...that the Tories would win the (uncontested) election following the terrorist murder of Sir David Amess.
But I was wrong:
Thousands of voters in the uncontested Southend West by-election spoilt their ballot papers with messages directed at the government, according to local BBC reports.
A bit of hyperbole here - the actual total was 1084.
But even so, given the turnout was the third lowest since 1945, that tells us something...
Is anyone really surprised by lies and disinformation from the BBC?
ReplyDeleteJulia,
ReplyDeleteYou should know better than to expect accuracy, especially in poitical stories, from the Bat & Ball Club/Biassed Broadcasting Corporation (not an error).
Local government elections are sometimes fought on local issues, but often they are a forum for voters to register an opinion on national government - because "it doesn't matter". This is especially the case when the result is a foregone conclusion. The same goes for by-elections, contested or not. If the total number of votes cast against First PLUS the spoilt papers exceed the number of votes cast against Amess, then she should be worried. As it looks like the 1084 total is made up of Labour and LibDem voters as well as disaffected Tories, Firth should consider it a very positive result.
ReplyDelete"Is anyone really surprised by lies and disinformation from the BBC?"
ReplyDeleteOnce, I would have neen. No longer.
"...the Bat & Ball Club/Biassed Broadcasting Corporation (not an error)."
Indeed!
"As it looks like the 1084 total is made up of Labour and LibDem voters as well as disaffected Tories, Firth should consider it a very positive result."
Oh, I'm surte she will, but still, if enough people come out specifically to register a 'protest' imagine that replicated across the country...