by Suff » 14 Dec 2016, 14:28
I'm not sure that it was brave enough or bright enough. They simply did not believe that they would lose and certainly not by such a large margin on such a large turnout.
Nobody did. Had the US election been a year earlier, we might have found a slightly different approach.
Everybody from the pollsters to the EU ministers who lied their collective backsides off, about the influence of the UK in the world, thought they'd "done the job" and there was nothing more to worry about.
This is one of those historical "whoops" moments when the little man came back and instead of nibbling at the ankles of his betters, rose up and bit his gonads off....
OK it might have been for all the wrong reasons and all on a picture of the world which was skewed and warped. But I do contend that so was the other side and that, even with hard brexit, those who voted to get out will not be that unsatisfied with the result.
I would say the largest dissatisfaction would happen in a "soft bexit" mewling capitulation of our elite, dragging us back into the morass we had the courage to step out of.
That, I think, will create the largest dissatisfaction of all and, I believe, Labour will pay the most political penalty for it.
I saw the Gruniaad trying to spin the latest by election in North Kesteven by picking interviews with people who were supportive of Labour and not supportive of Conservatives. 2nd to 4th.... Yep, spin that! This is where I was born, where I went to school and to college, the first time. If you had told me, 30 years ago, that Labour would come 4th anywhere in Lincolnshire, I'd have laughed at the thought.
UKIP second? No brainer. Most of Lincolnshire was a 75/25 Leave/Remain. But Labour was really mauled. It would have been interesting to see how bad it would have been if it had not been at general election turnout levels. Labour only just fended off the highest independent by 500 votes.
If these vulnerable Labour MP's don't start standing up and calling their Remoaner colleagues for idiots, they're going to get hurt. Sadly their colleagues, who are causing this damage, will probably be safe.
Much as I'd like to see northern Labour MP's replaced with Tory EUskeptics, there is a balance to maintain and the Tories have proven that they can't be trusted with a large majority any more than Blair could. UKIP, maybe, but, still, it doesn't give a good solid opposition.
Ah well. We can assume that there will be some political asswhacking in the months and years to come as by elections intrude.
Interesting point to take away. Most parties, in power, tend to lose by elections all the way up to general elections. Zak Goldsmith? Expected. North Hykeham and Sleaford +0.2% no so much so.
There are 10 types of people in the world:
Those who understand Binary and those who do not.