Alan's Green Thoughts

Readers, the results of British local by-elections that took place on 27 September 2018 were as follows: Lichfield DC, Stowe: Conservative 499 (44.1%, -0.8%), Labour 440 (38.9%,+12.7%), Liberal Democrats 193 (17.0%, -1.9%). [Greens and Something New did not stand] Nottingham UA, Clifton North: Conservative 1311 (47.7%, +13.8%), Labour 928 (33.8%, -5.0%), Nottingham Independents 307 (11.2%), Liberal Democrats 92 (3.3%), Green 64 (2.3%), Bus Pass Elvis Party 46 (1.7%). Conservative gain from Labour. [UKIP and a different independent did not stand] Salford MBC, Eccles: Labour 1071 (54.6%, -5.8%), Conservative 474 (24.1%,+2.1%), Liberal Democrats 156 (7.9%, +2.1%), Green 123 (6.3%, -0.1%), UKIP 100 (5.1%, +0.5%), WEP 39 (2.0%). All changes are since May. [TUSC did not stand] Recently, the Conservatives' loss of a by-election in the ward of Wollaton West, which up to 2015 was their last reliable stronghold in the city of Nottingham, created the impression that they would be wipe...

The New Brunswick general election of 2018 is another psephological watershed for Canada-it is the first election to give a result with two parties holding the balance of power instead of one, and could result in the first official coalition at provincial level in Canada. The Green Party of New Brunswick consolidated well on David Coon's breakthrough in Fredericton South, although not anywhere else in Fredericton itself. The ridings they won in addition to Fredericton South, where David increased his majority to 36.3% and his vote share to 56.7%, were some distance from Fredericton; they were Kent North and Memramcook-Tantramar, which was won by just 17 votes. They also finished a good second in the safely Liberal riding of Restigouche West through the personal vote of Charles Theriault, who had achieved an excellent result for an Independent candidate in 2014 in the same riding. However, the unfortunate reason they failed to make a breakthrough in the promising riding of Frederi...

Readers, the results from British local by-elections from 20 September 2018 were as follows: East Devon DC, Ottery St Mary Rural: Independent 755 (59.4%), Conservative 421 (33.1%, -10.9%), Liberal Democrat 51 (4.0%), Green 24 (1.9%), Labour 20 (1.6%). Independent gain from East Devon Independent Alliance, who did not contest the by-election. Epsom & Ewell BC, Nonsuch: Residents' Association 766 (68.0%, +8.8%), Conservative 227 (20.2%, -5.2%), Liberal Democrats 92 (8.2%,-0.5%), Labour 41 (3.6%, -3.2%). Luton UA, Limbury: Labour 692 (48.3%, -13.5%), Conservative 396 (27.7%, -10.5%), Liberal Democrats 344 (24.0%). Suffolk Coastal DC, Wenhaston & Wettleston: Conservative 431 (50.6%, -2.6%), Liberal Democrats 340 (40.0%, +16.3%), Green 80 (9.4%). Winchester DC, Upper Meon Valley: Conservative 1039 (51.6%, -15.2%), Liberal Democrats 905 (44.9%, +26.1%), Labour 39 (1.9%, -12.5%), Green 31 (1.5%). All changes are since 2016. Wyre Forest BC, Bewdley & Rock: Conservat...

Readers, the results of the British local by-elections that took place this week were as follows: Cambridge BC, Petersfield: Labour 873 (47.9%, -10.4%), Liberal Democrats 663 (36.4%,+16.3%), Green 171 (9.4%, -3.5%), Conservative 115 (6.3%, -2.5%). All changes are since May. Charnwood BC, Birstall Wanlip: Conservative 492 (47.1%, +6.2%), Labour 340 (32.6%, +5.1%), Liberal Democrats 128 (12.3%, -19.4%), UKIP 50 (4.8%), Green 34 (3.3%). Lambeth LBC, Coldharbour: Labour 1789 (58.2%, +3.0%), Green 912 (30.5%, +12.3%), Liberal Democrats 148 (5.0%, +0.5%), Conservative 119 (4.0%, -1.4%), Women's Equality Party 47 (1.6%), UKIP 21 (0.7%). Maidstone BC, Headcorn: Conservative 686 (57.3%, -17.5%), Liberal Democrats 409 (34.1%, +19.7%), Labour 63 (5.3%, -5.5%), Green 40 (3.3%). New Forest DC, Pennington: Conservative 497 (42.0%, -11.6%), Liberal Democrats 420 (37.6%, +11.6%), Independent (Jearrad) 144 (12.2%), Labour 97 (8.2%, -12.2%). Pembrokeshire UA, St Mary North: Independent (...

The final recommendations for new constituency boundaries in Britain were published yesterday by the Boundary Commission for England, and the list of constituencies can be found here: http://bce-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/consultation-documents/1536567023_Final%20recommendations%20constituency%20list%20%28with%20wards%29%20%281%29.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJG2X7BQ35X2H7LAA&Expires=1536695229&Signature=Dd3wJBEc1xjGsgsPKOHDvvQ0X3w%3D Whilst many of the more incoherent proposals lacking in common sense, such as "Mid Kent & Ticehurst", were removed from the list of finalised constituencies, the laws the Boundary Commission were constrained by, especially the 5% variance limit, forced them to keep constituencies that under older and more relaxed rules would never have been approved. They generally refused to split wards even when it was in practice necessary to produce coherent constituencies. Considerable numbers of these revised constituencies can be more accurately...

(NB: S=Social Democrats, M=Moderates, SD=Sweden Democrats, C=Centre, V=Left Party, L=Liberals, KD= Christian Democrats, MP=Green Party, FI=Feminist Initiative, OVR= other parties) The Swedish general election of 2018 proved to be sensational in many ways, and it also showed how divided Sweden is on key issues on immigration. Sweden is thought by some to be a typical socio-democratic and very socially liberal society. But the truth is much, much more complicated. Immigration proved to be one of the most prominent issues of the election, if not the most prominent. Sweden, with a population of just 10 million, takes in 163,000 immigrants each year, the highest in proportion to its current population. Many older and rural Swedish people have felt anxious about potential changes to their way of life as a result, which has resulted in a significant gradual rise in support for the nationalist, anti-EU, and right-wing populist Sweden Democrats. Until 2010 when it first entered the Ri...

Readers, the results of British local by-elections from this week were as follows: Carlisle BC, Denton Holme: Labour 647 (62.5%, +1.4%), Conservative 254 (24.5%, -3.4%), Green 78 (7.5%, -3.5%), UKIP 57 (5.5%). All changes are since May. Cumbria CC, Denton Holme: Labour 625 (59.1%, -0.9%), Conservative 292 (27.6%, +0.6%), Green 94 (8.9%, +1.9%), UKIP 46 (4.4%, -1.6%). Fife UA, Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay (1st preference votes): Conservative 2309 (37.3%, +0.7%), SNP 1741 (28.1%, -2.7%), Labour 744 (12.0%, -4.8%), Liberal Democrats 566 (9.1%, +4.1%), Independent (Collins ) 521 (8.4%), Green 257 (4.2%, +0.7%), Independent (MacIntyre) 40 (0.6%), Libertarian 13 (0.2%). Conservative gain from Labour at stage 8. Tameside MBC, Ashton Waterloo: Labour 889 (52.5%, -7.1%), Green 448 (26.4%, +11.8%), Conservative 357 (21.1%, -4.7%). All changes are since 2016. The adverse press and social media coverage the Green Party received last week over issues relating to Aimee Challen...