BY-ELECTIONS 15.02.24

Labour have struck a double blow to Rishi Sunak with two huge Westminster gains in Thursday's two big by-elections.  In the Gloucestershire seat of Kingswood, Labour required an 11.4 per cent swing and achieved 16.4 per cent.  In Northamptonshire the result was even more impressive.  For victory in Wellingborough, the party required at least 17.9 per cent and they smashed it with a whopping 28.5 per cent.  Election guru Professor John Curtice says the latter was the second biggest swing from Tory to Labour since the Second World War and says the results show the government is in 'deep, deep electoral trouble'.  Keir Starmer 'still looks on course to be Britain's next Prime Minister', he added.

As the Tory vote plummeted, Labour were not the only beneficiaries.  Reform UK came from nowhere in both seats to easily hold onto their deposits.  The Lib Dems lost both of theirs.

The two Labour victories may be short-lived - boundary changes mean both constituencies will disappear at the next election - but even so, these results are a devastating reminder that a Labour government is almost certainly on the way.

Kingswood Parliamentary By-Election

Damien Egan (Lab) 11,176 (44.9%) +11.5%

Sam Bromiley (Con) 8,675 (34.5%) -21.7%

Rupert Lowe (RefUK) 2,578 (10.4%) New

Lorraine Francis (Grn) 1,450 (5.8%) +3.4%

Andrew Brown (LDem) 861 (3.5%) -3.5%

Nicholas Wood (UKIP) 129 (0.5%) New

Lab GAIN from Con

Wellingborough Parliamentary By-Election

Gen Kitchen (Lab) 13,844 (45.9%) +19.4%

Helen Harrison (Con) 7,408 (24.6%) -37.6%

Ben Habib (RefUK) 3,919 (13.0%) New

Ana Gunn (LDem) 1,422 (4.7%) -3.2%

Marion Turner-Hawes (Ind) 1,115 (3.7%) New

Will Morris (Grn) 1,020 (3.4%) -0.1%

Kev Watts (Ind) 533 (1.8%) New

Alex Merola (BritF) 477 (1.6%) New

Nick the Flying Brick (Loon) 217 (0.7%) New

Andre Pyne-Bailey (Ind) 172 (0.6%) New

Ankit Love Jknpp Jay Mala Post-Mortem (Ind) 18 (0.1%) New

Lab GAIN from Con

There were also five council by-elections on Thursday and proceedings largely belonged to the Lib Dems with two strong holds and a gain from Labour.  The Tory vote was down in the three elections it contested, with Labour having mixed results, albeit they gained an independent seat in south Wales.

Tring West & Rural, Dacorum Borough Council

LDem: 899 (62.7%) +12.9%

Con: 303 (21.1%) -3.0%

Grn: 122 (8.5%) -9.6%

Lab: 109 (7.6%) -0.3%

LDem HOLD

Four Marks & Medstead, East Hampshire District Council

LDem: 1,212 (62.2%) +18.9%

Con: 736 (37.8%) -2.3%

LDem HOLD

Avenue, Hull City Council

LDem: 1,186 (45.7%) +4.3%

Lab: 1,029 (39.7%) -8.4%

Grn: 198 (7.6%) n/c

Ind: 139 (5.3%) New

Con: 43 (1.7%) -1.3%

LDem GAIN from Lab

Briton Ferry East, Neath Port Talbot Council

Lab: 287 (52.4%) +8.0%

Ind: 234 (42.7%) -1.9%

Grn: 27 (4.9%) New

Lab GAIN from Ind

Rhos, Neath Port Talbot Council

Ind: 494 (52.1%) New

Plaid: 242 (25.5%) -29.1%

Lab: 137 (14.5%) -30.9%

LDem: 60 (6.3%) New

Grn: 15 (1.6%) New

Ind GAIN from Plaid

Abbreviations

Lab = Labour

Con = Conservative

RefUK = Reform UK

Grn = Green

LDem = Liberal Democrat

UKIP = United Kingdom Independence Party

BritF = Britain First

Loon = Monster Raving Loony

Plaid = Plaid Cymru

Ind = Independent

MP BEMOANS MASK-FREE YOUNGSTERS

Labour's Diana Johnson has lashed out at young people enjoying themselves on their way home on Saturday night.  The MP for Hull North posted a picture of a crowded tube carriage on her Twitter account, describing the midnight scene as 'party time' with no masks being worn and mostly young passengers indulging in 'alcohol and smoking'.

