By-elections latest: Boris Johnson blamed for Sunak’s ‘armageddon’ defeat in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire

Sir Keir Starmer has cast himself the heir to Blair after a historic Tory by-election drubbing in which he jubilantly declared Labour was “redrawing the political map”.

The Labour leader said that Tory voters were turning to them because they were “fed up with the decline and despairing of the party they used to vote for”.

 

The Tories are now staring down the barrel of an unprecedented wipeout after suffering defeats in two fiercely contested by-elections, with huge majorities evaporating overnight following a disastrous few years in which the party has seemingly stumbled from one crisis to another.

Starmers remarks came as polling guru John Curtice said Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were largely to blame for the crushing defeat.

Overturning the biggest majority in British by-election history, Labour took Mid Bedfordshire from the Tories for the first time.

While in Tamworth, the party saw the second biggest swing from the Tories to Labour in a by-election in post-war history.

 

Meanwhile, former chancellor George Osborne warned the record defeats spell “armageddon” for the Conservatives at the general election.

 

FULL STORY

 

Labour's recent popularity seems to mirror the rise in anti semitism in the UK. Very worrying times for Jews, and things will only get worse if the unthinkable happens and Labour (with their history of anti-semitism and links to Hamas) are actually elected.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67085625

 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/oct/20/antisemitic-hate-crimes-in-london-rise-1350-since-israel-hamas-war-met-says

 

 

17 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Labour's recent popularity seems to mirror the rise in anti semitism in the UK. Very worrying times for Jews, and things will only get worse if the unthinkable happens and Labour (with their history of anti-semitism and links to Hamas) are actually elected.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67085625

 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/oct/20/antisemitic-hate-crimes-in-london-rise-1350-since-israel-hamas-war-met-says

 

 

First you claim that Labour's alleged anti-Semitism will cost it an election and now you're tying it to their popularity. Give it a rest.

21 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Labour's recent popularity seems to mirror the rise in anti semitism in the UK. Very worrying times for Jews, and things will only get worse if the unthinkable happens and Labour (with their history of anti-semitism and links to Hamas) are actually elected.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67085625

 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/oct/20/antisemitic-hate-crimes-in-london-rise-1350-since-israel-hamas-war-met-says

 

 

Nice try Jonny.

 

But the clue is in the BBC headline, absolutely nothing to do with Labour’s surging popularity.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

  Blair

 

     WMD? Words of Mass Deception!

Nothing to be proud of as IMO Blair was a useless PM that became Bush's poodle. Wasted 2 huge majorities fighting a war that was a sham from the start- WMDs that were never found.

Heir to the Blair? That should be enough warning to anyone.

 

I am an innocent bystander in UK politics, what with being a Yank.

 

Back in the day, it was easy to root against the Thatcherites and the Conservative party. But, with Blair pushing Labour to the right, and Cameron taking up the middle, British politics is less about ideology and more about capability and personality.

 

It happens that the Conservatives have been in power too long, and a hiatus might do them some good. If Labour wins, and they allow more immigrants in, their own voters will revolt.

 

 

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Nothing to be proud of as IMO Blair was a useless PM that became Bush's poodle. Wasted 2 huge majorities fighting a war that was a sham from the start- WMDs that were never found.

Starmer should be careful in claiming to be an heir to Tony Blair.

 

Blair is also a war criminal.

16 hours ago, nauseus said:

Heir to the Blair? That should be enough warning to anyone.

 

I guess he had a tough choice.

 

Claim to be the heir to a lying war criminal in Blair or the heir to a rabid anti-semite who calls Hamas his friends in Corbyn.

 

Rock and a hard place. Blair maybe the best option since he actually got elected and wasn't getting into Diane Abbott in the 70's.

18 hours ago, billd766 said:

Starmer should be careful in claiming to be an heir to Tony Blair.

 

Blair is also a war criminal.

Do you have a link to the court judge on that?

