Batley and Spen by-election

[Argonia]

By my reckoning 8/16 candidates are far-right (including the Tory Party).

depressing times.

The only consolation being that they might split the vote a bit. Christ I want PR - I want to see messy elections with tons of parties and lots of complicated coalitions that last six months in office. Would beat this Tory one party state by a quadrillion miles.

 

[killer b]

They won't split the vote, they'll all get fuck all and the tories will win.

 

[Argonia]

They won't split the vote, they'll all get fuck all and the tories will win.

Alas if I were a betting man I'd put money on that happening, yes.

 

[PR1Berske]

Halloran has a (very) long statement on his FB about why he's not standing, and will instead contest the next GE as a candidate for Fox's vanity party.

Post is here if you want to check it out...

"I tried to wiggle out of this arrangement but he wouldn't let me."

 

[steeplejack]

Yes just as in Hartlepool the lunatic far right vote scattered across seven no hopers, and the Tory Party.

 

[killer b]

"I tried to wiggle out of this arrangement but he wouldn't let me."

It looks to me like he's just had a lot of his supporters telling him they're voting tory tbh

 

[PR1Berske]

It looks to me like he's just had a lot of his supporters telling him they're voting tory tbh

Fair.

 

[Argonia]

I followed the Alliance for Green Socialism at Twatter, I think they have about 100 followers. I'd like to know more about them.

 

[kebabking]

I followed the Alliance for Green Socialism at Twatter, I think they have about 100 followers. I'd like to know more about them.

I've got about 600. I post utter pish and quite rarely. If they've got 100 followers on twitter, they are probably an 'alliance' of one person and their spare bedroom...

They are unlikely to cause the Halls of the Mighty to tremble.

 

[Argonia]

I've got about 600. I post utter pish and quite rarely. If they've got 100 followers on twitter, they are probably an 'alliance' of one person and their spare bedroom...

They are unlikely to cause the Halls of the Mighty to tremble.

Sure. Agree totally. And I have about 500 and consider myself very much an outsider. But I might like their policies and I'd rather vote for a lost cause than compromise to support something I don't like at all. Which is why I want PR so much - so that the little voices can get representation and not get drowned out by the behemoths.

 

[tim]

By my reckoning 8/16 candidates are far-right (including the Tory Party).

depressing times.

I make it ten:

Paul Bickerdike (Christian People's Alliance)
Jayda Fransen (Independent)
George Galloway (Workers Party)
Thérèse Hirst (Eng Dem)
Susan Laird (Heritage Party)
Oliver Purser (SDP)
Ryan Stephenson (Con)
Jack Thomson (UKIP)
Jonathan Tilt (Freedom Alliance)
Anne Marie Waters (For Britain)

 

[brogdale]

Not sure she's got the hang of this at all...

 

[hitmouse]

That English Democrat candidate has a very French name.

 

[brogdale]

That English Democrat candidate has a very French name.

A more Germanic name like Cwenhild would be far more appropriate.

 

[JTG]

Not sure she's got the hang of this at all...

From what I've seen, she appears to be running as a change candidate in a Labour seat

 

[brogdale]

From what I've seen, she appears to be running as a change candidate in a Labour seat

Continuity Change candidate

 

[PR1Berske]

Continuity Change candidate

Continuity Change UK candidate by the look of that tweet.

 

[PR1Berske]

Sixteen candidates at a by-election :


Bermondsey 1983
Brent East 2003
Hartlepool 2021

Apologies for quoting myself.

Sixteen candidates here, and maybe it's a coincidence, maybe something spooky is happening with numbers but....

Bermondsey 1983 - 16 candidates - Liberal gain
Brent East 2003 - 16 candidates - Liberal Democrat gain
Hartlepool 2021 - 16 candidates - Conservative gain
Batley and Spen 2021 - 16 candidates - .....?

 

[Funky_monks]

I make it ten:

Paul Bickerdike (Christian People's Alliance)
Jayda Fransen (Independent)
George Galloway (Workers Party)
Thérèse Hirst (Eng Dem)
Susan Laird (Heritage Party)
Oliver Purser (SDP)
Ryan Stephenson (Con)
Jack Thomson (UKIP)
Jonathan Tilt (Freedom Alliance)
Anne Marie Waters (For Britain)

I was playing a game of "which of these parties I've never heard of are massive racists" bingo.
10 is quite impressive.

 

[MickiQ]

I note that the Heavy Woollen Independents came third last time beating the LibDems, they're not standing in this election though, so I wonder who will humilate the LibDems this time around.
Looking at that list though the next MP for Batley and Spen is going to be either Kim Leadbetter or Ryan Stephenson and I think the odds probably favour the latter one. To be fair we have not yet had the photo of Starmer posing with the candidate and drinking a pint, that seems to put the nail in the coffin.

 

[brogdale]

I note that the Heavy Woollen Independents came third last time beating the LibDems, they're not standing in this election though, so I would who will humilate the LibDems this time around.
Looking at that list though the next MP for Batley and Spen is going to be either Kim Leadbetter or Ryan Stephenson and I think the odds probably favour the latter one. To be fair we have not yet had the photo of Starmer posing with the candidate and drinking a pint, that seems to put the nail in the coffin.

The amateur magic tricks, though?

 

[MickiQ]

The amateur magic tricks, though?

View attachment 272399

f*cking hell, I feel sorry for Kim, the poor woman doesn't have a chance does she?

 

[JTG]

The amateur magic tricks, though?

View attachment 272399

Got that wrong pal, that's his impression of Travolta in Saturday Night Fever

 

[Raheem]

Nah. It's "Pull my finger".

 

[JTG]

Is it charades and he's trying to do "twenty points ahead"?

 

[Argonia]

I've got about 600. I post utter pish and quite rarely. If they've got 100 followers on twitter, they are probably an 'alliance' of one person and their spare bedroom...

They are unlikely to cause the Halls of the Mighty to tremble.

The NHA Party have a total following at Twatter of 73,500. That doesn't equate to votes directly of course - anyone can click follow at a website - but it does provide a base that could lead to seats under PR. Under the disgusting first past the post system it leads to precisely zero seats.

 

[Argonia]

Has anything happened with Left Unity lately or did they disappear when Corbyn came in?

 

[Cerv]

Has anything happened with Left Unity lately or did they disappear when Corbyn came in?

I think they split

 

[Argonia]

I think they split

Oh bloody hell really? I found them at Facebook and they have about 17,000 in their group there. I'll try to investigate them more and see what's going on.

 

[AmateurAgitator]

On Wallsend, according to Wikpedia:

A facebook friend of mine has just recently moved there