Bad night for Tories

Up late to keep track of the by-elections in Sedgefield and Ealing Southall. Both Labour holds, and both poor results for the Cameron Tories, who came in third in both seats. In Sedgefield, they fell from second last time, being overtaken by the Lib Dems, while the result in Ealing Southall was, perhaps, even worse. There, despite the presence of the much vaunted ten-day Tory Tony Lit, they stayed in third place, some way behind the Lib Dems.

The Ealing Southall result can, I think, be viewed as a particular rebuttal of David Cameron, personally. In most constituencies, when one has a Tory candidate, he is simply listed as a "Conservative". But in Ealing Southall, Tony Lit stood, not as a "Conservative", but expressly as the candidate of "David Cameron's Conservatives". Not to mention the fact that the Tories put a huge amount of effort into the constituency - Cameron himself visited five times. And for all that, their share of the vote went up a mere 0.9%.

In two constituencies tonight, voters have rejected the Tory Party, and, it would appear, David Cameron personally. Given that the most recent opinion poll showed the Tories 7% behind Labour, one has to ask whether, having sold themselves out to a leader who makes Labour look right-wing, the Tories have actually achieved anything at all. Personally, I believe that they would be doing substantially better if they had a leader who actually had principles, and who was prepared to talk about the issues, such as immigration and crime, which really matter to people, rather than an unprincipled low-life, who drivels on in a sanctimonious cant about minor concerns such as the terrible threat posed by illegal logging. Feel free to quote this back at me if I'm proved wrong, but unless the Tories replace Cameron pretty damn quickly, I really can't see any result at the next general election other than a fourth successive Labour victory.

I also noted that in Sedgefield, approximately 21% of the vote went to minor parties, or independent candidates. Of particular interest to me, were the comparative results of UKIP and the BNP. UKIP scored 1.9%, a marginal increase from last time, but still an essentially insignificant figure. By contrast, the BNP, who didn't even stand last time, took 8.9% of the vote, finishing in a comfortable fourth place. To me, this provides further evidence that UKIP really cannot achieve a significant result outside of the European elections. And, at a time when all three main parties are so similar as to be almost indistinguishable, and when not one of them is willing to listen to the views of the public on such issues as crime, immigration, and the EU, then this result suggests, once again, that the best option for those of us who really wish to see real change in the way this country is run, is to vote for the BNP. Even if they don't win, a vote for them is by far the best method of applying a sharp kick to the fatted posterior of the political elite.

Muslims and leftists celebrate democracy

Last month, I wrote that Muslims in France were threatening to riot if Nicolas Sarkozy was elected president of the country. Segolene Royal made the same threat a few days ago, as did a number of French "intellectuals". Now Sarkozy has beaten Royal by 53% to 47%, and the threats are being carried out.

At this stage it's unclear what, precisely, is going on. The MSM aren't reporting much, although Sky News has acknowledged that riot police have been firing tear gas at "crowds". The best English language source at the moment is No Pasaran!. They are updating their news on the riots as reports come in, so I would simply direct readers towards their main page. They have obtained a number of photographs and videos depicting the violence, as well.

Further proof, if any was needed, that Islam and civilisation just don't mix. Perhaps someone could remind me, once again, why every nation in Western Europe is allowing itself to be taken over by these "people".

The election's biggest loser

Well, Labour may not be deliriously happy about losing Scotland to the SNP, the more honest among the Lib Dems are acknowledging that they had a bad night, and, while they've tried to put a positive spin on it, I'm afraid that I cannot see how the results were anything other than an extreme let-down for the BNP. The one extra seat that they appear to have gained is a far cry from what many were predicting. And I say that as someone who would have voted for them, had I had the chance.

However, while these results, particularly Labour's loss of Scotland, are of more importance, one has to feel a particular sympathy for Shirley Bowes, the septuagenarian Tory candidate in Sedgefield's New Trimdon and Trimdon Grange ward:

Tory Shirley Bowes has made an unwelcome piece if political history by failing to attract a single vote - not even her own.

It was always going to be a long shot for a Conservative to taste victory in a ward occupied by one Tony Blair.

But 72-year-old Mrs Bowes managed to come in with an almost unprecedented zero.

In an electoral quirk she couldn't even vote for herself because she lives outside the ward she was standing for.

Mrs Bowes, who lives on a farm in the quaint village of Great Stainton, Co Durham, only stood as a favour to a friend.

Conservatives are a rarity on Sedgefield District Council, but the New Trimdon and Trimdon Grange ward is a particular minefield.

Home to Labour PM and the Trimdon Labour Club, where he has seen in successive election victories, even the most die-hard of Conservatives would throw in the towel.

But not Mrs Bowes. She put her name forward in the certain knowledge she was in for an abject defeat.

She said: "I knew I wasn't going to win but I hoped I might pick up at least one vote.

"I couldn't vote for myself because I don't live in the ward and I'm afraid no one else thought it was worth turning out for me.

"I never have had any true political ambitions but I support the Conservatives and said I'd help out.

"There was no Tory candidate in the ward and when my friend, who is a councillor asked me to stand I agreed so that at leats the party was represented.

"I didn't campaign or get any leaflets done or anything, I didn't even attend.

"It seems as though Conservatives are in even shorter supply in Trimdon than I imagined."

The ward was won by Labour's Lucy Howels with 441 votes and even the BNP managed to garner 75 votes for their candidate Amanda Marie Foster.

Mrs Bowes fought such a low key campaign that she didn't even tell her farmer son Graham.

She said: "He'd have thought I was daft, so I kept it to myself."

The William McGonagall of politics perhaps? Although at least he made an effort.

The Ideal Candidate?

Staying up - in my obsessive politics geek way - to watch the election results come in. Not much doing at the moment, and I do remember that it all seemed somewhat more important a few years back when there were still some slight differences between the three main parties, or at least between the Tories and the other two. The news that "two wards in Barchester have gone from the socialist traitors in yellow rosettes to the socialist traitors in blue rosettes" really doesn't seem particularly Earth-shattering. As the vile Francis Maude, of A-list infamy, has just come on I've taken the time to come over to the computer, and post this Youtube video, from Japan.

The candidate in it may be an utterly deranged communist/Fascist with disturbingly nihilistic tendencies, but at least he isn't David Cameron. And he is refreshingly honest ("I don't have a single constructive proposal...if I am elected I will freak out", etc).



(Hat-tip: Guy News TV)

Postscript: Francis Maude has just acknowledged that "things aren't going wonderfully well" for the Tories, which is always nice to hear. Also, Labour have failed to win back Blaenau Gwent in the Welsh assembly elections, which is excellent news, since the winning candidate Trish Law is an independent. Admittedly she's a socialist, but I'd still rather see her get in than one of the three main parties.