Interesting defeats

By-elections often throw up interesting results particularly at local levels. Still you'd have thought a swing to the Tories would be a possibility particularly from Labour. Still that wasn't what happened in Thanet, there was an 8.5% swing to Labour from the Tories, it may have been a protest vote though as Stephen Broadhurst, the ex Thanet councillor for Dane Valley in Margate, had been asked to resign because of the amount of time he spent looking after his business interests in Panama. Still not a good result though and it shows how fickle the public can be over political parties who upset them over issues that are important to them but don't seem to be to politicians (Referendum on the EU anyone?)

Independent.

Tories crashed to defeat against Labour in the latest council by-elections.

The loss at Dane Valley in Kent's Thanet District follows last week's triple disaster for Conservatives when Liberal Democrats gained three seats from them.

Labour's Thanet victor Sandra Hart scored a net 8.5 per cent swing from Tories who slumped into third place behind Lib Dems.

She is the wife of her party's group leader on the council.

Counting is under way in a second by-election at Ormesby, Redcar and Cleveland Borough with a result expected about noon.

The Liberal Democrats easily defended their Ormesby seat, taking nearly three-quarters of the votes.

The Tories finished last with just 77 votes - behind Ukip.

RESULTS:

Redcar and Cleveland Borough - Ormesby: Lib Dem 1084, Lab 210, Ukip 103, C 77.

Thanet District - Dane Valley: Lab 318, Lib Dem 260, C 222, Ind 130.

Ormesby was far more interesting, not that the Tories or Labour had a chance, but look where UKIP ended up, 26 votes ahead of the Tories. Now that should set alarm bells ringing in the Tory bunker. There's no reason whatsoever for UKIP to be getting more votes than the Tories in local elections unless the local Tories are disillusioned with national policies, and there's only one real national policy that the Tory grass roots really disagree with and that's the leaderships position vis the EU.

I may be wrong, but it does seem that the issue of the EU will cripple the Tory party, the idea of a referendum in or out is gaining ground at grass-root level as people realise just what our treasonous MP's have given away. This is why the minor parties are now gaining votes too as the big 3 ignore voters wishes, sooner or later a tipping point may come and the peoples wishes are recognised, sooner the better really.

Immigration, the EU, an English Parliament all being ignored by the big 3 and all costing them votes. I can see it, they can see it, yet still they ignore us, it does make the conspiracy theories seem more valid by the day.