Lambton!

(as in 3 in a bed)

Giles Radice appeared on the BBC’s second day coverage of the 1992 General Election, and talked about the campaign that Labour fought and what he thought of Ken Livingstone’s views on taxes as well I think.

2015 IMHO

Lab 56
UKIP 17
Con 15
LD 8
Others 4

It’s just come to my attention that Labour gained the Burnopfield & Dipton ward in a council by-election a week ago from the Derwentside Independents – by a majority of one vote!

Labour hold. 17,000 majority

I have just suggested on the Makerfield thread that that seat has been Labour longer than other in that Ince had Labour MPs from 1906 onward.

I have been corrected in that this seat, taken with Chester-le-Street before 1983, has also had Labour MPs since 1906. Even in 1931 the Labour majority was over 8,000.

This seat is also safer than Makerfield in that it is not on the UKIP target list (Makerfield is No. 92 on that list).

Ken Livingstone has refused to apologise after saying of Kevan Jones MP:

“I think he might need psychiatric help. He’s obviously very depressed. He should pop off and see his GP.”

Angela Eagle is said to be “fuming” at Ken’s appointment to lead the Defence review into Trident.

*Maria even. No idea if her twin is also fuming.

I found Livingstone’s comments disgusting, and his non- apology even worse. He is also lying through his teeth re: his claiming not to know of this MP’s mental health issues. His exact choice of words prove that he was being malicious.

We can expect plenty more of this as the left gets control of Labour’s policymaking mechanisms…by definition, figures outside parliament such as Livingstone will get far more power than normal because Corbyn has the support of so few MPs who could suitably serve on the front bench.

Livingstone’s comments were utterly bizzare in relation to the issue in question. If a Tory had made them they would have been strung up.

He has now apologised, not that it makes it much better. I’m actually relatively well disposed towards Jeremy Corbyn himself, but many of his hangers on are coming across as unpleasant creeps.

I spent 2 years working for a Ukrainian billionaire so I’m very experienced in that tactic….the man at the top keeps himself friendly and cerebral whilst hiring minions to do all the ass kicking.

Ken Livingstone is a very expeirienced politician. He should not have slipped on a banana skin about mental health. It is a topic politicains simpy don’t mention in relation to individuals. If you don’t mention it you can’t fall on your face over it.

It is Ken Livingstone who has been considerably damaged by this incident IMO.

Ken has plenty of form though – being anti-Semitic to a journalist etc.

Even on Newsnight he could only bring himself to say, “if anyone was upset…”

Maria Eagle won the quotes though, with, “it’s like an older man has been appointed to check my homework.”

Livingstone is what he always has been. I will leave it at that.

@Maxim North Durham is not a rural seat like Bishop Auckland and North Durham and Bishop Auckland are. As for North West Durham I can’t see the Tories getting anywhere in Consett even if they do improve in the rural wards (as appears likely) so I can’t see it ever becoming safe Tory.

Chester-le-Street just might become a type of middle class commuter base for Newcastle and Sunderland at some point in the future. Though we will probably have developed teleportation by that point which kind of renders the point mute…

I was under the impression Newton Aycliffe was the most Lab friendly part of the Sedgefield seat?

Trimdon is almost certainly the most Lab friendly part of Sedgefield, probably followed by Ferryhill. Aycliffe has had Tory councillors in recent years and does not have the same level of deprivation as Trimdon. Sedgefield Town itself is pretty blue also – certainly by County Durham standards

It is actually conceivable this seat could go Tory in the next fifty years or so providing theirs is the only candidate on the ballot, though I’d expect it to be close even then.

There is actually a small middle class commuter base in Chester-Le-Street and in south Washington though. It’s why the tories won wards during the brown years and likely some further development will happen to help them.

But it’s nowhere near strong enough for them and Stanley probably has more unicorns in it than tories. It will go Tory when Virginia Water and Gerrard’s Cross go Labour.

Countydurhamboy

Agree completely, whilst Bishop Auckland and Sedgefield are becoming credible for the Tories and Durham City could feasibly be in play with a far left Labour leadership, the chances of Durham North going blue are probably about the same as me winning the National Lottery

(although the odds are probably better than the chance of the Tories taking Easington)

Okay, scratch what I said about the Tories getting councillors in Aycliffe – looking at Wikipedia I must have been mistaking Aycliffe for Chester le Street. But I would still say that Trimdon and Ferryhill are better to Labour than Aycliffe within Segdefield consituency

And Telfrod

Telford rather