Remember that Simon Hughes told conference in the closing session before Ming’s speech that he was planning to help in a Nottinghamshire County Council by-election on his way home?
Despite the filthy weather that day, Simon’s help clearly paid off. Today was polling day, and an intrepid count-goer has texted the result to Lib Dem Voice’s Night Editor.
Members of the Labour Party should look away now.
| UKIP | 70 | 2% |
| Con | 222 | 8% |
| Lab | 435 | 16% |
| Lib Dem | 1979 | 73% |
Congrats to all concerned, including newly elected Cllr Jazon Zadrozny. I’m sure someone will be along in the morning who can calculate swing properly, but my calculation from the results last time, where Labour had 45% of the vote and a majority of 981, it’s a swing to the Lib Dems of over 50%.
Co-incidentally, the Ashfield constituency selection advertisement should be turning up in Lib Dem News any time now.
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(Consults back of envelope) 47.5% swing Lab to Lib Dem.
The increase in the lib dem share of the vote is 58.5%.
Great result.
I make it 44%, but let’s not quibble
It must be the biggest swing to us in Nottinghamshire ever?
Are there bigger swings in other parts of the East Midlands or in other area’s of the Country?
Oh – yummy
The Conservatives have nothing to write home about, either, bearing in mind they won the Ashfield Parliamentary Byelection in 1977 (the same night Austin Mitchell took Grimsby).
Very fitting that Simon Hughes should have been a part of this. Simon won Bermondsey from Labour with (I believe) a similar swing.
“If this swing was replicated nationwide at the next General Election then there would be a Liberal Democrat majority of over 600…”
(By the way I’m not sure that Simon Hughes was necessarily a decisive factor here).
Yes, was thinking that the standard of the campaign there was probably more the decisive factor – I’ve not seen such a good campaign outside a target seat in ages – one to watch…
As for swings – I always assumed it was impossible to get a swing greater than 50% until we did it in a few wards last year while taking control of South Lakeland last year – seems to rely on coming from third place though (I’m no mathamatician). 44%’s bloody good though!
It is mathematically possible to have a swing of 100%. 44% is extremely impressive though.
(By the way I’m not sure that Simon Hughes was necessarily a decisive factor here).
I’m shocked!
These kind of swings are unusual without a local scandal, what was the story with Labour here…?
ConservativeHome worked the swing out as about 44%. If it’s not personal scandal, then I suggest a certain income tax “cut” was to blame…