Jim McMahon swept to byelection triumph,but the result also marks the Labour leader’s first electoral test; one where the Tories were beaten into third place“A vote of confidence in the Labour party,” said a relieved Jeremy Corbyn of his party’s victory in the Oldham West and Royton byelection final night. It was his first electoral test as leader and he passed. After a week in political hell, or the sight of cheering supporters and waving rosettes must have been comforting beyond all expectation. He had the added joy of seeing the Tories beaten yet again into third place by Ukip,in a town where immigration has long been a running political sore. For the Tories the feeble hobgoblins remain.
The occupational disease of Westminster analysts is reading too much into byelections. They despise it when uppity local voters offend their expectations. There have been as many Liberal Democrat and Ukip “novel dawns” as there have been Monster Raving Loony candidates. But voters in byelections are not selecting governments, nor necessarily passing judgment on national leaders. Sometimes they even vote for the candidate.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com