Fact and Fiction over Jeremy Corbyn’s first by election defeat of the year | David Hencke

Last Updated: January 9, 2016By

Jack Paton: Local hero [Image: Cumberland News].

Guido Fawkes and the Daily Express couldn’t wait to jump on the fact that the Labour Party lost the first council by election of the year last Thursday.

But both Guido and the Daily Express are guilty of sloppy journalism because if they had looked or wanted to look more carefully things were not as they seemed.

In fact the Labour share of the vote – in a low turnout of 18 per cent- marginally INCREASED – from 33.1 to 33.5 per cent.

The party that lost out more was the third placed Conservative candidate whose share of the vote DECLINED by 5.4 per cent. Funny that was not reported.

And this is where sloppy journalism really takes the biscuit – is that the winning candidate is a local hero.

He is Jack Paton, a former veteran, and a long time campaigner of the old style ”pavement politics” type which was pioneered in the past by the Liberal Democrats.

Where Jeremy Corbyn might want to take note is that he is an army veteran and a traditional working class supporter who backs our troops.

In that sense the vote is a warning to Corbyn that Labour is a broad church and needs to decide how it is going to keep on side this type of voter. After all the next PM is 2020 will definitely not be an Independent.

Source: Fact and Fiction over Jeremy Corbyn’s first by election defeat of the year | David Hencke

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  1. John Derbyshire January 10, 2016 at 12:11 am - Reply

    This as been the underlying problem for Labour , they are now a very very broad church & within its walls it reflects the changing society in which we live. It’s problem is that the original congregation, the white working class has not been to keen, inviting broadening the churches appeal, which its leadership has embraced. In fact there is a large section who reject a Market economy and would embrace the Labour party, but not Socialism. The reason for this is obvious as Enoch Powell observed many years ago Trade Unions negotiate the best deal for their members and often at the expense of others. So Socialism was never adopted in this country and as years went by the working class in many ways viewed voting Labour as a way to increase one’s personal lifestyle & income
    rather than collectively improving society The great achievements of the NHS in the early years has been forgotten as it becomes perceived as another bureaucracy.
    For many white working class communities there is still a underlying racism, homophobia, we certainly live in a more tolerant society than my youth, but when resources are scarce it is often perceived that the indigenous community needs are overlooked for asylum seekers, East European migrants, and those from the Indian sub-continent. The poor integration particularly of the latter may be partly caused by politicians actually creating political ghetto’s.
    In conclusion we cannot create a fair and Just Society based on division by class, race or Gender, & the Labour Party needs to promote SOCIALISM, as if we look around the world we Capitalism engineering wars to sustain itself and State Capitalism of the Soviet variety is now in the dustbin of history.

    • Terry Davies January 12, 2016 at 9:13 am - Reply

      I agree the broad church of the Labour party you mention with broad ackowledgement of accuracy regarding Socialism relative to Unions.
      However Unions have been weakened with considerably by legislation(union act) and it is no longer the case that numbers of members ride rough shod over others in the manner you advocate.
      There is need to disempower all politicians, evaluate their worth to society and their individual performances with deselection by petition being the stick for poor performance. The carrot would be another year to serve being paid at a salary evaluated by an ever changing peoples panel.
      This system should be operated globally thus maintaining interests of a majority living on the planet.
      Party systems in politics have outlived their usefulness, and likewise the Capitalist system. A recent commentator acknowkedged that technology should be used to benefit “all” not just provide increasing profit margins for wealthy and the greedy power crazed individuals.
      These people sit in parliaments, congresses, boardrooms, and in other forums but it would be a start to limit their power by disempowering politicians.

  2. Terry Davies January 10, 2016 at 10:56 am - Reply

    he is an idiot for thinking the lib dems share his values. the tories and lib dems or closet tories in the labour party sent him to the war zone for his injuries.

    • Mike Sivier January 11, 2016 at 2:10 pm - Reply

      I do not understand.

      • Terry Davies January 12, 2016 at 9:35 am - Reply

        David enke is a fool joining the lib dems. Sorry should have been clearer.
        Dont know where he served but its likely to be blairites and the last coalition government who sent him to the location he sustained his injuries.
        none of these are likely to share his values and its disconcerting he is allowing himself to be used to support right wing wars. This makes him idiotic in not being aware. clearly idiots have not thought things through in supporting him with their votes.

        • Mike Sivier January 12, 2016 at 3:06 pm - Reply

          What are you on about? This is about an election result.

      • Terry Davies January 13, 2016 at 12:10 am - Reply

        denke was elected and is a lib dem?

        • Mike Sivier January 13, 2016 at 12:50 am - Reply

          Hencke. David Hencke. He’s an award-winning political journalist and not a politician at all.
          Or are we at cross-purposes?

          • Terry Davies January 13, 2016 at 7:28 am

            cross purposes I thought David Henke had been elected as lib dem councillor. was in a wheelchair and this was due to serving in the military services.
            This was Corbyns first defeat since becoming leader.
            I questioned why this elected councillor thought lib dems shared his values. the right wing in the labour party ( Blairites) or the Tories and Lib dems didnt so why didnt he join a party which did.

          • Mike Sivier January 14, 2016 at 3:28 pm

            You stand corrected, then.

  3. yarmouthboy January 10, 2016 at 2:52 pm - Reply

    I am beginning to like Corbynism more now that John McDonnell is bringing reasoned argument to television interviews. I saw him interviewed on Channel 4 News and his tone and calm presentation of facts against possibly a deliberate hostile interviewer was a joy to watch. Measure for measure I thought enhanced by that characteristic self-deprecating trait he has of reviewing his past “views” rather than blustering his way out.

    What the whole Corbyn people need to address urgently is how they view the Countrys military. Unless they soften their current anti-war stance, particularly any support they give to this insiduous campaign to put former soldiers on trial for alleged war crimes need to be reviewed. The election of this war veteran and solid working class guy should be a reminder of how such things matter to a certain part of the electorate.

    Harping on about past events like this has the danger of losing a large part of the electorate once again ie those who voted UKIP because it seemed to embrace the working mans plight more than the Labour Party did. By all means reject Trident and be careful how you deal with future events but let sleeping dogs lie and focus on the really important issues. God knows there are enough of them!

    • Terry Davies January 12, 2016 at 9:23 am - Reply

      Isnt ‘ honesty’ and integrity in political viewpoints needed and refreshening.
      in the long term these are the rejuvenating factors which will bring more balance to politics. More likely to be embraced by voters, stimulate interest and hopefully return them to the ballot box in 2020

  4. mohandeer January 10, 2016 at 8:36 pm - Reply

    Thanks very much for this one Mike.

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