Thursday 6 June 2019

PETERBOROUGH BY-ELECTION UPDATES

02:36

Calling it a night now.  If you've enjoyed the coverage please show your appreciation with a small donation (the button on the right underneath the heading "SUPPORT US").  Thanks for following.

02:34

Spotted two almost identical slogans in the aftermath of this result.

1) Vote Tory get Corbyn (from the Brexiteers)
2) Vote Brexit get Corbyn (from the Tories)

02:29

Andrew Neil went a bit easy on Lisa Forbes there, but it's clear looking at the evidence he presented that Peterborough just elected an anti-Semite.  Very worrying times for the Jewish community in this country.  Hate to say it, but the word 'pogrom' springs to mind again.

02:25

John Curtice with some home truths for Labour.

02:23

Meanwhile, spinning the result...

02:22

Mike Greene of the Brexit Party is speaking now.  He's savvy and confident.  I wonder how Peterborough would have voted if they could have seen Forbes and Greene go head-to-head in a hustings (she bottled it).

02:17

Dreadful interview, how'd she get selected?  You'd think they'd have learned the lesson from the last disastrous candidate they selected for Peterborough

02:15

Lisa Forbes' face has gone as red as her jacket.  She's a disgrace.

02:14

Sophy Ridge is currently putting some awkward questions to the new MP about her alleged anti-Semitism.

02:09

Labour majority was just 683.

02:06

Disgusting speech by someone who will now go to Parliament and work to overturn Peterborough's Leave mandate.  Peterborough voted to Leave.

02:05

Look at how the Lab-Con votes have plummeted.

02:01

RESULT

Lisa Forbes (Labour) 10,484
Mike Greene (Brexit) 9,801
Paul Bristow (Con) 7,243
Beki Sellick (Lib Dem) 4,159
Joseph Wells (Green) 1,035
John Whitby (UKIP) 400

02:00

LABOUR HAS WON

01:57

Labour activists are very noisy off to the side of the podium.  Here's the result now.

01:56

All cameras are on the podium now.

01:54

Cracking effort for a party that is only a couple of months old, but they were up against an experienced horde of seasoned activists.

01:52

Declaration 'imminent'.  So no recount then.

01:50

Grimesy tweets.  Top bloke Grimesy.

01:48

If Farage has really left the building then it's pretty obvious what the result will be.

01:46

Presumably a 'provisional' result could lead to a recount.  Would be nice to get some sleep at some point.

01:44

'Provisional' result imminent!

01:43

Not good.

01:40

Declaration in around half an hour.  Some votes are currently being recounted.  Brace yourselves for disappointment.

01:37

You simply can't underestimate the power of the Muslim block vote.  I was told years ago that "even dead Muslims vote".  Yes, and they vote Labour.

01:35

If we don't leave the EU in October, the Brexit Party could potentially take Labour seats in the north of England.  Maybe even the Midlands and Wales too.  A Labour/SNP government is not set in stone.

01:29

Corbynistas are cock-a-hoop on Twitter.  Not good.

01:28

Sky News reports that 'sources' in the Brexit Party have told them that Labour has won by around 500 votes.

01:27

Little Owen has also tweeted that Labour has won.  Not good.

01:25

Aaron Bastani, the really dull Marxist commentator, has confidently announced on Twitter that Labour has won.

01:24

Not good.

01:19

It's all very tense right now, but worryingly no-one is suggesting that the Brexit Party has it.  Most people are saying "too close to call" while others are calling it narrowly for Labour.  Not good.

01:16

The Lib Dems reckon they've beat the Tories into fourth.  Embarrassing.

01:11

Despite reports to the contrary, the Brexit Party candidate Mike Greene is now inside the count.  But no Farage.  Not good.

01:10

Let's hope this is not a winning candidate.

01:09

The narrative in the last half hour certainly seems to be swinging towards Labour.  Not good.

01:07

Labour's horrendous candidate has arrived.  Is she draped in a Palestinian flag?

01:06

Still no sign of Farage.  Not good.

01:04

The panel currently appearing on This Week all agree that the election is too close to call, except for Lib Dem Tom Brake.  His sources suggest Labour have nicked it.

01:00

'Tis confusion.  A recount?  Must be close if they're talking about that dreadful word.

00:59

Little Owen has tweeted 'praying hands' emojis.  Good sign.

00:55

Can't Farage's driver find a parking space?  Or is he just circling the count until there's some indication of which way it's going.

00:50

Katie says heads are down in the Brexit Party.  Not good.

00:49

That daft new poll in full.  Change UK on zero per cent.  Can't recall ever seeing zero per cent in a poll.

00:47

Brexit Party candidate Mike Greene has reportedly just arrived outside the count.  Will Farage be with him?

