Elections - Did anyone actually win

[Loz]

Corbyn does the absolute bare minimum to keep the wolves at bay, but can't be seen in any way to be turning things around after GE2015.

Tories do a little better, but from a fairly low base.

SNP lose overall control of Holyrood. Scottish Labour takes yet another walloping. Scottish Tories do better, but again from a very low base.

Welsh Labour lose a little ground in terms of seats, but a lot more in terms of vote share. Plaid Cymru do roughly the same as last time.

LibDems do a tiny, weeny bit better in England and Scotland.

UKIP benefited from electoral change in Wales. They also increase their vote share, but still not converting these into results.

Did anyone actually do enough to claim a good day at the polls?

[TheArtfulDogger]

Yes, but only in their minds as they are all winners in their own heads

[Earl Aelfheah]

The headlines ('Tories surge as Labour get demolished') seem to be reporting some other, purely imagined election. i think you've summed it up very well Loz.

[ruffers]

Flounced?

[Earl Aelfheah]

..corrected

[????]

I think it's very clear Labour under Corbyn are generally doing a fair bit better than the media (and half the PLP) are predicting in both local and bi-elections, certainly not catasrophic as was being punted last night BUT a share of 31% of vote vs Tories 30% is not gonna win them any general elections.

Tories success in Scotland (and Labour's failure) is more important than you say Loz - there' has been some detoxifying of the Tories in Scotland and that is big change. How Labour get Scotland back now is beyond me....Corbyn had no effect here as the SNP predicted

Middle-class (momentum) activism is more powerful in the South East, not just London, than many realise, but my feel is that will be less significant in a General Election

Interesting nuance - Labour maintained control in Southampton but on the ground they lost a seat to the tories in a working class area but gained one from them in middle-class area near the University...speaks volumes of where Corbyn's appeal is.

For someone who didn't vote yesterday or in the GE I do like following all this stuff :)

[Loz]

???? Wrote:

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> Tories success in Scotland (and Labour's failure) is more important than you say Loz - there' has

> been some detoxifying of the Tories in Scotland and that is big change. How Labour get Scotland

> back now is beyond me....Corbyn had no effect here as the SNP predicted

I thought the interesting thing in Scotland was the amount of anti-SNP tactical voting going on. I think Labour, Tories and the LibDems all picked up seats that would have usually gone to the SNP.

[Otta]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Interesting nuance - Labour maintained control in

> Southampton but on the ground they lost a seat to

> the tories in a working class area but gained one

> from them in middle-class area near the

> University...speaks volumes of where Corbyn's

> appeal is.

Indeed, and this is also why UKIP are taking large numbers of Labour voters all over the place.

[Blah Blah]

I half wonder if it's just what happens when you go from a two party state to one that has two other parties that have been really successful in splitting the electorate.

On Scotland, I don't think Labour from Westminster can ever fix that. It will be down to Scottish Labour to figure a way back.

But Labour have never won enough seats in England alone and in many ways they have to appeal to so many different (now polarised groups) that it's hard to see how that can be done under a left of centre leadership.

Having said that, the Tories have exactly the same problem. It's hard to see them ever winning a decent majority as things stand either. They too have too narrow an appeal.

[ratty]

Sadiq Khan did.

[apbremer]

Who on earth chose the Labour and Tory candidates? Both hopeless~weak and no personalities.

[Blah Blah]

The Labour mayoral candidate is chosen by the membership in a ballot. I think it's the same for the Tory party.

[uncleglen]

The London Assembly (who scrutinise the mayor) has 12 Labour members and 13 of all the others put together including 2 UKIP for the first time