Reasons to be cheerful for parties
LAST week’s general election result here in Rossendale had an ‘everyone’s a winner’ feeling to it.
The overall winner, Tory Jake Berry, increased his number of votes and his share of the vote – up from 46 per cent in 2015 and 41 pc in 2010. But Labour had reason to cheer too.
Alyson Barnes secured 22,283 votes, up from 17,000 when Will Straw stood in 2015 and 15,000 when Janet Anderson last stood in 2010.
That success means that Mr Berry’s majority is around 3,000 – the lowest it has been since he has held office.
The Lib Dems also had a good night – they almost doubled their share of the vote.
So what can we take from all that?
I think it sets up the next general election – whenever that might be – as a tight, two-way race between the Tories and Labour.
Because of the nature of the vote, called at short notice, we didn’t have many candidates this time – just the main four.
That resulted in getting a real sense of where people’s loyalties are with the main parties.
It’s quite likely this constituency will be seen once again as a swing seat, and maybe one Labour has to win if it is to have a proper working majority in the future.
The progress made by Labour with Coun Barnes as its candidate surely means it’s a given that, if she wants to, Coun Barnes will be the Labour candidate next time out too.
The nine pc improvement in vote share surely means that’s a given.