Things can only get better?

Those Newark election results in full, lovingly pilfered from the Grauniad website:

Robert Jenrick (C) 17,431 (45.03%, -8.82%)
Roger Helmer (Ukip) 10,028 (25.91%, +22.09%)
Michael Payne (Lab) 6,842 (17.68%, -4.65%)
Paul Baggaley (Ind) 1,891 (4.89%)
David Kirwan (Green) 1,057 (2.73%)
David Watts (LD) 1,004 (2.59%, -17.41%)
Nick The Flying Brick (Loony) 168 (0.43%)
Andy Hayes (Ind) 117 (0.30%)
David Bishop (BP Elvis) 87 (0.22%)
Dick Rodgers (Stop Banks) 64 (0.17%)
Lee Woods (Pat Soc) 18 (0.05%)
C maj 7,403 (19.13%)
15.46% swing C to UKIP
Electorate 73,486; Turnout 38,707 (52.67%, -18.69%)

Contrary to the line that we reached peak-UKIP a couple of weeks ago, the beyond-yucky prospect of UKIP sex scandals doesn't seem to have done the acceptable face of electoral racism any harm whatsoever. And that UKIP swing didn't just come from Tory voters, and I strongly suspect that the true extent of Labour's trouble here is concealed by 2010 Lib Dem voters switching to Labour.

Labour won Newark in 1997.

Friday Video Corner

Good riddance

Ordinary people in Spain have suffered more than many others in the aftermath of the financial crisis. I suppose, then, that it is some comfort that their Parasite-in-Chief has abdicated.

Right now, however, I want to call shenanigans on the 'man who oversaw the transition to democracy' narrative being weaved by the press. The simple truth about the Spanish monarchy is that it would not exist were it not for Franco. That dictator, himself a monarchist (in classically fascist fashion, the Spanish State was an emergency measure, for a state of exception), stole Spain from the Republic, and made it once again safe for its aristocracy.

All monarchy is drenched in blood. In the case of Spain, the blood is barely dry.

Sunday Quicky - Answer this

A question for you. The London Borough of Barnet has one of the nastiest Tory Councils in the country, intent on privatisation and social cleansing. The Tories have just held it by the narrowest of margins*. Here are the results from the key Childs Hill ward:

Local election results 22 May 2014- Childs Hill

Name of candidate	Description (if any)	Number of votes recorded
AJAKAIYE Ade	Labour Party Candidate	1408
COHEN Jack Bernard	Liberal Democrat	1509 (elected)
DAVIES Jonathan Maurice	Liberal Democrat	1198
GROVER Rohit Roshyan	Conservative Party Candidate	1500
HENRY Charlotte Alexandra	Liberal Democrat	1222
MARASCO Francesco Edoardo	Green Party	501
PATEL Nila	Labour Party Candidate	1381
RYDE Shimon	Conservative Party Candidate	1544 (elected)
SMITH Andrew	Labour Party Candidate	1463
ZINKIN Peter	Conservative Party Candidate	1536 (elected)

You'll note that the difference between the highest Labour vote and the lowest Tory vote is easily less than the Green candidate's vote.

Now, tell me this - I'm particularly interested in the views of those leftists who advocated a Greeen vote - what was achieved by voting Green in this ward? Or indeed by the Greens standing at all?

This post is really just a forerunner of a more thorough discussion of why I think it is still right for socialists to vote Labour, and for that matter to be in Labour, but this kind of thing really annoys me.




*One seat. Voting in a safe Labour ward was delayed because of the death of a candidate.