Everyone at LabourHame is either asleep or nursing a headache, so feel free to post your reaction to last night’s stunning Labour victory in Inverclyde. We’ll get round to moderating the comments throughout the morning, we hope.

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21 thoughts on “Inverclyde open thread

  1. Pretty hollow victory given that the Labour majority was slashed my more than half. If a similar swich was seen in the last Westminster election there would be pretty few red seats on the map north of the border even in Westminster.

    1. Although given that Labour’s vote only dropped by two per cent since the 2010 general election, most of that reduction in majority was as a result of a lower turnout.

      1. Lower turnout and a doubling of the SNP vote share played about an equal part – this was a good result for us, but we lost voters to the SNP and only partly made them up with Lib Dems. Still got a lot of questions to answer.

        A win’s a win.

        1. Good grief, a fair assessment.

          Well said Aiden. and yes, it was a good result for ‘Scottish’ Labour – well done to all your activists and volunteers.

  2. This is an excellent result for Labour. It’s clear that the “SNP juggernaut” thought it could cruise through Inverclyde, pick up Anne McLaughlin and whisk her down to Westminster. However, despite numerous visits from Mr Salmond and the momentum from May’s result, the nats failed to secure an upset of Glasgow East by election proportions. Well done to Iain McKenzie and everyone who campaigned in Inverclyde.

    The SNP have enjoyed their party after last month’s election; let’s hope this result marks the start of the hangover.

  3. Congratulations to Labour on their win, but holding a seat in a Westminster by election in one of their rock solid heartlands with a greatly reduced majority is hardly a resounding victory.

    The tone and content of Mr McKenzie’s first speech as a new MP was fairly unedifying and I’m sure that even some Labour supporters would have cringed while listening to his rant. Hopefully for the sake of the people of Inverclyde he does not continue in this way in the future.

  4. I would like to pay tribute to the efforts of Party Workers during the Inverclyde By-Election. Without their dedication we would almost certainly have lost this. For not a great deal of money they worked long and hard to ensure a victory for Iain and his team.

    The hundreds if not thousands of Labour activisits who campaigned for Iain also deserve credit. Pounding the streets day after day in rotten weather is pretty disheartening. To have the people of Inverclyde respond in the way they did shows that all the effort was worthwhile.

    Thanks to all who took part.

  5. I think given the appalling manner in which the SNP conducted their campaign of lies on jobs, and bullying- Iain was entitled to get a few things off his chest in his speech- he certainly earned it! Let’s be in no doubt here- the SNP thought they could win and they will be gutted that they not only lost- but they lost pretty badly given that they only came within 500 votes of the Greenock seat in May.

    Well done to Iain and all involved. I only managed to get their to help three times but it’s clear the campaign organisation was a thoroughly professional and well organised campaign from the no doubt knackered party staff, the candidate and activists local or otherwise. I thought the message and tone of the materials I delivered was spot on- and the cakes in the Greenock office were great! If I have one disappointment, it was maybe the number of activists I saw coming and going when I was there. Maybe I picked a quiet time, but come on guys – if we can’t campaign for a by election which was as historically important to Labour as this then you have your priorties wrong. I only bumped into one Labour MSP on polling day. Hopefully, it was because they were all out knocking on doors.

    1. You must have picked a bad time Jason! Inundated with MSP’s, MP’s and hundreds of activists!

  6. I said before the polls closed last night that anything over a 5,000 majority would be good for us, especially on a reduced turnout. Under that figure and the SNP would claim a moral victory – as indeed Stewart Hosie was doing last night.

    I guess that anything less than a 14,416 majority would have the SNP claiming a moral victory!

  7. A poor showing by labour, especially coming so soon after the 2010 GE.

    Apathy appears to be the problem amongst the voters, the turn-out being especially poor.

    Hardly suprising as Labours record in opposition at Westminster is not exactly awe enspiring

    1. I have to agree with you. I look for political entertainment and concrete results from any and all MP’s sent from Scotland. Glad I’m not holding my breath as I consider the institution of Westminster is not geared up for democracy. Even the EU thinks our form of democracy is “primitive”.

      Couple of observations on the wider issue of Labour regeneration;

      1) get rid of the party whip! It is archaic! It effective neuters the MP and his exercise of our democratic mandate.

      2) stop hitting us over the head about how greatful we should be for Labour delivery of our parliament. Look behind the scenes and you will see the EU and “others” as key drivers in this, there was no largesse in this act from T Blair and Co. My observation:has he ever been to Holyrood?

      Just another observation or two..from afar.

  8. After his bitter rant of an acceptance speech McKenzie will dissolve to the Westminster back benches never to seen again joining the likes of other world beaters such as Lyndsay Roy and Willie Bain…what was it they both said duirng their acceptance speeches ?

    1. I think that you’ll find Willie Bain on the Front Bench and and Lyndsay Roy is very well respected both in the House and in his constituency.

      Ann McLauglin, on the other hand, would clearly have enjoyed the same stellar success as an MP as she did as an MSP. As I recall her fellow members of the SNP were so impressed they placed her eighth on their regional list.

  9. Malcolm, front bench or not ..have they delivered “change, jobs and regeneration” to Glenrothes and Glasgow NE as promised ?

    1. Has your mob? They’ve had 4 years already. The same problems are out there. But let me guess thats not the SNP’s fault. No no, it’s the fault of a westminster and local government conspiracy!

      When the Cyber-nats are done spitting their dummies out perhaps they would like to be reminded that Iain McKenzie won with over half the vote. Well done to Iain and all the activists who made the victory possible.

      1. Deary me MJL!

        “Has your mob? They’ve had 4 years already! ”

        How long has ‘Scottish Labour’ had to solve the problems they created – yet blamed on others – in Inverclyde.

        Try to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Try to understand what others say – and their reason for doing so. You don’t have to accept or agree with their view, but at least respect their right to hold that view. Colourful language [spitting their dummies out], whilst evocative, is not really appropriate.

        If you look for ‘Bad’, invariably you will find it. Move on, look for’ good’.

        PS – Would you like a list of achievements made by the Scottish Parliament in the last 4 years? (Note: I said Parliament, not SNP, not Government, Not Executive)

  10. Labour won it fair and square. Let not we CyberNats, bathed as we are in the rays of Braveheart, and gilded about with shortbread crums, be churlish on this point. Sincere congratulations are due to all their activists, workers, supporters, voters, and to Mr. McKenzie himself. He is elected by the people, and his speech was alright, certainly nothing for grown-ups to cry about. There’s a whole country out there that needs us all to make it better.

    Next time, me lads, next time.

  11. MLJ,I think you will find that the Scottish Government,even with limited economic powers at it disposal, has still managed to record a month on month reduction in unemployment over the last 10 difficult months and has now secured extra borrowing powers to accelerate capital expediture.Imagine what it could do with full or even partial fiscal automony in the short to medium term..remind us all what Labour’s stance is here ?

    As regards the bi election I think you will find Anne McGlaughlin was gracious in her post result speech as opposed to McKenzies near childish rant where he did indeed spit his “dummy out” ..a true measure of things to come in his assuredly glittering career at Westminster !

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