Result just in …
First preferences:
Lib Dem 9428
Con 9105
Indy 7631
Indy 4316
Lab 3482
Green 1183
After second preferences:
Lib Dem 13352
Conservative 11543
Turnout: 30%
Many congratulations to Dave Hodgson and his team on a fantastic victory!
Update: Nick Clegg has issued his congratulations …
This is a sensational victory for Dave Hodgson and I congratulate him and the Bedford Liberal Democrats for an outstanding campaign. By electing Dave Hodgson as Mayor the people of Bedford have put their trust in the Liberal Democrats to work hard on their behalf.
“The fact that the Tories are losing in their South of England heartland is proof the General Election is not the foregone conclusion they think it is.
“Dave has lived in Bedford for thirty years and has built an outstanding record of action for local people. As Mayor he will work hard to keep Bedford’s roads safe, cut waste and make sure that the people of Bedford get the quality local services they deserve.
“People told me and Vince Cable at our visits to Bedford that they are enthusiastic about our message for real change
“This result shows how misplaced the Conservatives’ complacency about the next election really is. The Liberal Democrats have never taken a single vote for granted. With Labour lagging behind at a disastrous fifth this is yet more evidence that the real choice is now between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.”
You can watch a video of Nick congratulating Dave here:
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29 Comments
This in an area where theTories ought to have won easily, demomstrating again how soft their support is.
The LD victory raises a couple of interesting questions; will our poll ratings get a temporary boost & will the dreadful Labour performance, less than 10%, provoke yet another attempt to dump GB ?
A great result
Congratulations Dave. A great result for you and your team.
I have to say I’m surprised by the lack of media interest in this. Surely a Mayoral by-election is as newsworthy as a Parliamentary by-election?
Re. James Graham: perhaps not if it’s not in London….
That said, give the media a chance to catch up – BBC isn’t as fast as twitter
With any luck this will be an item on the evening news.
Does this result tell us anything about Henry Vann’s chances in May? http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/bedford
IIRC it is very rare for a party to leapfrog from third to first place, unless the seat is a three-way marginal.
Fantastic result. Many congratulations to Dave and his team
On that point, an interesting comment on PB.com: http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2009/10/16/continuation-thread-from-the-bedford-count/#comment-1267692
“Oh, as for Bedford- it’s a mayoral. Having worked on campaigns where we’ve been soundly beaten by a rogue cop, a monkey and a tory (Not unusual, except the previous Tory had been arrested for child abuse), and then won all the subsepquent parliamentary elections in those seats I’m pretty confident there isn’t much of a correlation between mayoral election and general election results.”
I’m surprised we haven’t had any platitudes about the impending “breakthrough” at the next GE.
“Surely a Mayoral by-election is as newsworthy as a Parliamentary by-election?”
Don’t be ridiculous.
Good result, very pleased to hear this news
@Olie
Erm, why’s it ridiculous? The mayor represents more voters than an MP, and has executive power over some public services, something an MP doesn’t. In many ways, Mayoral elections are more important than Parliamentary by-elections.
Surely that Labour person is bassing that on one case Hartlepool as there hasn’t been a Middlesborough by-election or any other parliamentary by-elections in areas with elected Mayor’s.
In reality this is an electoral test in an area larger substantially larger than a Parliamentary Constituency which Labour hold and where the Tories spent a small fortune in Ashcroft money in the run up to 2005.
And more people voted in Bedford than voted in Norwich North, despite the lack of media attention and the much lower campaign budgets.
The first story I ever read on LibDem Voice was an argument about us standing down in Bedford at the next general election in favour of a ‘Save our hospital’ candidate. This result shows why we should never (well, hardly ever) take any notice of such pressure. In 1969 Janice and Tony Lennon left university and went to live and work in Bedford in order to build up the local party. I hope they are still Liberals and can celebrate their years of hard work.
Must be particularly sickening for the Tories that they would have lost even under first past the post.
Sooner or later the Lib Dems had to win something after being completely sidelined in by-elections and losing councils and councillors year after year.
Unfortunately for the Lib Dems the Tories candidate’s selection process & tactics will not be repeated so don’t get your hopes too high.
Why does John Zims bother?
Can you hear us John? Don’t trouble yourself with posting your embittered Tory rubbish here.
It just makes us feel sorry for you.
Congratulations to Dave on being elected the new Mayor of Bedford, just hoping now that your elected you keep to your word and fulfill those promises that got you my vote as well as the votes of many others in the area.
Congratulations and keep up the good work.
David
I am so delighted for Dave and Christine. They and the team worked so hard and really deserve the victory.
I only managed to get up to Bedford three times and Matthew once, but it was such a happy, welcoming and positive campaign I was delighted to go and to encourage others to do likewise. That’s what LibDem campaigns should feel like – a pleasure AND a victory
When’s the ‘Thank You’ ready for delivery?
Another great Lib Dem result to add to our strong portfolio of electoral success this year, helping us demonstrate that we are entirely electable all over the country.
Bedfor’s website proudly proclaims: “Bedford elects it’s [sic] Mayor”!
Pity they can’t punctuate properly!!
What a wonderful and richly deserved result. Dave has helped scores of people get elected. Now, justly, it’s his turn to be the ‘decider’. I wish him great success and fulfilment in office. Dave’s personality and approach were obviously reflected in the campaign as Sara’s post describes. Bespoke campaigning – that is so important. And how right Tony Hill is, at this time, to remember the Lennons. Janice was at Maggie Clay’s memorial a few weeks ago and still as charismatic and barnstorming as ever. Living in Scotland now??? It all goes to suggest that the next general election may be not so much about targeting than about being the effective outsider … even if you are the sitting M.P..
All the best to Dave Hodgson the new L/D Mayor of Bedford.
Since,Bedford is where Paddy Ashdown was at school before he went into the Army and Special Boat Unit and learning Chinese in one year,there is a strong act to follow there.Good luck.
Let’s keep the pressure up.
As a Bedford resident, and not a Lib Dem, I am the regular ‘floating voter’ I can say that in my view Dave Hodgeson got elected not because of his political colours but because he was the best man for the job and he proved that with his campaign.
Dave got the vote he deserved because of his commitment and dedication to the borough of Bedford, not his political party, and I have no doubt that he will work tirelessly for the benefit of the people of Bedford who elected him not his political party.
Please dont get me wrong when I say this, Dave Hodgeson is the mayor of Bedford NOT the mayor of the Lib. Dem. Party!
I look forward to seeing how he shapes the future of the town and borough for the benefit of its residents and businesses.
Congratulations to David and his team. We love it when a plan comes together.
On first preference David was only some 300 votes ahead, but he got more than twice as many of the second preference votes as the Tory. As polls show 44% would vote LibDem if they thought we could win. Are those second preference votes a measure of that?
I think David is right.
Mayoral elections are much more about the qualities and track record of the individual than the party.
This was demonstrated when Dorothy Thornhill won in Watford and Dave has shown it again in Bedford.
I’m sure he will be a fine Mayor of the town.
@Olie
Don’t be ridiculous.
In fact, Dave Hodgson joins Dorothy Thornhill as without doubt to of the most powerful Lib Dems in the country, controlling multi million pound budgets. If you compare that to a by-election winner who becomes a backbench MP, he has considerabley more power, and the media should recognise that.
Let’s hope one (hidden) result of this is some lessons learned by Cowley Street. But I’m not holding my breath.
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