A bit of a stretch to say the candidate was "from London" when they've lived in the north east for 30 years.



Anyway onto the next by election. I gifted my second preference to the Labour candidate for W Yorkshire mayor, the second time i've cast a vote for that party. They ultimately won triggering a by election in Batley and Spen. That I think would be closer to call than Hartlepool - Labour just won more votes there in the local elections and 17% of votes went for Lib Dems and Greens that they can potentially seek to squeeze.

It all depends who they select as their candidate, hopefully they let their local membership decide rather than parachute someone in.

He was a doctor at the local hospital so how can he described as parachuted in.

He was parachuted in because he was the leadership's choice, he wasn't chosen in a local selection process.

Labour are very strong in Manchester and Liverpool - Burnham is a very good communicator who comes across as a very genuine guy who really cares - a bit like Street in the Midlands - the complete opposite to Boris.

Maybe they could have stood Joe Anderson - he has a lot of spare time these days

?

This is a good article about Labour in Hartlepool. It is also interesting that a lot of left wing Labour supporters could not stomach voting Labour. His leaflet on St George’s day with nothing on it other than I am the candidate and with a St. George’s flag covering the other half did not help him either. Loads of people wanted rid of the traditional politicians completely. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/u ... l-election

This is a good article about Labour in Hartlepool. It is also interesting that a lot of left wing Labour supporters could not stomach voting Labour. His leaflet on St George’s day with nothing on it other than I am the candidate and with a St. George’s flag covering the other half did not help him either. Loads of people wanted rid of the traditional politicians completely. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/u ... l-election

Quote Durham Giant="Durham Giant"This is a good article about Labour in Hartlepool. It is also interesting that a lot of left wing Labour supporters could not stomach voting Labour. His leaflet on St George’s day with nothing on it other than I am the candidate and with a St. George’s flag covering the other half did not help him either. Loads of people wanted rid of the traditional politicians completely. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/u ... l-election'" So they're alienating leftys and normal ,way to go Kier

Quote Durham Giant="Durham Giant"This is a good article about Labour in Hartlepool. It is also interesting that a lot of left wing Labour supporters could not stomach voting Labour. His leaflet on St George’s day with nothing on it other than I am the candidate and with a St. George’s flag covering the other half did not help him either. Loads of people wanted rid of the traditional politicians completely. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/u ... l-election'" So they're alienating leftys and normal ,way to go Kier

Did you see. / hear the interviews of Hartlepool voters in why the voted Tory.



One said, ‘ we had no food banks under Labour now we have seven” and he thought that was a positive.



The two interviewed this morning on the beeb stood in the Trincomalee states they voted Tory because there were not enough police and the local hospital had been run down.





All of the above problems caused by the Tories in the last 11 years.



Soon we will have ID cards as people sleep walk into it and a Gerrymanded voting system under Boris



Still at least Cloughie keeps the flag flying for socialism .

Aye typical rich socialist ,do as I say not as I do

Almost every significant social improvement to working class lives in the past 100 years came from Labour governments. Why do you suppose the party which opposed, and in many cases continues to oppose those things, are the right choice for working people?



It's all about identity politics on the right now. Left of centre policies may be more popular but unfortunately for Labour that's pretty irrelevant.

You could at least try to present some semblance of a reasonable argument to encourage some discussion.



Brian Clough on Champagne Socialism:



‘Of course I’m a Champagne Socialist. The difference between me and a good Tory is he keeps his money while I share mine.’



I have a nice picture of clough on a March for striking miners .