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Post by listener on Mar 16, 2021 13:41:23 GMT
This by-election will take place alongside an all-out election of Hartlepool council following boundary changes and a spate of defections and resignations from the local Labour party, which leaves it in a somewhat weakened state. Labour currently holds only 6 of the 33 council seats and has been in opposition since 2019.
The council is run by a minority administration of 11 members from the Independent Union and Conservative Group, also known as the Coalition. The council leader is Shane Moore of the Hartlepool Independent Union, originally elected for UKIP, and the deputy leader is a Conservative, Mike Young.
The current make-up of the borough council is Coalition 11, Lab 6, Socialist Labour Party 4, Independent 4, Hartlepool People 2, Putting Seaton First 2, The Four Britain Movement 1, Vacant 3.
The Labour party splintered shortly before the 2019 council elections and former Labour members formed the Socialist Labour Party group, headed up by the outgoing Labour council leader, Christopher Akers-Belcher.
The Labour group fragmented again in the summer and autumn of 2020, when the new Labour leader and deputy leader, Paddy Brown and Dave Hunter, both resigned from the Labour Group and set up their own party, Hartlepool People, which intends to field candidates in May. At the time of his resignation, Paddy Brown said he had become 'increasingly at odds' with the direction of the party and too much time and energy was being wasted on political point scoring and Party bureaucracy.
At the last council AGM on 21 May 2019, the ruling coalition proposed the leader of the Social Labour Party group as chair of the council's Regeneration Services Committee. The Labour group nominated their own candidate for this position and the resultant vote at the was tied 15-15. Christopher Akers-Belcher was elected on the casting vote of the ceremonial mayor, who is a Conservative.
Around the 2019
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Post by timrollpickering on Mar 16, 2021 13:42:56 GMT
What's the point, that just looks shifty. It risks making it an issue again. His opponents and the media bringing it up. Better to have left them and just said he accepted we'd left. It would be pretty stupid to select him anyway given his particularly hardline stance. Best choosing a local. Given the state of Hartlepool council does a popular Labour councillor with the ability to run a dynamic campaign exist in the constituency? |
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iang
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Post by iang on Mar 16, 2021 13:48:06 GMT
How was Peter Mandelson perceived in Hartlepool? Was he a good constituency MP? I'm sure there is a story, which is no doubt apocryphal in fairness, of him enjoying the mushy peas at a local chippy and asking for more of the guacamole |
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Chris from Brum
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Post by Chris from Brum on Mar 16, 2021 13:49:35 GMT
How was Peter Mandelson perceived in Hartlepool? Was he a good constituency MP? I'm sure there is a story, which is no doubt apocryphal in fairness, of him enjoying the mushy peas at a local chippy and asking for more of the guacamole Yeah, file under "urban myth". |
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Merseymike
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Post by Merseymike on Mar 16, 2021 13:50:22 GMT
How was Peter Mandelson perceived in Hartlepool? Was he a good constituency MP? I'm sure there is a story, which is no doubt apocryphal in fairness, of him enjoying the mushy peas at a local chippy and asking for more of the guacamole It's an urban myth. Amusing all the same I have a friend who lives in the town and used to run a local voluntary group until spending cuts forced it's closure. From conversation with him Mandelson was a very effective constituency MP |
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Post by andrewteale on Mar 16, 2021 13:51:11 GMT
How was Peter Mandelson perceived in Hartlepool? Was he a good constituency MP? Not compared with his predecessor Ted Leadbitter, who was a good constituency MP. |
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Post by adlai52 on Mar 16, 2021 13:54:54 GMT
Happy memories  One of the most shamelessly parochial campaigns I've ever seen, and pretty effective after it took place in the wake of Leicester South and Hodge Hill. |
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Merseymike
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Post by Merseymike on Mar 16, 2021 13:57:26 GMT
How was Peter Mandelson perceived in Hartlepool? Was he a good constituency MP? Not compared with his predecessor Ted Leadbitter, who was a good constituency MP. But well known as being a sandwich short of a picnic. He was quite convinced that nearly everybody was a spy |
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Post by carlton43 on Mar 16, 2021 13:57:58 GMT
It is not the worst seat but it could pose difficulties for Labour.