 

 

More certain the Starmer becoming the heir to over a decade of Tory mismanagement of the economy and public funds.

 

The NHS in crisis, the housing crisis, the cost of living crisis and tens of £billions of public money squandered on hand outs to Tory chums with no benefit to the nation.

 

What a sordid mess awaits the *next PM*

 

* Of course there’s time between now and the General Election for two or three more Tory PM’s and sadly time yet for the Tories to create an even bigger mess than they have already.

 

 

 

 

I don't know where this supposed quote has come from but it's not in the linked article, and I have an extremely hard time believing Starmer would say anything of the sort.

52 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

More certain the Starmer becoming the heir to over a decade of Tory mismanagement of the economy and public funds.

 

The NHS in crisis, the housing crisis, the cost of living crisis and tens of £billions of public money squandered on hand outs to Tory chums with no benefit to the nation.

 

What a sordid mess awaits the *next PM*

 

* Of course there’s time between now and the General Election for two or three more Tory PM’s and sadly time yet for the Tories to create an even bigger mess than they have already.

 

 

 

 

 

About the same amount of time it took Blair and Brown to ruin the UK.

 

I'm sure that Starmer & Co. will mismanage to new highs lows.

Edited October 27, 20232 yr by nauseus

22 minutes ago, nauseus said:

 

About the same amount of time it took Blair and Brown to ruin the UK.

 

I'm sure that Starmer & Co. will mismanage to new highs lows.

Except they didn’t.

 

 

3 hours ago, JayClay said:

I don't know where this supposed quote has come from but it's not in the linked article, and I have an extremely hard time believing Starmer would say anything of the sort.

I googled it and couldn't find that quote anywhere. Just misleading headlines from The Times and The Independent.

On 10/26/2023 at 9:10 AM, placeholder said:

First you claim that Labour's alleged anti-Semitism will cost it an election and now you're tying it to their popularity. Give it a rest.

It really depends on the region. In Muslim or left wing luvvie areas their anti semitism will serve them well. The UK as a whole, not so much. 

 

16 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Except they didn’t.

 

 

They also destabilized the middle east with their illegal war.

11 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

They also destabilized the middle east with their illegal war.

The Middle East was already destabilized.

 

Interestingly, I personally know a number of people who marched in the anti war demonstrations at the time, all are left wingers.

 

The following provides insight into how the vote in parliament went, there was one notable left wing MP, then a member of the Labour Party who very vociferously campaigned against the war, but you don’t like him so I’ll not mention him by name.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_parliamentary_approval_for_the_invasion_of_Iraq#:~:text=Parliament voted on the amended,Parliament's approval of an invasion.

 

I wonder what were the views back then of people who are now accusing Blair of an illegal war?

 

Just pondering the question, I have little hope of ever getting a reliable answer.

 

 

Edited October 28, 20232 yr by Chomper Higgot

43 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

wonder what were the views back then of people who are now accusing Blair of an illegal war?

 

Just pondering the question, I have little hope of ever getting a reliable answer.

 

I can only speak for myself. As a somewhat lefty Uni student (left wing views back then would probably be described as right wing now) who voted Labour in 97 I was disgusted by Blair. I remember talking to friends in the pub in disbelief that he would team up with the US to invade. 

 

That was before I knew WMD was a lie. I mean I suspected it was but I didnt know for sure. 

 

I voted Labour to help poor working class Brits. Not to invade Iraq with Bush. I firmly believe Blair is evil. A black soul. And I was one that was fooled by him, albeit as a naive young adult.

11 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

I can only speak for myself. As a somewhat lefty Uni student (left wing views back then would probably be described as right wing now) who voted Labour in 97 I was disgusted by Blair. I remember talking to friends in the pub in disbelief that he would team up with the US to invade. 

 

I think Labor suppoters almost universally condemned the war at the time. But what could they do? The Tory party were, at the time, supporting the war. So even if the war was your biggest vote-deciding issue, you had no way to express it.

