[Andy McDandy]

Yeah, but then the arseholes were spoiled for choice.

Still, a win's a win and all that.

[davidjay]

Seen a lot of comments throughout the by-election about the lack of visibility from the Tories. Was that poor campaigning or deliberate to sit it out and let Galloway do the work?

Because their policies of free flags for all and Labour hate you doesn't work there.

[Youngian]

Seen a lot of comments throughout the by-election about the lack of visibility from the Tories. Was that poor campaigning or deliberate to sit it out and let Galloway do the work?

Because their policies of free flags for all and Labour hate you doesn't work there.

Has anyone seen footage of Johnson working the crowds in Batley? I saw him on a managed factory visit but that’s all. Perhaps he’s now doing more damage than good in marginals like Batley.

[Bones McCoy]

What a wonderful, unexpected result to wake up to! Not least because it pisses off all the right people - the Tories, the Galloway Left, gormless media commentators like Aaron Bastani etc

It seems that some local Tories have been lamenting that they "had it in the bag" a week ago, until Galloway ratcheted up the toxicity to unbearable levels. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of bastards, quite frankly.

Is it too much to ask that the next by-election is in a cuddly, Remain-leaning seat where Labour are the only realistic challengers and where the Tory majority is <10,000?

So the middle paragraph seems to say.

We only lost because another toxic candidate split our vote.

It's an interesting self analysis.

[Tubby Isaacs]

That's two seats now where the Government have underperformed. Admittedly, they didn't try very hard here. But maybe it's a sign that opposition parties can get results v Johnson. Leadbetter did, while fighting off Galloway too. Ed "mad dog" Davey did in Chesham and Amersham.

Mile wide and an inch deep?

[mattomac]

Unique by election that looked lost a week ago so credit to those going to Batley and Spen to campaign and not basically jump on the premature grave of the Labour Party.

Interesting Labour saw a slight uptake this week after a fair bit of focus was put on this election.

A fair few people on the far left and right look as utterly deluded as they did a day or two after the US elections after putting their “Told you Biden was crap” articles out.

Sort of felt they could hold it but that poll depressed me last week, however won a couple of quid on the back of it

[Andy McDandy]

Has anyone seen footage of Johnson working the crowds in Batley? I saw him on a managed factory visit but that’s all. Perhaps he’s now doing more damage than good in marginals like Batley.

Didn't Our Dom say that Johnson was seen as an utter liability? Can't stay on script, can't keep to a straight story, hates being challenged, not a team player? Hence his campaign appearances being limited to either very heavily scripted prearranged encounters, or zipwire/JCB stunts?

To be fair, Cameron and Osborne favoured the workplace pep talk to a bunch of bored JCB/Warburtons staff with management holding a metaphorical gun to their heads, and perfected the "that's it, I'm off" instant step off-camera; and May loved the "pack everyone into a corner" crowd shoot, but all 3 did much more 'spontaneous' engagement than man of the people Johnson ever did.

[davidjay]

Call me stupid, but I'm struggling to see how Galloway took more votes off the Tories than from Labour.

[Youngian]

Pressing fresh with the lads wasn’t Cameron USP but it is Johnson’s. Of course his walkabouts were managed but did them as that’s his thing.

[Andy McDandy]

He always looks simultaneously deliriously happy and terrified on them. Much in the vein of Elizabeth Berkeley doing "I'm so happy, I'm so scared" in 80s teen sitcom Saved by the Bell. His look just screams (to me at least) "grin, grin, high five, get through it, be clean soon...".

[davidjay]

He always looks simultaneously deliriously happy and terrified on them. Much in the vein of Elizabeth Berkeley doing "I'm so happy, I'm so scared" in 80s teen sitcom Saved by the Bell. His look just screams (to me at least) "grin, grin, high five, get through it, be clean soon...".

His whole success is based on the little people loving him. Let him see that to be a lie and you're left with a bumbling toff from a Boulting Brothers comedy.

[Crabcakes]

He always looks simultaneously deliriously happy and terrified on them. Much in the vein of Elizabeth Berkeley doing "I'm so happy, I'm so scared" in 80s teen sitcom Saved by the Bell. His look just screams (to me at least) "grin, grin, high five, get through it, be clean soon...".

I imagine he looks the same way as someone rich in Georgian London would look if they had to walk down a street full of peasants because their carriage broke.

[Arrowhead]

Call me stupid, but I'm struggling to see how Galloway took more votes off the Tories than from Labour.

I think it's more a case of Galloway peeling away traditional Labour votes who, up until a week or so ago, were destined for the Tories.

[Youngian]

No future reference for George from Emily T

[Spoonman]

A couple of other websites that I frequent have their fair share of hard-left "Corbynite" headbangers. Looking at them today, one of them is conspicuous by the silence from the usual suspects that I suspect wouldn't be as quiet if Ms. Leadbeater lost by 300 votes instead, while another has another head 'da ball claiming that the result is a bad one for Labour "once they sober up". Can't win with them.

[davidjay]

Call me stupid, but I'm struggling to see how Galloway took more votes off the Tories than from Labour.

I think it's more a case of Galloway peeling away traditional Labour votes who, up until a week or so ago, were destined for the Tories.

I can't see that they outnumber the Labour voters who went to Galloway and wouldn't have voted for the Tories.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Seems to have been a reaction to this comment.

Sure, it's silly to lump Palestine in there as conservative. But who was the campaign aimed at? It wasn't "AOC for Palestine and Kashmir". It was an egregious anti-Semite saying "Palestine, Kashmir, blasphemy law and don't tell my kids about queers".

There are nastier phrases than "Conservative Muslim" for that. And if you voted for Galloway to help Starmer lose, when an abstention would have done the same- well, I'm not giving you the benefit of the doubt. Tough shit.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Lot of the "vote went down, some victory from Jez types".

Remember this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Stok ... y-election

That one was "seen off UKIP in their heartland", wasn't it? With Paul Nuttal helpfully being exposed as a fantasist during the campaign. If Con-Kippers had known who to vote for tactically, that would have been lost too.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Nothing happened after this.

[davidjay]

Lot of the "vote went down, some victory from Jez types".

Remember this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Stok ... y-election

That one was "seen off UKIP in their heartland", wasn't it? With Paul Nuttal helpfully being exposed as a fantasist during the campaign. If Con-Kippers had known who to vote for tactically, that would have been lost too.

Ah, the Fracking Will Incur Imprisonment woman. Who could forget her?