It's not clear if Johnson took the photo herself, but there is no evidence of smoking.  There is one lad with a cigarette behind his ear, but that doesn't count!  Yes, there appears to be drinking and there definitely and most wonderfully is hardly a face mask in sight.  Tube passengers are mandated to wear face coverings by Sadiq Khan, which is no surprise given that left-wingers across the country continue to cling on to mask mandates.  Johnson herself features a masked-up emoji in her Twitter profile.

Many Twitter users responded to Johnson's tweet with comments like 'good on them' and 'great to see'.  Others complained that the MP had shared the image online without the permission of the youngsters involved.  Having retweeted her with a comment of our own, Johnson responded by hitting the block button, joining many of her colleagues who have blocked us over the years.

No great loss there.

TURNER'S HUNT FOR EMPTY SHELVES

Remoaner Labour MP Karl Turner came unstuck this week after tweeting a photo showing empty supermarket shelves.  Remainers have been trending on Twitter all week with accusations that Brexit is behind a shortage of lorry drivers and claiming that supermarket shelves are bare.

Unfortunately for Karl, eagle-eyed Twitter users clocked that the photo was from last year's panic-buying spree ahead of the first Covid lockdown.

When Twitter users rumbled the Hull MP and accused him of perpetuating fake news, Turner took off to his local Asda in an attempt to show them the real thing.  In a barely literate tweet, Turner attached three photographs showing a grand total of seven empty shelves.

Hardly the apocalyptic scene from his original tweet!  Furthermore, we will never know if this was the first supermarket he had visited or whether he had spent hours trawling across various Hull supermarkets to try and find proof of the elusive Brexit apocalypse.

In a final humiliating blow to Turner's self esteem, Asda themselves then got in touch with the MP...

Brutal.

Last month Turner's colleague Chris Bryant was forced to apologise after he tweeted a doctored image of empty shelves plastered with messages labelling Brexit voters 'thick twats' who 'probably voted Conservative too'.  However, Bryant's apology only related to the use of foul language and not the general message itself.

Shouldn't the bitterness of Remainers be receding by now?  It's been five years!

STINGS LIKE A BUTTERFLY

Last week Keir Starmer visited Kingston upon Hull for another dubious photo opportunity in which he sported Labour-embossed boxing gloves.  Joking that he would wear them 'at PMQs', he proceeded to tap away pathetically at a punch bag.  The guys at Spoofed have played with the footage and come up with a hilarious new version.

Click below for the video.

LABOUR'S QUEUE-JUMPING HYPOCRISY

Labour MPs Rosena Allin-Khan and Khalid Mahmood

Labour frontbencher Rosena Allin-Khan has been forced into a humiliating apology after she published a string of late night tweets on Saturday accusing vaccine minister Nadhim Zarhawi of jumping the vaccine queue.  In the first tweet she wrote: "I have heard rumours that @nadhimzarhawi got him and his family vaccinated in Wandsworth.  Nadhim, can you please tell us if it's true?  I really hope it's not, unless you meet the necessary criteria.  There are millions of vulnerable people waiting patiently in the queue".  In a second tweet she pleaded with Twitter users to 'avoid throwing unnecessary attacks' at Zarhawi, reminding her followers that she didn't know if the rumour was true, but that she hoped Zarhawi would clarify.

In a third message she confirmed that she had deleted her original tweet and apologised for inviting a 'pile-on' which she said was not her intention.  She added: "I await a prompt response to the email I sent him [Zarhawi] about the matter which I hope is answered in good time".  This tweet was posted at 23 minutes past midnight, less than an hour after the first.  In a fourth tweet just before 1am she announced she would confirm as and when Zarhawi responded.  Was she seriously expecting a response at such a late hour or was she, perhaps, well oiled?  Minutes later she had a complete change of heart and deleted all her previous tweets and issued a formal apology to Zarhawi and his family.  Had Sir Keir been in touch?

Prior to deleting her tweets, Allin-Khan received support from another notorious late night tweeter - Hull East MP Karl Turner.  He tweeted: "It is not an allegation.  It’s a fairly reasonable question to a Govt Minister publicaly [sic]".  Turner deleted his tweet an hour later at around half past two in the morning.

For his part, Nadhim Zarhawi accepted Allin-Khan's apology at the reasonable hour of 08:52 and confirmed that the rumour was not true.  At 53, Zarhawi is not in any of the priority groups currently eligible for the jab, but then neither is Labour MP Khalid Mahmood who received the vaccine last week.  Unlike Allin-Khan's rumour, Mahmood's queue-jumping is not in question - the MP having bragged about it on Twitter (see below).

