Friday 30 March 2012

Galloway wins in one of the biggest By-election shocks in history.


George Galloway has pulled of one of the biggest political shocks in history  winning the Bradford West by-election with a majority of 10,140.

Bradford West by-election, 2012[11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RespectGeorge Galloway18,34155.9+52.8
LabourImran Hussain8,20125.0-20.3
ConservativeJackie Whiteley2,7468.4-22.7
Liberal DemocratJeanette Sunderland1,5054.6-7.1
UKIPSonja McNally1,0853.3+1.3
GreenDawud Islam4811.5-0.8
Democratic NationalistsNeil Craig3411.0-0.1
Monster Raving LoonyHowling Laud Hope1110.3N/A
Majority10,14030.9+16.7
Turnout32,90550%-14.9%

General Election 2012
ElectionPolitical resultCandidatePartyVotes%±%
General Election 2010 [12][13]
New boundaries
Turnout: 40,576 (64.9%) +8.9
Labour hold
Majority: 5,763 (14.2%)
Swing: +2.9% from Con to Lab
Marsha SinghLabour18,40145.3+5.6
Zahid IqbalConservative12,63831.1−0.2
David Hall-MatthewsLiberal Democrat4,73211.7−7.4
Jenny SampsonBNP1,3703.4−3.5
Arshad AliRespect1,2453.1+3.1
David FordGreen9402.3−0.7
Jason SmithUKIP8122.0+2.0
Neil CraigDemocratic Nationalists4381.1+1.


This was not just a bad night for Labour it was also one for the other main parties and it can't just be shown (as it will by the media) as general disillusionment  by the large Moslem component of the constitutive. 

Indeed the Guardian  states
 It appeared that the seat's Muslim immigrant community had decamped from Labour en masse to Galloway's fundamentalist call for an immediate British troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and a fightback against the job crisis.

But I imagine many of those voting may be second or third generation and they are not immigrants. Shame on the Guardian for making this all they had to use was Muslim Community.

Clearly for want of a major analysis from journalist on the ground Galloways call for withdrawal from Afghanistan had some resonance . But Labour failure to stand up for the poorest members of our society was also a factor.In some ways this result resembles Jim Sillars  1988  Glasgow Govan by-election victory.Where the Poll tax and Labours lukewarm opposition was an issue.

Labour were hopping to win big in the UK in the May elections. It just be that where there another alternative to the other main parties those who feel that they have been let down by all three may just chose another.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Before everyone gets carried away, Peter Law gave Welsh Labour as big a bloody nose back in 2005, but its still good news that Labour has been humiliated in its heartlands, long may it continue.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/wales/4513231.stm

maen_tramgwydd said...

Well done, George!

It demonstrates the vulnerability of Labour.. the party that has consistently betrayed working people for half a century and more.

A Welsh party with the right strategy and leader, can consign it to the trash can of history. Go for it, Leanne!

glynbeddau said...

It seems that 40% of the population of Bradford West is of Asian Origin. electorate of So with a 50% turnout of a electorate of just over 65,000. It is clear that Galloway's support didn't just come from there. And from what I can see of his leaflets he campaigned heavily against the governments cuts and Labours impotence over them.

maen_tramgwydd said...

Btw, Glyn, Peter Black is ignoring comments I submitted to his blog, even though they conform to the guidelines he himself lays down there.

It seems there is an illiberal streak down Peter's spine.

glynbeddau said...

maen_tramgwydd

Peter doesn't like it when its pointed out that posts that he makes on other parties could equally be used against the Liberal Democrats. You could call it hypocaust but I couldn't possibly comment.