00:45

Jess Phillips asks why there is a metal detector at the count.  Well, with 10% of Peterborough's population from your beloved 'religion of peace', can't think why Jess.

00:43

Jeremy looked as comfortable as ever commemorating our fallen yesterday.

00:40

Andrew Neil:  "The Mayor of London appears to matter more to the President than he does to most Londoners".  Class.

00:39

We are awash with polls at the moment.  The reality is that come a general election most people would flock back to the Lab-Con parties to cancel the other one out.  We are still in a two-party system and the only way that will change is if we don't leave the EU this year.

00:33

'Rumours'.  Pay no heed.

00:30

Katie Hopkins (off the Apprentice) tells the Cambridge News why she is at the count:

"I’ve watched Peterborough really closely.  I love that the people of Peterborough went out to vote to get rid of Fiona Onasanya because they cared enough.

“So not only did they go out to vote to get an MP, they then went out and voted to get rid of an MP, because I feel that Peterborough has a sense of British justice and what’s right and wrong, and it’s not right to be in Parliament voting with an ankle tag on.

“I love that the people of Peterborough did that.  Then there’s the momentum behind this, the idea that the Brexit Party might have their first MP.

“There’s a very strange thing going on in the town centre.  All of the momentum, all of the noise is Brexit party.  The noise and the media bubble is Brexit Party.

“But behind the performance on the stage, the machinery and mechanics of the vote goes to Labour.  I’ve seen them today and their machine is powerful.”

00:26

No sign of Farage yet.  Not good.

00:25


00:24

BBC reporter for This Week says he is getting 'mixed messages' from Labour and the Brexit Party on how the count is proceeding.

00:22

If Labour win it won't change the mathematics in the Commons, it will be Remainer for Remainer.  That's why it's imperative that the Brexit Party wins this.  Remember that Fiona Onasanya won the day by one vote in the last Brexit blocking bill.

00:20

Not good.

00:14

Stella Creasy just listed "all" the Brexit options on This Week.  They were: General election or second referendum.  That's how remoaners see it.

00:09

The votes are now being allocated per candidate.  We will start to get an idea soon which way the seat is headed.

00:08

Piers Morgan is being very cocky about his Question Time appearance, bragging all over Twitter.

00:07

It's all gone quiet.

23:59

Facebook page is close to 77k likes.  Was only saying to t'other half a few days ago that we'd passed 76k.  Thanks a lot for your support.

23:57

Wow, this very disturbing video just popped up in our Twitter feed.

23:55

Michael Portillo (on This Week) is spot on.  The Brexit Party would take votes from Labour as well as the Tories in a general election, but only if Brexit doesn't happen.  If we leave in October the Brexit Party will nosedive as did UKIP after June 2016.

23:51

This is how Peterborough voted in the Euro elections, but the boundaries are different for Parliamentary elections.

Brexit: 38.3%
Lab: 17.2%
Lib Dem: 15.4%
Con: 10.9%
Green: 10.8%
UKIP: 3.6%

23:48

This is good.  Nigel Farage expected to attend shortly.  He wouldn't be there if his party didn't have a shout.

23:44

A rather high turnout for Peterborough at 48.4 per cent.  There was also a 69.4 per cent turnout for postal votes.

This is not good.  Labour have a well-oiled canvassing machine and will have got their vote out, plus we know where at least 95% of those postal votes are going...

23:42

Just to confirm, we'll keep going until there is a result.  Unless there's a recount.

23:38

Still don't know why Katie Hopkins is at the count, but she reckons the result will come around 2am.

23:35

Piers Morgan is nailing it tonight.

23:33

Kate Hoey continues to shine in a cesspit of Labour filth.

23:32

Not good.

23:30

Better late than never!

23:29

Question Time-related tweet.  Spot on.

23:27

A reporter has just said that the result may not come in until 3am at the earliest.  In the European elections the Peterborough result was already announced by now.  Turnout must be very high.

23:21

All five panelists on Question Time tonight backed Remain in the referendum, although Piers Morgan is very vocal about respecting the vote.

23:16

All the ballot boxes have now arrived at the count.  That took some time didn't it?  Polls closed over an hour ago!

23:12

Brexit Party all over the count, other parties short of counting agents?

23:10

From the Cambridge News:

Peterborough North votes are being counted as are Bretton, Paston & Walton and the Peterborough West votes.

Rumours are starting to circulate about how the vote will swing.

So far I’ve heard rumours that the Brexit Party may win by several votes, but could also lose to Labour.

There’s a real air of uncertainty here as people try to predict the outcome of this momentous by-election.
23:07

Katie Hopkins off the Apprentice is wandering around the count.  Not sure why.

23:05

Better.


23:04

Yep.

22:57

Not good.

22:55

Going to be close?  Sounds ominous.

22:53

He's gone now, why is this muppet still wittering on?

22:49

All together - who are ya?

22:46