A Place to Stand

     This was the result of the Cowdenbeath by election.

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Alex Rowley	11,192	55.78	+9.28
	SNP	Natalie McGarry	5,704	28.43	-13.17
	Conservative	Dave Dempsey	1,893	9.44	+2.44
	UKIP	Denise Baykal	610	3.04	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Jade Holden	425	2.12	-1.78

     On the one hand we thrashed the "LibDems" and the Greens didn't even dare to stand so that makes us clear 4th, despite never having stood there before. On the other hand the Tories actually gained votes and the overall turnout at 38.41% was abysmal and makes "they're all crap" the real winner.

     "It would have been nice if UKIP had beaten the Tories too but the party recently went through a reorganisation here and weren't at our best. Also the fact that the BBC "balanced - our Charter legally requires it" deliberately excluded UKIP from debate and included the LDs must have cost a few % points.

Expect a public apology from the BBC, invitations on a few dozen programmes and an assurance that they will not censor against UKIP & in favour of the LDs as soon as the BBC obey the law and stop being a wholly corrupt state propaganda instrument. But don't expect that any time soon.

Pity the Greens, who get massive, entirely supportive, coverage from the state broadcaster were scared to stand since we have long outpolled them 3:1."

       On the Newsnight debate for the previous by election they included 5 candidates though, as Peter Adams pointed out on air, the beeboid managed to avoid inviting him to answer as he did the others. This time they just kept it to 4 which clearly was "unbalanced".

      I suspect this does show that there are an awful lot of votes out there but we have to offer some real policy meat, directed specifically at Scotland. Bearing in mind how totally devoid of ideas Scottish politicians are I think that is not a difficult problem. Apart from having the world's most destructive "Climate Change Act", an idea unanimously endorsed by all 5 old parties and deliberately intended to push up prices and fuel poverty, new ideas are scarce among the old parties. - the only one I can think of off hand was the SNP promise to cut corporation tax to Irish levels at the election before last, which they ignored after winning and have essentially dropped.

     However I do think the BBC and others, who at least pretend to impartiality, will now take a little care about showing their bias. It is now impossible to invite either the LDs or Greens but not UKIP without displaying total bias. Cynically I suspect this means the LDs will be less often on air (as has previously happened to the Greens, rather than actually allowing Britain's 3rd party to speak. Newsnight's next "debate" may be limited to 3 players. And next tear to 2 as we pass the Conservatives.
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  On what some may think the major issue the SNP 13% fall us obviously disastrous. Beyond that, their tactics for the referendum have been to focus on the poorest on a "what have you got to lose" desperation strategy. If there is that sort of swing against them in traditional Labour country that suggests it isn't working.