tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732407426313451205.post4255375715748433184..comments2024-03-08T15:43:20.236+00:00Comments on Keynesian Liberal: Batley and Spen by-electionPeter Wrigleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16481117156930677255noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732407426313451205.post-10419294034651148602016-10-24T17:49:46.524+01:002016-10-24T17:49:46.524+01:00Thanks for that, and the reminders of the preceden...Thanks for that, and the reminders of the precedents, especially those in which the Liberals participated.<br /><br />Your position is very similar to that put forward by one of the the Independent candidates, Henry Mayhew - the only one with an address in the constituency, and he had his leaflet printed here as well.<br /><br />Both of you have a point. I hope the circumstances will not rise again, either here or anywhere else, but if they do it is certainly something for the parties to think about.Peter Wrigleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16481117156930677255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732407426313451205.post-3160041409373327002016-10-24T17:24:24.201+01:002016-10-24T17:24:24.201+01:00Thank you for an interesting insight into what wen...Thank you for an interesting insight into what went on in this by-election.<br /><br />It has, however, broken with years of tradition of contested by-elections in the case of an MP being murdered. There are many historical precedents. There was Brighton Bomb victim Anthony Berry. Michael Portillo won the contested Enfield by-election that followed. But perhaps more famously in Liberal Democrat circles, there was the Eastbourne by-election caused by the death of Ian Gow due to an IRA car bomb. Back then in 1990, the Liberal Democrats as a new party had just emerged from a struggle for survival against the rump SDP. After a disastrous Euro election campaign the previous year, in which the new party had fallen behind the greens, morale was low. The result was a stunning victory for David Bellotti and a much needed morale boost. It set the start of a pattern of by-election shock wins that would last a decade and a half until the beginning of the Clegg era.<br /><br />The view then had been that politicians can be murdered but democracy must live on. The lack of a contest in Batley ran the risk of a right wing fringe party gaining momentum and a large share of the vote. That they didn't was due to there being too many such parties, which was in turn, down to luck rather than design. A high turn out due to the voters thinking they had something to vote for in a proper contest would have been a more fitting tribute to Ms Cox. It may even have put Tracy Brabin under pressure to reveal some policy positions. Your description of the recent by-election in Batley serves to confirm in my mind that the tradition of contested by-elections in the event of such tragedies is the right one and we should return to it.Alnoreply@blogger.com