There is no undermining the significance of the
Liberal Democrats victory in the Brent East By-election, which before
hand had been the 58th strongest Labour seat in the country.
After the polls were counted it turned out that the Lib Dems had secured
a resounding victory over the lamenting Labour Party with Lib Dems
candidate, Sarah Teather tallying up 8,158 votes compared to Labour's
7,040.
The Tories were left languishing in third place with only 3,368 votes.
However, is one single by-election victory enough of a benchmark for
the Liberal Democrats to map a course into uncharted waters that is
opposition to the government?
The Lib Dems certainly think so and none more vocally than their leader
Charles Kennedy who captains their ship on a voyage that he and his
party followers are hoping will propel them into the politically strategic
position of opposition to the government and serious contenders for
office.
Breakdown of Votes
Sarah Teather (Lib Dem) 8,158
Robert Evans (Labour) 7,040
Uma Fernandes (Conservative) 3,368
Noel Lynch (Green) 638
Brian Butterworth (Socialist Alliance) 361
Khidori Fawzi Ibrahim (Public Services Not War) 219
Winston McKenzie (Independent) 197
Kelly McBride (Independent) 189
Harold Immanuel (Independent Labour) 188
Brian Hall (UK Independence Party) 140
Iris Cremer (Socialist Labour Party) 111
Neil Walsh (Independent) 101
Alan Howling Lord Hope (Monster Raving Loony Party) 59
Aaron Barschack (No description) 37
Jiten Bardwaj (No description) 35
Rainbow George Weiss (www.xat.org) 11
Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather
| Sarah Teather |
 |
| Sarah
Teather after her stunning victory in the Brent East By-Election |
Sarah Teather's victory in the Brent East by-election
has made her the youngest Member of Parliament in the House of Commons
at the age of 29.
Born in London in 1974 she is the eldest of three children and studied
pharmacology at St John's College, Cambridge.
She joined the Liberal Democrats 10 years ago (1993) while still at
Cambridge and has moved up the ranks to become a councillor at Liberal
Democrat-controlled Islington in North London.
With experience in both the private and public sector it's needless
to say that she is and will remain to be one of the most valuable
assets to the Liberal Democrat movement.
What the media said
 POLL
AXED: Labour humiliated, Tories annihilated. (Daily Mirror)
POLL DISASTER: Blair and IDS hold emergency inquests as Lib-Dems win
Brent East ... Blair calls for inquest into Brent by-election disaster.
(Evening Standard)
BLAIR'S DISASTER: Tony Blair suffered his biggest disaster early today
when the Lib Dems won a key by-election ... Labour candidate Robert
Evans saw the party's huge 13,000 majority wiped out when he picked
up a mere 7,040 votes. (The Sun)
The Liberal Democrats staged a sensational byelection victory ...
that will shake Tony Blair's confidence. (The Guardian)
Charles Kennedy is celebrating a remarkable triumph. (Peter Kellner)
Labour suffered a severe rebuff from the voters ... Charles Kennedy's
party pulled off one of its most stunning electoral triumphs. (The
Times)
Labour found itself struggling against the perception that the government
is untrustworthy, coupled with general disquiet over the state of
public services. (The Guardian)
One of the most stunning turnarounds in British electoral history.
(BBC)
Is it up, up and away for the Lib Dems or should Westminster City
Council prepare a makeshift runway for a political crash landing?
Whether or not the Liberal Democrats will come crashing back to earth
post general election day is yet to be determined but if they are
to mount the challenges they have signalled they are devising, only
sound policies will achieve the desired results.
For the moment it seems their pulling power isn't in their policies
rather in their protest towards sensitive issues such as the Iraq
war, drug policy and the future of the monarchy.
However, hoping to build on their recent success they have finally
come up with something that might hold water at their annual conference
in Brighton where they have voted to abolish Council tax and replace
it with a local income tax, which will be means tested.
If the Lib Dems can conjure up a few more meaningful policies such
as that they may just stand a chance of fulfilling at least one of
their ambitions, to put an end to the pathetic opposition by the floundering
Tory party. |
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