October 10, 2014
Clacton and Heywood & Middleton: eight reflections
1. Heywood was not a Labour stronghold The media has made much reference to the seat being “rock solid” or “very safe” for Labour. It wasn’t. Jim Dobbin’s majority was…
All posts in: Parliamentary by-elections
October 09, 2014
Clacton and Heywood & Middleton: five things to watch for
Voters go to the polls today to choose new MPs for the constituencies of Clacton and Heywood & Middleton. For anyone planning on staying up, the result from Clacton is…
October 06, 2014
The Tories will want to play the long game in Rochester & Strood
We don’t yet have a date for the Rochester & Strood by-election, but we do have our first opinion poll. It was carried out by Survation on behalf of the…
October 05, 2014
British politics has rediscovered its love for (and obsession with) by-elections
Thursday’s by-elections in Clacton and Heywood & Middleton, plus the forthcoming as-yet-unscheduled contest in Rochester & Strood, will bring the total number of by-elections in this parliament to 21. It’s…
October 03, 2014
In Clacton and Heywood & Middleton, second place will matter more than first when the results are read out
Last week I wondered why there had been no polls conducted in Heywood & Middleton ahead of the by-election on 9 October. Well, now one has been carried out by…
September 27, 2014
Five reasons Mark Reckless will struggle to win Rochester & Strood for Ukip
1. This is not going to be a duplicate of Clacton. For one thing, as Mark Wallace says on the ConservativeHome website, “Reckless is no Carswell”. He does not have…
September 25, 2014
Clacton and Heywood & Middleton: two weeks to go
A fortnight today, voters go to the polls in the Clacton and Heywood & Middleton by-elections. Both contests have fallen out of the national headlines during the past few weeks,…
