tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post7650563046952304750..comments2023-10-27T07:50:27.411+01:00Comments on Next Left: The Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election result in contextTom Hampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917325958130851128noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-54005385398919541092011-01-15T14:24:59.372+00:002011-01-15T14:24:59.372+00:00More context; this was actually the second best fi...More context; this was actually the second best first by-election of a parliament for the official opposition since the War. That is, if you measure such things in terms of the Lab/Con swing. Only Newbury saw a higher swing. I suspect that things may look a little different if you look at just the percentage fall for the main government party (and, actually, I'm about to check that) and the massive swing will have been exaggerated by the Tories not bothering in a part of the world where they've been voting tactically for over a century, but it's not entirely meaningless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-25813953968626823342011-01-14T20:20:04.450+00:002011-01-14T20:20:04.450+00:00Labour would also have won the bye-election had it...Labour would also have won the bye-election had it been contested under Alternative Vote but with a much, much smaller majority.<br /><br />For further analysis please see<br /><br />http://fairervotesedinburgh.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/oldham-east-and-saddleworth-a-vote-for-apathy/Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11127927646232444987noreply@blogger.com