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Post by finsobruce on May 22, 2023 22:27:12 GMT
The tie-breaker surely is who was better, Gwyneth Dunwoody or Primal Scream. I think both were hugely overrated Gwyneth Dunwoody never had a sonic flower groove though. |
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iang
Lib Dem
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Post by iang on May 23, 2023 11:51:12 GMT
Did she ever fight under the slogan of "Gwyneth is good for you?"
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Post by michaelarden on May 23, 2023 22:13:04 GMT
I'd put a quick shout in for Liam Byrne as possibly the worst candidate to win a by-election.
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Post by Ron Swanson on May 24, 2023 9:35:30 GMT
I'd say Marie Hutchings, in my time following politics.
Though I think Diane James on the flip side was very good, certainly by UKIP standards.
I wonder whether she had something in her past - relating to business affairs really - that she didn't want to be in the public domain, and instead opted to be a bit of a time server as an MEP and didn't try and take the UKIP leadership forward.
She presented to me at least as being very professional, articulate... certainly better than a significant number of those occupying the Tory benches a decade later.
Maybe Farage saw her as a threat, a bit like Suzanne Evans... and did what he could to sideline her.
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Post by greenhert on May 24, 2023 9:40:37 GMT
I'd put a quick shout in for Liam Byrne as possibly the worst candidate to win a by-election. Bobby Sands would qualify more. In fact he was unable to campaign per se because he was in prison for acts of terrorism (namely planning the bombing of the Balmoral Furniture Company) yet he still got elected over former UUP MP Harry West due to sectarian divisions. |
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
Posts: 38,889
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Post by The Bishop on May 24, 2023 10:35:22 GMT
Maybe Farage saw her as a threat, a bit like Suzanne Evans... and did what he could to sideline her. I think that is the generally accepted view amongst UKIP watchers? Though it has to be said that Evans has since gone off the deep end, if her "bring back Truss!" comments yesterday are anything to go by. |
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Post by islington on May 24, 2023 11:01:25 GMT
I could be wrong, since it was the first by election I closely followed, but from what I remember Tamsin Dunwoody was a dreadful candidate in Crewe. That's certainly not the impression I got at the time (and I was pretty closely involved, though not on the Labour side!). Basically Labour knew that the tide was running heavily against them and took a view that a candidate who could trade on the reputation of the recently-deceased member was a better prospect than someone with less name recognition. Not saying she was a particularly good candidate but neither IMO was she, personally, a liability. Incidentally I felt she deserved considerable credit for the speech she gave at the count given the circumstances. Irony piled upon irony, really, because the Labour campaign was predicated on the alleged upper-class poshness of the Tory candidate (he really wasn't) whereas Labour's campaign, by contrast, was essentially centred on advocacy of ... the hereditary principle. |
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Post by Ron Swanson on May 24, 2023 11:07:32 GMT
Maybe Farage saw her as a threat, a bit like Suzanne Evans... and did what he could to sideline her. I think that is the generally accepted view amongst UKIP watchers? Though it has to be said that Evans has since gone off the deep end, if her "bring back Truss!" comments yesterday are anything to go by. It seems that way - anyone who thinks Liz Truss was anything other than a complete disaster needs locking down somewhere, very far from here. |
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Post by carswellfan on Jul 31, 2023 19:13:32 GMT
Refresh your memory here: Steve Uncles of the English Democrats (who later went to prison for faking electoral registrations of fake voters, and forging nomination signatures in local elections) was a bit thick. He organised a press conference to launch his campaign, and had a room set up with 15 or 20 chairs. The only people who turned up to it were himself, his agent, and me (just out of curiosity). There were a lot of England flags on display in people’s houses and gardens (because of the World Cup happening) and I got the impression that he thought they were showing support for him. Many years later he tried to start an argument with me on Twitter when he belatedly noticed that I’m gay, and accused me of flaunting my sexuality by declaring it in my Twitter biography (claiming that heterosexual people don’t put “straight” in theirs) and asking me why. I found this extremely funny! Although I have to admit I would have felt extremely awkward being the only other person at his campaign launch, if I had gone along just to check it out (which, like you, I may well have done so). Regards the Lib Dem candidate, I well remember his vile and arrogant conduct when the results were read out live on TV. So it figures that he was just as vile on the campaign trail and to his fellow candidates. How on Earth the Lib Dems thought he was a suitable candidate, I'll never understand. |
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Jul 31, 2023 19:29:52 GMT
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Jul 31, 2023 19:33:49 GMT
Rachel Reeves was quite fit then. I remember thinking so at the time
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Post by carswellfan on Jul 31, 2023 20:03:02 GMT
I think that is him. How interesting it is to see how his views have seemingly changed over time! |
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Post by stodge on Jul 31, 2023 20:13:10 GMT
How do we define "worst"?