The MP for Birmingham Perry Barr is 59 years of age, far from the over 80 age group at the front of the queue and, needless to say, he does not live in a care home or work in a hospital either.  Were his Labour colleagues Allin-Khan and Turner unaware of his blatant queue-jumping or had they conveniently forgotten?  Either way, they have left themselves open to legitimate claims of hypocrisy.

The kidney transplant to which Mahmood refers in his tweet actually took place almost seven years ago in January 2014, but many reading his tweet would be forgiven for thinking that he'd had the operation recently.  Following a backlash about his early vaccination, the MP explained how he'd managed to jump the queue.  He says he was at Queen Elizabeth Hospital with an elderly relative who was due to receive the vaccine when he became aware that 'leftover' vaccines were available: "It's not very well known, but at the end of the day any vaccine unused because people have not turned up for their appointments is made available at the QE vaccination hub - we can't afford to waste any vaccine doses.  I joined a queue at about 3pm and got a vaccine.  I understand it happens every day if there is leftover vaccine, between 3pm and 4pm.  I did not tell anyone I was an MP or ask for special treatment - it is something they do if they have doses left over, as otherwise they would be wasted.".

His explanation alarmed hospital bosses who hastily made it clear that such leftovers are not publicly available and are usually taken up by hospital staff.  Anyone who turned up at the hospital without a prior appointment would not be seen.

It is not clear how Mahmood became aware of leftover vaccines or whether he will now be entitled to receive the second dose.  What is known is that he has managed to get a jab many months before his priority group is due to be vaccinated.  Some of his constituents are quite rightly outraged, as should anyone taken in by Rosena Allin-Khan's shameless hypocrisy.

NO LESSON LEARNT FOR HULL MP

Labour's Karl Turner tends to speak before he thinks and applies the same process to social media.  The MP for Hull East tweeted the following anti-Brexit meme on Sunday, bearing in mind that his seat returned the fifth strongest Leave vote in the entire country.

Turner clearly hasn't learnt his lesson from the general election.  Going into that election he was defending a 10,396 majority in a seat that had been held by Labour since 1935.  Following the party's Brexit betrayal - which Turner enthusiastically endorsed - he lost more than eight thousand votes and almost lost the seat.  Now with a majority of just 1,239 Turner had made Hull East a Labour marginal for the first time since 1935.  And yet still he has not learnt a thing.

Remarkably Karl Turner is a frontbencher, the shadow minister for legal aid.  That such an offensive moron can make the cut exposes the lack of choice and lack of talent facing Keir Starmer.  The Labour leader is clearly determined to keep the hard left off the front benches, but with recent resignations and three and a half years of this Parliament left to run he is already facing a serious shortage of replacement options.

Ironically it is thanks in part to Starmer's own Brexit policy that he has the smallest Parliamentary Labour Party since 1935 to choose from.  It's a fair bet he will run out of moderate options long before the next election.

TURNER DELETES 'KILLER TORIES' TWEET

Labour frontbencher Karl Turner has quickly deleted a tweet in which he used the hashtag #ToriesKilledYourGranny.  The Hull East MP was responding to a tweet by Tory health minister Nadine Dorries in which she implored younger people to protect their elderly relatives from the resurgent coronavirus: "We know that a rise in the younger age groups will transfer across to those who are more at risk and vulnerable. Keep your Nan and grandad safe".

Turner replied: "How many granny's died needlessly in care homes, Nadine? #ToriesKilledyourGranny".  Dorries herself had a brush with the virus back in March, as did her 84-year-old mother, who thankfully survived.  Perhaps with this in mind, Turner deleted his tweet after just four minutes.

Unfortunately for him it was already too late.  If a tweet isn't screen-grabbed prior to deletion it is still automatically registered on the website Politwoops (see below).

As is the case with so many controversial tweets by MPs, Turner's came late at night - 23:37 on Monday - so could have potentially been alcohol-induced.  He certainly has form when it comes to regretful tweets, having deleted a whopping 5,451 according to Politwoops.  By comparison Nadine Dorries has deleted 1,745.

Turner may well have had another good reason for deleting this latest tweet.  Twelve months ago Westminster was gripped by angry scenes over the Brexit impasse with furious outbursts from Labour MPs such as Paula Sheriff and Barry Sheerman.  They were angry about 'inflammatory' language being used by the Prime Minister, primarily his use of the term 'surrender' in relation to Brexit-blocking legislation.  Karl Turner later confronted Dominic Cummings and accused him directly of being behind the PM's 'appalling tone of language'.  This coming from the man who now describes Tories as 'granny killers'.

Watch below.

