Are Labour Sinking Without Trace?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39064149
First mid term Tory gain since 1982, Labour out after 80 years.

[andy-hughes]

My faith in my fellow citizens of Stoke has been restored - the Monster Raving Loony Party candidate beat the BNP!!

[youngmafbog]

No surprises on these two really.

Interesting the labout bod tried to claim Copeland was a success for labour. Talk about spin.

Nice attempt to try and deflect the disastrous result in Copeland Mickey.

[ichkeria]

Maybe he was. But I thought he said Copeland

[-Talbot-]

Just checked ... it was Stoke.

[ludwig]

The Corbyn zealots are still trying to blame the disunity within the party (ie the hated Blairites) for their pathetic showing in all opinion polls and elections. They really believe that if only everyone would unite behind Jeremy, all would be well.

They fail to grasp the fact that it's the electorate that elects people, not party members.

If it wasn't for Nuttall's Hillsborough gaffes, UKIP may well have won in Stoke.

[youngmafbog]

Yes they need to listen to the voters, but a split party will never win in the end as voters wonder what on earth they are voting for.
Labour certainly has quite a battle on it's hands and with Red Len lurking in the background it could well be curtains for them.

Interestingly they have a similar problem to UKIP in that the reason the party was formed has long gone. They need to champion the working man but not with moderate left wing ideals (and popularist ones) rather than commie left wing ones.

[jim360]

Wouldn't say I ever seriously believed that Corbyn could turn things around but after tonight's showing it's looking pretty grim for the prospects in 2020.

Maybe Corbynistas are (at least partly) right, and Labour does need to rally round Corbyn rather than trying in by-elections, local elections etc to hide his existence. At least that way a crushing defeat in 2020 would have an unambiguous interpretation, whereas in Labour's present state it's just as easy to read this as a rejection of Corbyn as it is to read it as a rejection of Labour infighting.

One way or another, though, Labour as a party can't ignore or brush aside last night's result.

[ichkeria]

Stoke it was then Talbot, thanks.
My attempt at fake news failed dismally :-)

[ichkeria]

It's a double whammy for Labour really.
Useless opposition means May and co can set a right wing eurosceptic agenda with no fear of a challenge from the usual source. Because her majesty's opposition now, when it isn't the SNP, is really the eurosceptic wing of the governing party.
So everything has shifted rightwards, and if in times past it was 'un-PC' or irrelevant to diss immigration, now its the exact opposite: anything remotely europhile or pro immigration is, thanks to the referendum, deemed as a crime against the wishes of the 'people' (note even the word 'majority' is not often used)
So Labour's policy on Brexit (support the wishes of the majority but address the concerns of everyone else) is actually quite a sensible one but in the current political climate is seen as dithering or 'all things to all people'
There is no reputable, or respected or feared, voice speaking up

[Khandro]

Margaret Becket is to blame for nominating him at the last minute as an extreme left-winger with no chance of winning. I wonder how she sleeps at night.

[AB Editor]

Do we know how many the Abolish Democracy Reinstate the Monarchy party got in Stoke?

https://abolishmcrm.com/party-constitution-and-manifesto/

[AB Editor]

Sorry, I got their name wrong, it is:

The Abolish Magna Carta Reinstate Monarchy Party

[Zacs-Master]

'The Abolish Magna Carta Reinstate Monarchy Party Members will lose the shackles of democracy and all the trappings that go with it.'

But only by dint of using a democratic voting system to get in.......ironic or WHAT?

[ichkeria]

Lose or loose ???

[mikey4444]

Sqad....Labourr seem to have no great problem in winning in Stoke yesterday, WITH Corbyn !

Its easy to see why Nuttall fell on his ass yesterday. He is a liar and chancer....typical UKIP material in other words.

But if Corbyn is so unpopular and can't win Elections, as everybody here on AB tells me he is, why did Mrs May not win in Stoke yesterday ?

[mikey4444]

UKIP-not-so lite, the BNP, actually had less votes than the Monster Raving Loony Party yesterday in Stoke !

[Dinapal]

//But if Corbyn is so unpopular and can't win Elections, as everybody here on AB tells me he is, why did Mrs May not win in Stoke yesterday ?//

Neither Corbyn or May won an election in Stoke yesterday.

[Dinapal]

Should of added 'General election 'yesterday.

[TWR]

I'm afraid to say, without a doubt "YES"

[Jackdaw33]

Interesting to note that the combined Tory/UKIP vote was 3000 ahead of Labour. A classic case of the right splitting the vote.