, e.g. the Tories weren't expected to get an overall majority at the last General Election, but they did.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

The Bately candidates list makes uncomfortable reading [well for me]
Especially as it should have been a shoe in to compensate for a dreadful killing.

 

[ColchesterFC]

It was a shoe in as soon as the Conservatives, Lib Dems, UKIP and Greens announced, quite correctly, that they wouldn't be putting forward a candidate. Good to see that none of the other candidates were able to muster enough votes to even keep their deposits. We're there any far left candidates alongside the usual far right ones?

 

[SocketRocket]

The turnout was a reflection of the General Public's mood towards Elections at the moment. They have had enough electioneering and referendamandering and would not be looking for another General Election or Referendum for some time.