Lib Dems gain Cambridge
May 6th, 2005For definite. 4,300 majority - that’s one hell of a swing (15%) from Labour to Lib Dem. The student vote (in 2001 the election was slap bang in the middle of exams) was no doubt one factor, but even that can’t take all of it into account, surely. I feel sorry for Anne Campbell, she didn’t have a perfect voting record but she was one of the better Labour MPs, and (from the two occasions I met her), a nice person to boot.
And with that, I am going to bed. Sorry for polluting the blog with a million entries. Normal service to resume at some point.
May 6th, 2005 at 10:28:43
In the Milton Road / Gilbert Road area the Lib Dems definitely won the battle of the signs - many verging on the “Surely you need planning permission for that?” and even “That would be a dining table for 8 afterwards, if it weren’t made of corrugated plastic.”
Interesting comparison of the election coverage. BBC vs. ITV was just like Tory vs. Labour - you had a choice of Dimbleby or er… Dimbleby. Our computer graphics are wizzier! Our rent-a-professor is cleverer yet also more media friendly! Our political correspondent is better! We have a celebrity party on the Thames / London Eye vs. we have live public art in Gateshead! Also it was a bit like the Top 40 - BBC has the authority so ITV has to come up with some gimmick (We’re first!) to grab some audience.
Dimbleby on ITV kept saying things like “our chief political correspondent, a man at the very top of his game” - almost embarrassing. As was the absurd breathlessness he seemed to think was necessary - I switched off at 11 and wonder how long he kept it up.
Went to sleep listening to Radio 4 - basically the Today programme crowd plus friends. No silly computer graphics. No puff. Just news and analysis i.e. substance over packaging. I’m glad to see at least part of the BBC is keeping to its better traditions and fighting off the forces of crass populism. Bah humbug.
May 6th, 2005 at 10:33:56
Forgot to put in my previous post. Ann Campbell knocked on our door, and got my wife. AC said “Are you going to vote Labour?” to which the reply was “No, I’ll be voting Lib Dem. I’m a teacher and I don’t like what Labour have done to education”. AC had the grace to say “I can’t argue with that” and left. She seemed to class education with Iraq as an indicator of a lost cause on the doorstep, which I found interesting. Like you said, in a way it’s a shame she’s gone as she was one of the better Labour MPs, but that’s the system she and we are saddled with.
Don’t get me started about the poor correlation between percentage of votes and percentage of seats. Grrrrrrrrr… At least ID cards are less likely to get through parliament now.
May 6th, 2005 at 23:36:47
Anne did say she was going to vote against top up fees right until she voted for them; I imagine that her betrayal of the student vote over that issue will have played strongly.
May 7th, 2005 at 01:08:32
A great night for the accountability of politicians. Despite all her good work, Anne Campbell lied over her intentions with fees. Twice. She was, rightly, made to suffer for it — this is democracy at its best. Good work Cambridge (and congratulations to Dr Howarth).
May 7th, 2005 at 12:30:16
…except that although Anne Campbell voted that way in the House, she had nothing to do with drawing up the bill, nor will her departure from the House prevent the top-up fees Bill becoming law. Campbell is little more than a sacrificial lamb.