Disappointing end to the month for Lib Dems with this week’s council by-election
One contest. No Liberal Democrat.
Although sometimes the local circumstances behind the absence of a Liberal Democrat candidate certainly deserve support rather than censure, we also shouldn’t slip into accepting that not running candidates is just fine. It isn’t; we should aim higher even if hard pressed people can’t always succeed in reaching higher this time round.
Why does it matter? Because we can’t build up a loyal base of people who regularly support us if we don’t give them a chance to vote for us. Because we can’t practise new skills and learn new things as effectively if we don’t take the opportunities to learn on the job that by-elections offer. And because the point of being a political party rather than a pressure group, after all, is to take part in elections.
Here’s the result from Page Moss ward in Knowsley:
Page Moss (Knowsley) result:
LAB: 78.2% (+2.4)
GRN: 8.8% (-15.4)
UKIP: 8.1% (+8.1)
CON: 4.9% (+4.9)Labour HOLD.
— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) March 29, 2018
These by-election results round-ups cover principal authority by-elections. See my post The danger in celebrating parish and town council wins for your own party for the reasons to avoid straying too often into covering town, parish or community council by-elections.
But an excellent gain in Earl Shilton (Hinckley and Bosworth). The second Town Council gain there in recent months -an area where the Lib Dems have never won before even when they had a majority on the Borough Council up to 2015. Augurs well for regaining a majority on the Borough Council in May 2019 since it creates another opportunity for a Borough gain as well as the temporarily lost Wards where the Lib Dems are normally strong already. As long as the National Party don’t screw it up again as in 2015!
BUT we did have a town council gain from tories 🙂