 

Blair's biggest let down was backing down on PR. We wouldn't be in the mess we are now if he'd managed to get a sensible electorial system in place.

19 hours ago, nauseus said:

 

About the same amount of time it took Blair and Brown to ruin the UK.

 

I'm sure that Starmer & Co. will mismanage to new highs lows.

Whenever Brown's name comes up I remember the 6 BILLION quid he wasted on the NHS which was used for fancy buildings and more managers.

Such a shame. He deserved his dumping in the election. Don't hear much about him now. Perhaps he is hiding from the outraged populace.

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

 

I can only speak for myself. As a somewhat lefty Uni student (left wing views back then would probably be described as right wing now) who voted Labour in 97 I was disgusted by Blair. I remember talking to friends in the pub in disbelief that he would team up with the US to invade. 

 

That was before I knew WMD was a lie. I mean I suspected it was but I didnt know for sure. 

 

I voted Labour to help poor working class Brits. Not to invade Iraq with Bush. I firmly believe Blair is evil. A black soul. And I was one that was fooled by him, albeit as a naive young adult.

I'm happy to say that I never trusted Blair, and I wasn't wrong.

1 hour ago, JayClay said:

Blair's biggest let down was backing down on PR. We wouldn't be in the mess we are now if he'd managed to get a sensible electorial system in place.

You don't want PR. It's in NZ and I wish it wasn't, as it was why that awful woman was able to win and make my life <deleted>.

I think first past the post is way better.

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

I firmly believe Blair is evil. A black soul. And I was one that was fooled by him, albeit as a naive young adult.

If one wants to understand what a politician really is, just look at what they do after ending the parliamentary career.

A black soul indeed.

17 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Whenever Brown's name comes up I remember the 6 BILLION quid he wasted on the NHS which was used for fancy buildings and more managers.

Such a shame. He deserved his dumping in the election. Don't hear much about him now. Perhaps he is hiding from the outraged populace.

Can not remember this, you have a link to the NHS claim?

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

I can only speak for myself. As a somewhat lefty Uni student (left wing views back then would probably be described as right wing now) who voted Labour in 97 I was disgusted by Blair. I remember talking to friends in the pub in disbelief that he would team up with the US to invade. 

 

That was before I knew WMD was a lie. I mean I suspected it was but I didnt know for sure. 

 

I voted Labour to help poor working class Brits. Not to invade Iraq with Bush. I firmly believe Blair is evil. A black soul. And I was one that was fooled by him, albeit as a naive young adult.

Console yourself with the knowledge that Blair’s Government delivered significant improvements for ordinary working people and the UK’s poor:

 

https://fullfact.org/economy/labour-inequality-1997-2010/

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Whenever Brown's name comes up I remember the 6 BILLION quid he wasted on the NHS which was used for fancy buildings and more managers.

Such a shame. He deserved his dumping in the election. Don't hear much about him now. Perhaps he is hiding from the outraged populace.

The Brown Blunder also struck from 1999-2002 by selling 400 tons of gold, more than half held by the Treasury, at an average price of $275 an ounce. Gold hit $1920 by 2011. A loss of >$20B over 10 years. Way to go Gordon. Doh! 

35 minutes ago, nauseus said:

The Brown Blunder also struck from 1999-2002 by selling 400 tons of gold, more than half held by the Treasury, at an average price of $275 an ounce. Gold hit $1920 by 2011. A loss of >$20B over 10 years. Way to go Gordon. Doh! 

Considerably less than the Tories wasted on useless PPE and Track and Trace.

 

 

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You don't want PR. It's in NZ and I wish it wasn't, as it was why that awful woman was able to win and make my life <deleted>.

I think first past the post is way better.

 

There is no perfect electoral system. There are many problems with PR, but at least it has the benefit of ensuring that all individual votes matter to some extent.

 

The main benefit claimed for a FPTP system is that it delivers 'strong' government. The governance of the UK since 2016 suggests otherwise.