The Conservative candidate for the Romsey by election in 2000 was unbelievably hopeless.
One Tim Palmer, I believe and I'll leave Harry Enfield fans with that thought...
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Post by johnloony on Aug 1, 2023 1:08:27 GMT
I have just skimmed through this thread again and I'm a bit surprised that Richard Hickmet (Conservative, Eastbourne 1990) isn't mentioned. Some in the Conservative campaign seemed to be assuming that the voters had a duty to vote Conservative, because voting Lib Dem would mean that the IRA had chosen the party-political orientation of the MP. (I don't remember specifically if, or how explicitly, the candidate himself made the point - but some did to some extent).
In the by-election in Staffordshire Mid (also in 1990) the main campaign issue was the Poll Tax. I remember one voter complaining to the Conservative candidate about the Poll Tax, and he dismissively pompously said that it was noting to do with the Conservative government - saying that the voter should complain to the local council if it was too high. i.e. He was pretending to misunderstand that the voter was complaining about the principle rather than the amount.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2023 5:47:28 GMT
The Tories re-running the recalled MP in Brecon & Radnor in 2019 was a mistake.
That said, he got within 2,000 votes of winning his seat back, so go figure!
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
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Post by The Bishop on Aug 1, 2023 10:05:18 GMT
It was certainly an indicator that Jane Dodds wouldn't be the MP for long.
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Post by gwynthegriff on Aug 1, 2023 11:40:40 GMT
Did she ever fight under the slogan of "Gwyneth is good for you?" I think not. But in the 1992 election when the local paper asked the candidates for their favourite music her answer was "medieval plainchant". I assume she was taking the piss; if so, much respect! (I'd be very disappointed if it turned out that it really was her choice in music.) |
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Post by finsobruce on Aug 1, 2023 12:08:02 GMT
Did she ever fight under the slogan of "Gwyneth is good for you?" I think not. But in the 1992 election when the local paper asked the candidates for their favourite music her answer was "medieval plainchant". I assume she was taking the piss; if so, much respect! (I'd be very disappointed if it turned out that it really was her choice in music.) I also like her description of her journey to the constituency : "Every Friday by Mr Virgin's Middle England Mystery Tours". |
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carlton43
Reform Party
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Post by carlton43 on Aug 1, 2023 12:28:20 GMT
Did she ever fight under the slogan of "Gwyneth is good for you?" I think not. But in the 1992 election when the local paper asked the candidates for their favourite music her answer was "medieval plainchant". I assume she was taking the piss; if so, much respect! (I'd be very disappointed if it turned out that it really was her choice in music.) Whereas for me it would deepen the respect I already hold for her. An excellent choice of music that never fails to reward and to please. |
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Post by finsobruce on Aug 1, 2023 12:30:49 GMT
I think not. But in the 1992 election when the local paper asked the candidates for their favourite music her answer was "medieval plainchant". I assume she was taking the piss; if so, much respect! (I'd be very disappointed if it turned out that it really was her choice in music.) Whereas for me it would deepen the respect I already hold for her. An excellent choice of music that never fails to reward and to please. More than anything else I listen to I think it gives you a feeling of reaching back into the past
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