Elections 2021: Conservatives hail historic Labour defeat in Hartlepool by-election

[Ayetooey]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57019456

The Conservatives have beaten Labour in the Hartlepool by-election, with a Tory MP elected for the first time in the current constituency's history.

Tory candidate Jill Mortimer - who defeated Labour rival Paul Williams by nearly 7,000 votes - hailed the result as a "truly historic" moment.

It comes as a blow to Sir Keir Starmer's efforts to win back support in traditional Labour heartlands.

The Tories are also making gains from Labour in English council elections.

On a walkabout in Hartlepool with the victorious Tory candidate, Boris Johnson said her win was a "mandate for us to continue to deliver" for the north-east of England and the rest of the country.

"If there is a lesson out of this whole election campaign across the whole of the UK is that the public want us to get on with focusing on their needs and their priorities, coming through the pandemic and making sure we build back better," added the prime minister.

The Labour leader said the party had "lost the trust of working people, particularly in places like Hartlepool," but added: "I will take full responsibility for fixing things."

He said Labour had "not made a strong enough case to the country" and he promised to set out changes in the next few days to help the party "reconnect" with lost voters.

The Hartlepool constituency was formed in 1974 and had returned a Labour MP in every vote since - until Thursday's poll.

[Ayetooey]

[Tooting Carmen]

For a growing number of voters, cultural issues may be becoming more important than economic issues, which means a full-circle class realignment could well occur.

[Ayetooey]

For a growing number of voters, cultural issues may be becoming more important than economic issues, which means a full-circle class realignment could well occur.

It's a mix of both. I think England is fundamentally centrist. In the late 90s/early 00s, the Conservatives were a lot more right wing than they are now, where as Labour took the center ground (and dominated). Now Labour is more and more out of touch, "woke", focused on implausible economic promises, and issues that the vast majority of working people do not care about, like Palestine and extreme social justice.

Tories have taken the center ground, and simplified their message to "Nhs, education, taxes" etc. I think if Labour wanted a shot of ever gaining power again, they'd take a leaf from blue Labour. Polls often show working people as taking more Conservative social stances on crime, immigration, but more left leaning economic stances. But Labour would rather focus on idealistic far-left ideas, which will become even more prominent once Starmer gets the boot.

[Tooting Carmen]

It's a mix of both. I think England is fundamentally centrist. In the late 90s/early 00s, the Conservatives were a lot more right wing than they are now, where as Labour took the center ground (and dominated). Now Labour is more and more out of touch, "woke", focused on implausible economic promises, and issues that the vast majority of working people do not care about, like Palestine and extreme social justice.

Tories have taken the center ground, and simplified their message to "Nhs, education, taxes" etc. I think if Labour wanted a shot of ever gaining power again, they'd take a leaf from blue Labour. Polls often show working people as taking more Conservative social stances on crime, immigration, but more left leaning economic stances. But Labour would rather focus on idealistic far-left ideas, which will become even more prominent once Starmer gets the boot.

I agree with some of that analysis, though I think the whole point about the Brexit issue is that many working-class voters in particular feel resentment at a (real or perceived) foreign power ruling over Britain, whether or not it actually provides any material or social benefits.

[Ayetooey]

I agree with some of that analysis, though I think the whole point about the Brexit issue is that many working-class voters in particular feel resentment at a (real or perceived) foreign power ruling over Britain, whether or not it actually provides any material or social benefits.

For sure, and not everything has to be about the numbers. I voted for Brexit, but never believed that short term Britain would be better off economically. For many people sovereignty is more important than economic success. Ironic considering its usually the right which put the numbers before such thoughts, but in the case of Brexit this was largely reversed. But Britain's vaccine success, the vaccine failure of Europe, Europe's attempt at blocking vaccines here, blocking vaccines to Northern Ireland, Frances bullshit with refugees and now fishing rights and threats to Jersey, have justified any short term economic loss for many people, including former remainers.

[Tooting Carmen]

For many people sovereignty is more important than economic success.

Remember that argument whenever anyone talks about the benefits of European rule over non-Europeans. (Even assuming that any former colony would be economically better-off under European rule in the first place - a contentious notion itself).

[Graham]

Polls often show working people as taking more Conservative social stances on crime, immigration, but more left leaning economic stances. But Labour would rather focus on idealistic far-left ideas, which will become even more prominent once Starmer gets the boot.

10+ years of Tory Rule. Doing a much better job of it than Labour.

[Andullero]

Remember that argument whenever anyone talks about the benefits of European rule over non-Europeans. (Even assuming that any former colony would be economically better-off under European rule in the first place - a contentious notion itself).

The argument would have more weight if the alpha independent country in the Third World/Western Hemisphere weren't such a hopeless basket case, though.

[Tooting Carmen]

The argument would have more weight if the alpha independent country in the Third World/Western Hemisphere weren't such a hopeless basket case, though.

Haiti is a very extreme and outlying case and you know it.