BREAKING NEWS: Haltemprice by-election

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Also, David Taylor (North West Leicestershire-Lab) voted both for and against.

Ah, nice to see that some things don't change.

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Could someone explain the intricacies of the British Parliament that allow a member to vote both for and against?

There are two lobbies on either side of the Chamber; Aye votes go in one, Nay votes in the other (or is it techically government in one, voting against government in other. not sure. whatever). Votes are done by a head count, so if an M.P is quick enough...

Taylor does this a lot.

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Taylor does this a lot.

Why?

To register a protest against a given government policy in a safe way. You can't actively abstain in the Commons, sadly, and this is his way of doing it.

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How did the one UKIP member vote?

In favor.

Colour me shocked.

Amusingly, the official line of UKIP is that they are opposed. I'm not sure how they'll reconcile that with Bob Spink's vote, though.

Ah, they can just chalk it up to bitterness towards his old party.

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left-ish

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lefty

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now that's odd...

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left-ish... I think...

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left-ish

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lefties all (and Cohen is, or at least was a few years ago, openly Marxist)

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more lefties

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can never quite remember where he is. think sort of soft-lefty, not quite sure.

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dunno

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ditto

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lefty

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not a lefty, independent minded generally

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lefty, FM Rhodri's wife

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leftish IIRC

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can't remember. Irish Catholic though.

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historically speaking very much a lefty. May have returned that way now he's out of office. Rebelled quite a bit anyway.

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lefty

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left-ish, I think...

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lefty

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lefty

[Filuwaúrdjan]

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now that's odd...

Maybe he had better things to do than attend parliament?

Don't think so; he seems to be there most of the time (or maybe it just seems that way). Of course he's been something of a semi-detached Tory M.P for a while so that might explain it.

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NEC sez no Labour candidate. Not a surprise.

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NEC sez no Labour candidate. Not a surprise.

This will be the greatest by-election Britain (or the world) has ever seen.

There were a few by-elections during WWII where it was one of the major parties (unopposed by the others due to the wartime coalition) against the British Union of Fascists.

Haha, yes. Middleton & Prestwich being the most famous of those. Most lopsided result ever IIRC. (98% for the Tory or something like that).

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Also happened in 1913 (IIRC) over votes for women. Labour guy did it, his party didn't approve and narrowly lost to a Tory.

None other than George Lansbury.

Oh and, apparently, the Staggers wants to find a candidate.

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An important development! David Icke is going to stand!

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Walter Edward Sweeney, Ind

A former Tory M.P (for the Vale of Glamorgan). Unless there's another Walter Edward Sweeney.

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Socialist Equality Party (hard leftists)

Based around one of the madder Trot sects IIRC.

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And more openly racist (and more open about their roots) than the BNP.

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Talking of Trots, Terry Fields (Militant MP for Liverpool Broadgreen 1983-1992) has died aged 71.

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From the Wikipedia "did you know" thing:

... that George Hargreaves, Christian Party candidate in the forthcoming UK Parliamentary by-election [Haltemprice and Howden], has said that the dragon symbol on the Welsh flag (pictured) is "nothing less than the sign of Satan"?

He's not running again now is he One of British politics great loosers, and not in a chummy underdog way.

Yeah... his biography is frequently "special" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_George_Hargreaves

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Because of fears that 26 candidates would be too much weight for their usual temporary stage, only returning officer will be on a small platform, with the candidates standing in a large semi-circle around the platform.

lol!

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Hard to say; Haltemprice is normally a high-turnout constituency so past declaration times might not meen much. And obviously 26 candidates won't make for quick counting, even if most are total jokes. So some time after 1am, BST. But not sure when

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Sample ballot:


Polls closed, btw

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Turnout about 35%

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RECOUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111

































(to see if the Inglisch Demmykkkrat saved her deposit)

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So does that mean the English Dems saved their deposit or not

They got over 5%, so, yes.

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Gemma Garrett Miss G’Britain 521 2.18%
Mad Cow-Girl Monster Raving 412 1.73%
David Icke No party 110 0.46%
Hamish Howitt Freedom4Choice 91 0.38%
Chris Talbot Socialist 84 0.35%
Geo Hargreaves Christian 76 0.32%

lol@Hargreaves

And congratulations to Norman Scarth; everyone's favourite chainsaw-wielding maniac!

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Has there ever been more deposits lost?

Nope, don't think so.

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The Electoral Commision would tell them to go fuck themselves if the tried that.