Local by-election results (from 20/02/14) and other thoughts

The result of the only local by-election from yesterday featuring a Green candidate was as follows:

Lab 1201 (41.7%), Plaid Cymru 972 (33.7%), Con 381 (13.2%), Green 148 (5.1%), TUSC 101 (3.5%), Lib Dem 80 (2.8%).

In 2012, Cardiff Green Party had performed well, particularly in Cathays where it was close to winning council seats under the help of former Young Greens co-chair Sam Coates (now a county councillor in Oxfordshire). It is rather unfortunate that much of Cardiff Green Party's activity has ceased, given Plaid Cymru's low potential in Cardiff and in much of the eastern parts of Wales, especially Monmouthshire. This decline in activity, as well as Labour's bad deeds on Cardiff City Council, and also Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood's ecosocialist stance which can attract Green voters, helped Plaid Cymru come within a good distance of being able to win a seat in this ward next time around.

As for the other by-election in Birstall in the district of Charnwood, the Liberal Democrats were able to win it in spite of their low ratings nationally because of good organisation and their part and poor organisation on Labour's part, even though many constituencies in Leicestershire are either targeted or defended significantly by Labour from time to time, given the classic marginality of much of the East Midlands.

Regarding the ongoing troubles in Kiev, Ukraine which have dominated the news for the past week, it has just emerged that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych will call an early election to 'restore national unity'. However, given the past behaviour of Mr. Yanukovych, I must unfortunately say that I have no confidence that the said early election will be free or fair-recent Ukrainian elections have shown clear evidence of electoral fraud, mostly by supporters of Mr. Yanukovych, which is partly connected with the consequent jailing of former leader Yulia Tymoshenko on largely spurious charges that happened. I can only hope that he is ousted from power, and not by a leader of a pro-EU party-as I have said before on this blog, Ukraine must determine its own course and it should kowtow to either Russia under Vladimir Putin or the EU under Jose Barroso.

 Alan.

 







 

 

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