Barnsley: Lib Dem election shock

Last night’s a by-election in the political constituency of Barnsley Central was held by Labour.  The by-election was caused by the resignation and imprisonment of the former Labout MP Eric Illsley for false accounting.

By-elections so far from a General Election reveal little of the general public’s voting intention, especially on a depressed turnout; nonetheless they can often be a barometer for how political parties are viewed in the present.  If that is the case, in the Barnsley by-election the biggest losers it would appear are the Liberal Democrats, who limped in sixth, whereas at the previous three elections they came in second.

In his victory speech the newly elected Labour MP Dan Jarvis said that the result sent the strongest possible message to the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition. Dominic Carman, the Liberal Democrat candidate said his party had been ‘given a good kicking’.  

The Lib Dems candidate was placed behind the UK Independence Party, the British National Party and an Independent.  Whilst  the Conservative candidate, James Hockney came third behind UKIP.

A YouGov national poll yesterday, on peoples voting intentions at the next General Election, put the Conservatives on 36%, Labour on 42%, and the Liberal Democrats on 10%.

By-election results:

Dan Jarvis (Lab) 14,724
Jane Collins (UKIP) 2,953
James Hockney (C) 1,999
Enis Dalton (BNP) 1,463
Tony Devoy (Ind) 1,266
Dominic Carman (LD) 1,012
Kevin Riddiough (Eng Dem) 544
Howling Laud Hope (Loony) 198
Michael Val Davies (Ind) 60

Lab maj 11,771:
Turnout 36.5%

Ashok Viswanathan