MOST SHARED: WEEK 281

The hypocrisy of Hull's Labour MPs struck a chord last week as this was the most shared post via the Facebook page.  Shared 2,653 times, for the full story click here.

HULL'S LABOUR NIMBYS

Hull's MPs: Diana Johnson, Emma Hardy and Karl Turner

There's a strong whiff of hypocrisy on Humberside as Hull Labour Party are accused of NIMBYism.  The local council and three city MPs have raised objections to the presence of asylum seekers at a city centre hotel, despite the party's overwhelming support for open door migration.  In fact some of the same individuals complaining now have only very recently expressed backing for the migrant crossings.

Hull City Council, which has been controlled by Labour since 2011, has publicly lashed out at the Home Office for deciding to house up to 200 asylum seekers at the city's Royal Hotel.  Cllr Rosemary Pantelakis spoke to the Hull Daily Mail and she was keen to point out that the council had nothing to do with the decision to put the migrants in the hotel and that they objected to it: "We are keen that asylum seekers see Hull in the positive light that its residents do, as a friendly, welcoming city.  The use of the Royal Hotel is nothing to do with Hull City Council.  It is a private arrangement between Britannia Hotels, the Home Office and Mears.  The council does not receive any financial income relating to these measures.  We were informed of their plans and raised our objections to the use this site which we do not feel is appropriate, or has all the facilities".

Just to be clear, the Royal Hotel is a three star hotel based in the city centre, run by the Britannia chain and rated 'good' on Expedia and 'very good' on Booking.com.  What is not 'appropriate' about it?  What are the missing facilities?  Cllr Pantelakis did not elaborate, but went on: "Supported by the three Hull MPs we raised these objections directly with ministers.  The Home Office pressed ahead with their plans, with minor amendments.  It is not acceptable that the views of those with administrative responsibilities for the city as well as the local knowledge and insight, can just be ignored by Government.  Hull City Council is seeking to engage and meet with the provider and the hotelier to ensure we can be supportive.  Our issues are with the Home Office and it is not the fault of those seeking asylum".

The Royal Hotel

It's a deliberately mixed message that is being sent out.  On the one hand she is saying they are supportive of 'asylum seekers', while tacitly sending out a message to local people that they are not welcome and it's the Home Office to blame.  Despite representing a party that sees no limit to migration, the council know that the subject is emotive and indeed there was a protest outside the hotel on Saturday.

Also keen to send out mixed messages to voters are Hull's Labour MPs - Emma Hardy, Diana Johnson and Karl Turner.  Emma Hardy was more explicit about the impact migrants could have on the city: "Hull is a city of sanctuary and we have always offered support to asylum seekers, both through supporting formal national programmes and establishing local charities who support refugees facing persecution abroad.  This government has given no consideration to this inappropriate placement.  The number of people needing support has been increased without any thought of the wider impact on community cohesion and the resources needed to adequately help them".

This is a remarkable admission from a Labour MP.  She accepts that an influx of migrants can potentially have a negative impact on community cohesion.  Wow.  Hardy goes on to suggest that it's not just the hotel that is 'inappropriate', but Hull itself: "The city centre is totally unsuitable for the vulnerable individuals concerned and for the city because of the ongoing control measures required by Covid-19.  The Government made this decision even when Hull City Council and Diana Johnson, Karl Turner and I voiced our concerns about the suitability of the location for the vulnerable individuals concerned and for our city, but the Government refused to listen".

The hypocrisy is staggering, especially considering that these same MPs have repeatedly expressed support for so-called asylum seekers.  In the last week Karl Turner has shared numerous tweets critical of a Home Office video in which immigration lawyers are slammed for preventing deportations.  Earlier this month he retweeted a pro-migrant video with the caption: "The difference is luck".  In January Emma Hardy condemned the government's stance on unaccompanied child migrants and wrote on her website: "The UK has always been a haven for refugees fleeing situations not of their making and to not allow unaccompanied children to seek refuge in the UK is heart-breaking news".

Diana Johnson has also expressed support for the UK to take in unaccompanied children (later, of course, to be joined by their families) - joining in a call back in March to take them directly from the Greece/Turkey border.

So this Labour trio appear to find it perfectly acceptable for Kent to be flooded with unaccompanied child migrants, while adult migrants are dispersed all over the country - but don't send them to Hull please!  It smacks of NIMBYism and hypocrisy, but it is also a self serving tactic.  Support for Labour crashed in the last general election as the Brexit Party polled strongly across the city.  Two of the three Hull seats are now classed as marginals in a city that has returned nothing but Labour MPs since the 1950s.

