Having spent the last week getting hot
flushes whilst either backing or badmouthing UKIP, its noticeable how few Lib
Dem blogs now make even a passing reference to Thursday’s by-election
results.
UKIP out-performed the Liberal Democrats in
all three Labour-held constituencies. The worst showing by Clegg’s party was in
Rotherham where they were dumped into eighth spot by a vicar standing as an
independent candidate.
Lib Dem support fell between 10-17% in the
six by-elections held in November. By comparison, UKIP has seen a 3-16%
increase in votes. According to some commentators, what was once regarded as a
group occupying the xenophobic political fringe is fast becoming the new
mainstream party of protest
Does this mean that it’s only a matter of
time before David agrees with Nigel?
The only recent LibDem victory in recent weeks was Winston Roddick,successful "independent" candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner in North Wales. He forgot to inform the electorate that he was and remains a LibDem. Incidentally he sees his PCC role as a part-time job. See, for example:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/north-wales-police-commissioner-winston-1466111
This man presented himself to the electorate as an independent, then it was revealed that he had been a member of the Liberal Democrats all along. There has been a lot of undisguised unhappiness about this in the blogosphere. See, for example the comments at:
http://miserableoldfart.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/winstons-mega-mandate.html#comment-form
and at http://oggybloggyogwr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/wag-watch-november-2012.html
There is nothing wrong with being a Liberal Democrat, but Winston Roddick deliberately misled the public to avoid coming fifth - his certain fate if he had declared his political allegiance.. Now he further shows his contempt for the electorate he misled by continuing to work in another highly paid job.
I am a member of the Welsh Labour Party, it should be said.
I voted for Winston Roddick and would have done so whether or not he was Liberal Democrat. Because he had two important things going for him: he was Welsh, and he wasn't Labour. I suspect many others took the same view.
ReplyDeleteYou may very well be right that many people voted for Winston Roddick because "he was Welsh, and he wasn't Labour." That still doesn't mean that he would have won had he revealed his true colours. Already he is contemplating not doing the job for which he was elected. He told the Daily Mirror, “It was never advertised as a full-time job.” He will be leaving the work to unelected, unaccountable Quango employees, I'm afraid. It really is time for him to go.
ReplyDelete