Dr Caroline Johnson Holds Seat for Tories as Labour Heads Towards 'Electoral Disaster'

Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 9 DECEMBER 2016 | Laura Hughes, Ashley Kirk

[nickcarraway]

Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election: Dr Caroline Johnson holds seat for Tories as Labour heads towards 'electoral disaster'

A senior Labour MP has warned his party is heading for "electoral disaster" after the Conservatives stormed to victory in the Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election.

Ukip emerged as the runner-up to the Tory candidate Caroline Johnson, who will be the new MP after winning a landslide 17,570 votes. Ukip's Victoria Ayling secured just 4,426.

Labour fell from second place at the 2015 general election to fourth with only 3,300 votes, behind the Liberal Democrats who pulled in 3,600.

[goldstategop]

Here the Democrats having been routed, want more of it in 2018.

They don’t know when to stop digging. And they’re reduced to whining about Trump.

BEST ELECTION EVAH!

[Pontiac]

Full results:

• Caroline Johnson, Conservatives - 17,570
• Victoria Ayling, UKIP - 4,426
• Ross Pepper, Liberal Democrats - 3,606
• Jim Clarke, Labour - 3,363
• Marianne Overton, Lincolnshire Independent - 2,892
• Sarah Stock, Independent - 462
• The Iconic Arty-Pole, Monster Raving Loony Party - 200
• Paul Coyne, Independent - 186
• Mark Suffield, Independent - 74
• David Bishop, Bus Pass Elvis Party - 55

Now these partys bring something to the table. Pity they don’t get more voter support.

[originalbuckeye]

But, but, but we were in London a week ago when a Lib Dem beat out incumbent Zak Goldsmith (a Tory) in a by-election and the papers were screaming about how the Lib Dems are surging! It isn’t so?? /s

[mewzilla]

FWIW, I don’t think there’s a ha’penny worth of difference between the Tories and Labour anymore. The US isn’t the only country with a uniparty problem.

[Deplorable American1776]

Oh no, the Labour Party will get defeated. Quick Labour, get an Anti-UK black Muslim to head the party, before the election, so you can win...

I mean if the DNC can have Ellison asking to be the head, why not the kooks from the Labour?

[Winniesboy]

FWIW, I don’t think there’s a ha’penny worth of difference between the Tories and Labour anymore.

There was certainly a lot of truth in that between 1995 and 2015, but no longer. After Blair took over the party and turned it into 'New Labour', many traditional socialist policies were dropped and it moved towards the centre. Following his win in 1997, the Tories gradually ditched Thatcherite policies and drifted to the centre also, so that thereafter bother parties were competing for the same centre ground.

That continued even after Labour lost in 2010, as coalition with the LibDems vetoed many right-leaning policies which the Tories wanted.

Everything changed after the 2015 general election. Firstly Labour swung violently back to the left under Corbyn - much to the delight of its grass-roots members but to the dismay of many of its MPs. And the Tories, now with an absolute majority and no longer tied to the LibDems in coalition, swung sharply back to the right: a process wich has continued with the new May government, with many centrist cabinet ministers replaced by right-wingers.

So for the first time for some years we now have genuinely opposing forces in parliamentary politics (even when you disregard the divisions following Brexit, which cut across party lines.)