I couldn't have scripted a more ineffective Labour campaign if I'd been writing the election literature myself.
Gordon Brown and Steve McCabe are my heroes of the day.
May 22
May 21
Two Michaelangelo quotes.
'Faith in one's self... is the best and safest course.'
'The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it.'
May 18
Something completely different. Kasparov telling it like it is.
May 12
It seems that in the one isolated spot where Labour won on May 1st, they can't take power. Hehe.
May 8
Outgoing Labour councillors and malcontent Labour MPs have been doing the Conservative Party an incredible service since the local elections. They've all been busy spouting myriad complaints about their party's leadership of the country. In the wake of poll losses this serves to make them look like hypocrites not martyrs and when Labour politicians are giving you reasons not to vote Labour why should the public at large. The result of this infighting - Labour's lowest ever poll rating. They are in a hole, but I think that after a pasting in Crewe the Labour Party will wake up and get more disciplined. can't see the Tory leader increasing further.
May 7
I'm caught in two minds whether to have a mini-break from politics or keep the momentum going. What I should be doing is trying to recruit new members to the party which should be like shooting fish in a barrel, but the Conservative social diary looks pretty full. Speaking of which, I'm looking forward to catching up with Maggie Throup and some of the Bromsgrove CF group at an event this Friday.
May 6
I want to say hi to Geoff V who based on his frequent appearances in the mybloglog avatar list on the left has been a most frequent visitor to my blog through thick and thin. I wonder what makes him return? (See comments for Geoff's reply)
May 4
On PoliticalBetting Labour MP Nick Palmer made the comment that Labour has kept the ‘Guardianista’ and ethnic votes but has lost the white working class vote. The results in Birmingham and my time spent campaigning there corroborate this theory. Take the seat of Birmingham Erdington, home of Sion 'Just Like You' Simon with a 10,000 and 30% majority from 2005 that doesn't even feature on any Tory target list.
Check out what has happened in the locals between 2004* and 2008 here.
Erdington Con 2678 (1441) Lab 1187 (1845)
Kingstanding Con 1296 (823) Lab 1376 (1585)
Stockland Green Con 1946 (1077) Lab 1874 (1746)
Tyburn Con 1125 (1016) Lab 1144 (1507)
Total Conservative 7045 (4757) Labour 5581 (6673)
* 2004 results in brackets taking the second placed Tory/Labourite in the all-out elections that took place then. CCHQ - it's time to select a candidate here.
May 3
My old friend Peter Smallbone won the final council seat in Birmingham Edgbaston. All 12 councillors in this Labour-held seat are now Conservative.
The full results for the Edgbaston constituency were:
Bartley Green Ward - Vivienne Barton - Con Hold Majority 2418
Edgbaston Ward - Deirdre Alden - Con Hold - Majority 1517
Harborne Ward - John Alden - Con Hold - Majority 1328
Quinton Ward - Peter Smallbone - Con Gain - Majority 376
A full on-the-spot report from Deirdre Alden our PPC in Edgbaston is here.
May 2
After a very very hard fought campaign all four seats in Northfield were won by Conservatives last night!! This means that there is now a full slate of Conservative Cllrs in Northfield.
The majorities are as follows:
WARD CANDIDATE MAJORITY
Northfield Les Lawrence 1308 CON HOLD
Kings Norton Geoff Sutton 853 CON HOLD
Weoley Eddie Freeman 598 *CON GAIN*
Longbridge Ken Wood 277 *CON GAIN*
May 1
Good luck to
Deirdre Alden
John Alden
Bob Beauchamp
Matt Bennett
Jenny Brewer
Nigel Dawkins
Eddie Freeman
Graham Green
Len Gregory
Andrew Hardie
Bob Harvey
Carl Husted
Maura Judges
Gary Sambrook
Derek Johnson
Sam Pearce
Peter Smallbone
Neville Summerfield
Geoff Sutton
Ken Wood
and any other Tory candidates tonight...
Update - those in bold won seats from Labour! Hip hip hoorah.
11 comments:
Who is Carl Husted?
He's on this list. He took out a lazy and incompetent Labour councillor in Wolvo and I pushed a few leaflets there.
Don't shout so loud... everyone's favourite parasite Bob Piper will have you believing Labour had a great night!
Well done! Sorry I could't come down and help you. Life got too busy.
You got a mention in The Times' local elections supplement today as well! Well done.
Really? For annoying Lefties?
PragueTory: I'm a Tory living overseas and also Prague is one of my favourite cities in Europe hence the reason I stumbled across your blog in the first place. I haven't left the blog since because I like your style.
You'll see me as a regular contributor at CHome, Iain Dale and StCrispinsDay - occasionally at Croydonian and James Cleverly.
If you ever end up in Spain for a while then drop me a post on mybloglog and we could organise a beer.
Thanks for the kind comments and invitation, Geoff. The reverse holds if you're in Brum or Prague. PS - You contribute to all the best sites.
Not only are the Conservatives 26 points ahead nationally (YouGov/Sun), but also 19 points ahead in the North. Which is where Crewe & Nantwich is located!
good post this one sir. Nice to see things progressing so nicely.
Kasparov video was interesting. I thought you had given up blogging though..?!
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