Hardy, Johnson and Turner have an eye on the next election and if Nigel Farage can keep taking votes from Labour then their places on the Westminster gravy train could be under threat.

2019 General Election

Kingston upon Hull East

Karl Turner (Lab) 12,713 (39.2%) -19.1%
Rachel Storer (Con) 11,474 (35.4%) +5.5%
Marten Hall (Brexit) 5,764 (17.8%) New
Bob Morgan (LD) 1,707 (5.3%) +1.9%
Julia Brown (Green) 784 (2.4%) +1.1%

Kingston upon Hull North

Diana Johnson (Lab) 17,033 (49.8%) -14.0%
Holly Whitbread (Con) 9,440 (27.6%) +2.4%
Derek Abram (Brexit) 4,771 (13.9%) New
Mike Ross (LD) 2,084 (6.1%) +1.1%
Richard Howarth (Green) 875 (2.6%) +1.0%

Kingston upon Hull West & Hessle

Emma Hardy (Lab) 13,384 (42.0%) -11.1%
Scott Bell (Con) 10,528 (33.0%) +3.2%
Michelle Dewberry (Brexit) 5,638 (17.7%) New
David Nolan (LD) 1,756 (5.5%) -0.9%
Mike Lammiman (Green) 560 (1.8%) +0.8%

THE HYPOCRISY OF THESE THUGS

Anti-Boris hysteria continued throughout Wednesday over what most ordinary people would regard as fairly innocuous remarks.  Contrast what the PM said with some of the language used by Labour MPs over the last few years and it's tame by comparison.  Yes McDonnell, you're a fine one to talk.  And you too Lammy with your Nazi labels.  Let's not forget also the history of one Jeremy Corbyn in justifying actual murder on our streets by his IRA chums.  The hypocrisy is staggering, but the media is sorely lacking in exposing it.

As if to cap it all off this evening a video emerged of Labour MP Karl Turner confronting Boris Johnson's advisor Dominic Cummings.  Turner's behaviour was akin to someone about to kick off outside a pub on a Friday night, but fair play to Mr Cummings who barely budged from his rather chilled position of leaning up against a stanchion.  "Who's this guy?" he remarks to his companion, "I don't know who you are".  Watch below.

Turner appears to confuse media hype for reality.  It's highly unlikely that people are going to hear what was said by Boris and think that it was anything but innocuous.  It is a surrender bill and it is humbug to suggest that he is to blame for an increase in death threats to MPs.  If there has been an increase in death threats to MPs it is through their own actions in trying to overturn the 2016 Leave mandate.  As for Boris's assertion that the "best way to honour Jo Cox is to get Brexit done" - how is this offensive?  Jo's constituency of Batley & Spen returned a 60% Leave vote, are Labour MPs suggesting that she would not respect that vote?  Are they assuming that she would be as dishonourable as them?  The apology is not Boris's to make.

As for huge Leave votes, how about that of Karl Turner's constituency?  Kingston-upon-Hull East is the fifth strongest Leave voting constituency in the entire country (72.8%), so how on earth can he justify himself to his constituents?  There's shame and disgrace alright, and it's on your own doorstep Karl.  Perhaps that's why you can't accept criticism of your behaviour and like so many of your colleagues cannot tolerate anyone whose opinion differs from your own.

Turner's constituency is another in clear need of a Leave alliance in a general election.  He has a big majority, but just look at the UKIP vote pre-referendum.  The Tories could stand aside here and give the Brexit Party a clear run.  Leave or not on October 31, the Brexit Party will cost you Boris...

Kingston-upon-Hull East 2017 general election

Karl Turner (Lab) 21,355 (58.3%) +6.6%
Simon Burton (Con) 10,959 (29.9%) +14.0%
Mark Fox (UKIP) 2,573 (7.0%) -15.3%
Andrew Marchington (Lib Dem) 1,258 (3.4%) -3.1%
Julia Brown (Green) 493 (1.4%) -0.9%

Kingston-upon-Hull East 2015 general election

Karl Turner (Lab) 18,180 (51.7%) +3.8%

Richard Barrett (UKIP) 7,861 (22.4%) +14.3%
Christine Mackay (Con) 5,593 (15.9%) -0.7%
David Nolan (Lib Dem) 2,294 (6.5%) -16.3%
Sarah Walpole (Green) 806 (2.3%) New
Martin Clayton (Yorks Party) 270 (0.8%) New
Mike Cooper (Nat Front) 86 (0.2%) -2.3%
Val Hoodless (SDP) 54 (0.2%) New