UK parliamentary by-elections 2014

[politicus]

And another poll, this time done for Lord Ashcroft: Con 42, UKIP 27, Labour 20, LDem 6

That's terrible news for Ed Milliband

Okay, so sarcasm it is. Couldn't really detect it regarding the Scottish Tories and devo max.

[politicus]

I think it depends. Reform won a by-election before their breakthrough, and it probably helped them. If UKIP could elect a personable person without any peculiar views, it would be good for their GE prospects. In Reform's case, it gave them four years to hammer the Tories on Quebec/the constitution. A good UKIPer in Westminister would be able to do the same to the British Tories with Europe.

UKIP's candidate here is Roger Helmer who would be a walking disaster as an MP for various reasons.

What are those reasons?

[politicus]

In contrast in Canada our version of the Labour Party - the NDP - is 100% pro-choice and you are not allowed to be a candidate (let alone sit in caucus) unless you pledge to support abortion rights in any parliamentary vote. The Liberals used to be more divided but now their leader Justin Trudeau has also said that no one will be allowed to run in the next election unless they support abortion rights - though a handful of incumbent pro-life Liberal MPs will be "grandfathered" and allowed to continue to be anti-choice.

The silver lining in this is that the NDP has never, and will never form government, so I guess they can do what they want.

Saying that a party as strong as NDP will never form a government is absurd. The Grits may very well collapse at some point leaving NDP as one of the pillars of a two party system. Just because something isn't going to happen in the immediate future doesn't mean its never going to happen.

[politicus]

Banksy artwork in Clacton, removed by the local council, apparently because someone complained it was racist:


http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/oct/01/banksy-mural-clacton-racist

Ridiculous.

[politicus]

There was also a government policy in the 80s of dispersing benefit claimants to seaside resorts.

Sounds odd. Why?

[politicus]

Why are those on the left side of the political spectrum always so shocked and surprised when they realize that huge portions of their voting base are also attracted to and willing to support right-wing populism? That's been the case for generations.

They underestimate how socially conservative the working class are and only vote for the left due to economic issues.

In fact, social liberalism was not a huge component of left wing parties until the last quarter century.

Very much depend whee you are. The 60s influenced SDs a lot in Western European countries.

[politicus]

Anyway can we talk about the real point of interest in this result:

lolthelibdems.

Well, they did finish ahead of the MRLP..