Choices of candidate will be a key element.
No chance of any anti-Labour compact so opposition will be divided.
An early by-election to deny campaign time and doorstep canvassing will help Labour.
If UKIP, Brexit, Reform, Reclaim and localist-populists all stand it will be an interesting mess and Labour might win by default?
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Mar 16, 2021 14:01:53 GMT
I'm sure there is a story, which is no doubt apocryphal in fairness, of him enjoying the mushy peas at a local chippy and asking for more of the guacamole Yeah, file under "urban myth". The incident happened but not to Mandelson. It was an American intern who was helping out at the Knowsley North byelection in 1986. |
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ricmk
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Post by ricmk on Mar 16, 2021 14:16:45 GMT
Tories 1/2 on, Labour 13/8. That feels the wrong way round to me; no Tory history here, few Councillors, historically weak. Unless the bookies know that Laura Pidcock will be the Labour candidate in which case the Tory price is generous...
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The Bishop
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Post by The Bishop on Mar 16, 2021 14:18:09 GMT
Yeah, file under "urban myth". The incident happened but not to Mandelson. It was an American intern who was helping out at the Knowsley North byelection in 1986. It has been claimed that Neil Kinnock attributed it to Mandelson as an "in-joke" at some Labour party social gathering, and it snowballed from there. |
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mboy
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Post by mboy on Mar 16, 2021 14:18:50 GMT
I wonder if this is the kind of territory that George Galloway could win in? Very economically lefty seat but also Brexity, and liable to electing loons?  |
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Mar 16, 2021 14:20:14 GMT
The last byelection that took place within the Hartlepool constituency ended with a Labour gain.
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Post by oldhamexile on Mar 16, 2021 14:32:54 GMT
It is not the worst seat but it could pose difficulties for Labour. Choices of candidate will be a key element. No chance of any anti-Labour compact so opposition will be divided. An early by-election to deny campaign time and doorstep canvassing will help Labour. If UKIP, Brexit, Reform, Reclaim and localist-populists all stand it will be an interesting mess and Labour might win by default? Another racing certainty to stand is Anne-Marie Waters, former UKIP leadership candidate and founder/leader of the For Britain Movement, which has a Hartlepool councillor.
Ms Waters moved to Hartlepool fairly recently and had already announced she would be a council candidate in De Bruce ward. I'd guess she had a decent chance of winning that on May 6th, so the timing of this parliamentary by-election (assuming it will be on May 6th) is less than ideal for her.
Assuming Waters and Tice both stand, will this be the first time two party leaders have contested the same parliamentary by-election? (Discounting one man bands)
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Post by grahammurray on Mar 16, 2021 14:33:50 GMT
The last byelection that took place within the Hartlepool constituency ended with a Labour gain. Of sorts. |
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Post by johnloony on Mar 16, 2021 14:35:17 GMT
Who will be the first to refer to Hartlepool as a coal mining town? Hartlepool is a coal mining town. Mornington Crescent! |
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Post by elinorhelyn on Mar 16, 2021 14:36:41 GMT
If it wasn't for high profile BXP candidate this seat would of been a Tory gain in '19. Good as gone for Labour now. But I think they have a better chance in the likely to happen Batley and Spen by election. Only thing that will save them is similar split of right wing vote like in '19
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Mar 16, 2021 14:41:41 GMT
would of
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Post by johnloony on Mar 16, 2021 14:44:07 GMT
The big UKIP vote in 2015 split about equally between Labour and Conservative in 2017, and similarly the big Brexit Party vote in 2019 came mainly from Labour. So it's not a big pile of Conservative splitter votes conveniently waiting to go back into the Conservative pile (as simplistic simpletons might assume). So the Labour Party will hold the seat with a small but comfortable majority, and there will probably be an entertaining ensemble of assorted populist Walter Mitty candidates, each of which will assume that he/she will inherit the Brexit vote en masse. Brexit Reforn Reclaim UKIP BNP LWP whatever.
(LWP = Local Weirdo Party)
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