By-Election Special.

[mongers]

Three By-Elections in England and Wales today, two declare tonight, the third in Corby tomorrow morning. 

First result, Manchester Central, the labour candidate as expected wins on a record low postwar turn out figure of around 18.5 %.
Labour got around 11,000 votes, the Lib-Dems and Conservatives slumped to about 1700 and 700 respectively. 

The Cardiff South and Penarth, is expected to declare shortly.

The third vote in Corby, made vacant by Louise Mensch losing interest in being an MP, could be more important, with the Tories set to lose to a resurgent Labour Party.

[CountDeMoney]

Tell me who to root for, Mongers.  You know where I am on the political spectrum.  Which of these candidates want to save the environment, break up the banks, kill Muslims and maintain Britain's independent nuclear deterrent?

[mongers]

Labour wins the safe Cardiff seat with a strong swing to them on a turn out of 25%.

Lib-Dems took a kicking. 

[mongers]

Tell me who to root for, Mongers.  You know where I am on the political spectrum.  Which of these candidates want to save the environment, break up the banks, kill Muslims and maintain Britain's independent nuclear deterrent?

None on that combinations of policies.

Tories - No, No, Barely, Yes.
Lib-Dems - No, No, No, Yes.
New Labour - No, No, No, Yes.

* Me - Yes, Yes, Yes for Saudi kleptocracy, No.

[CountDeMoney]

Pfft. I'll just root for Arsenal, then.

[Josquius]

this police commisoner thing is one of the stupidest things to vote for ever. Really isn't something that should be political.
From what I've seen its just a bunch of different guys shouting "Crime is bad! More police on patrol! Lets get tough on crime!" so all there is seperating them really is their party affiliation. All we're doing is creating busy-work for our excess politicians.

[mongers]

Most of the results are now in for the police commissioners, turn out only in the mid-teens percentages, where a national know politician has stood they have failed, former Deputy PM John Prescott and senior Tory Michael Mates both being rejected.

Full results here:

[mongers]

Meanwhile Labour comfortably took from the Tories the Corby seat in the commons, following Louise Mensch's departure for greener pastures:

[Sheilbh]

I think the two recounts are more humiliating than losing their deposit:

Lib Dems seek two recounts in Corby to try to save deposit
The Liberal Democrats crashed to an embarrassing fourth place in the Corby by-election, beaten by Ukip.

Andy Sawford  Photo: REUTERS
By James Kirkup, Deputy Political Editor10:08PM GMT 16 Nov 2012

The Lib Dems lost their deposit, despite seeking two recounts of the votes in an effort to avoid the symbolic blow.

Completing a dismal result for the Coalition parties, Labour claimed the seat from the Conservatives. David Cameron blamed the Tory loss on Louise Mensch, the former MP who quit the constituency to move to the US. Labour claimed that the swing to their candidate – more than 12 per cent – suggested that "Middle England" was turning away from the Tories.

Corby and East Northamptonshire is one of the marginal seats that determine the results of national elections. It has voted for the winning party at general elections since 1979. Mrs Mensch took it for the Tories with a majority of less than 2,000 in 2010. Labour's Andy Sawford yesterday took 17,267 votes, a lead of 7,791 over the Tories' Christine Emmett.  Margot Parker, the Ukip candidate, got 5,108 votes, while Jill Hope for the Lib Dems got 1,770.

That was just short of 5 per cent of all votes cast, meaning the Lib Dems forfeited their £500 deposit. If Ukip were to repeat its Corby results throughout the country, the party could potentially deny the Tories victory in many marginal seats.

However, No10 sources dismissed Ukip's success as "a protest vote".

After the result, Mr Cameron aired Conservative irritation at Mrs Mensch for quitting the seat.

"It's a classic midterm result, and obviously made difficult by the fact that the Conservative MP left the seat in question," he said. Mrs Mensch said the result reflected "local anger at my resignation".

Labour also held its seats in the by-elections in Cardiff South and Penarth and Manchester Central.

[Syt]

Why is Frank Zappa dressed as a chef?