[A-List] UK state: blow to New Labour

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

It seems to have been forgotten that this was the seat once occupied by Ken
Livingstone, whose occupancy would never have been in question had he not
given it up in 2001 to concentrate on the mayoralty full-time. Now,
according to Private Eye, the Labour Party leadership is looking at ways of
bringing Livingstone back into the fold without losing too much face. On
this evidence it is not hard to see why. For if Livingstone did not stand
for the mayor's election in 2004, there would still be little chance that a
Labour candidate would win -- not even Tony "Reg Varney" Banks, saviour of
Trafalgar Square pigeons, Geoff Hurst's ball, and not a lot else. Glenda
Jackson might be a possibility, given her disaffection with Blair and his
circle, but she is unlikely to be chosen. In any case, the Liberal Democrat
ascendancy looks to be continuing, which is good news for those (among which
used to be Blair) who wanted to engineer a fundamental political realignment
by making them the official opposition whilst consigning punk Thatcherism to
the lunatic fringes.

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LibDems win Brent by-election
CATHERINE MacLEOD, Political Editor
The Herald, September 19 2003

THE Liberal Democrats leapfrogged the Tories to pull off a dramatic mid-term
by-election victory over Labour at Brent East last night in Labour's first
defeat in a by-election for 15 years.

The result, the first verdict of voters on the government since the Iraq
war, will send shock waves throughout the Labour party.

Sarah Teather, the Liberal Democrat candidate, who was the bookies favourite
to snatch the seat from Labour, won by a majority of 1118 - a swing of 29%
to overturn a 13,047 majority. She beat Robert Evans, a Labour member of the
European parliament, to become, at 29, the youngest MP in the House of
Commons.

There was bad news too for Iain Duncan Smith, the Tory leader, whose
candidate Uma Fernandes was knocked into third place in a seat where the
Conservatives came second in the 2001 general election.

Charles Kennedy, the LibDem leader, was delighted with the result which
ensures him a rapturous and triumphant welcome at next week's LibDem
conference in Brighton.
He said: "This is not just a big boost for the Liberal Democrats, it is a
big boost for British politics.

"We have shown that there is no such thing as a no-go area for the Liberal
Democrats. In Britain's most diverse community, we have shown that we can
speak for every section of society and the Liberal Democrat message is one
they want to hear and support."

Earlier this week Tony Blair let it be known he was prepared for defeat
although the party machine mounted a frantic last gasp effort to save the
seat. Labour aides claimed even before the polls closed that defeat was
"only to be expected" in the mid term of Labour's second parliament,
particularly if the turnout was low.

The result, though bad for Labour,was even worse for the Tories, who crashed
from second to third place. Even before the votes were counted, mutterings
had begun about the future of Iain Duncan Smith, the Tory leader.
Louder still was the discontent about Theresa May, the Tory chairwoman, who
is regarded by many in her party as "a dismal failure". Yesterday
speculation suggested she would not still be in her present post by
Christmas.

Mr Blair made clear yesterday that he was determined to press ahead with
controversial reforms for public services like education and health, in the
face of criticism from trade unions and the left-wing of his own party.

He used a visit to a south London school to argue that the pursuit of social
justice requires radical reform of public services.

Mr Blair won the enthusiastic backing of fellow-ministers at a Cabinet
meeting yesterday morning to discuss Labour's "fairness and reform agenda".

A Labour party spokesman said: "Members of the cabinet spoke up for the need
for the reform programme to continue."

Mr Blair has been keen to get the domestic agenda back on track following
the Iraq crisis, the suicide of Dr David Kelly and the damaging disclosures
thrown up by the Hutton inquiry into the scientist's death.

But he continues to face opposition from within the Labour movement to
reforms such as university top-up fees and foundation hospitals.

At the opening one of the country's first "city academies", Mr Blair said:
"The bigger the challenge to achieve social justice, the bolder the reforms
needed to reach it - that is our guiding principle."

The results were:

Jiten Bardwaj (no description), 35; Aaron Barschak (no description), 37;
Brian Butterworth (Socialist Alliance), 361; Ms Iris Cremer (Socialist
Labour), 111; Robert Evans (Labour), 7040; Mrs Uma Fernandes (Conservative),
3368; Brian Hall (UK Independence Party), 140; Alan Howling Lord Hope
(Monster Raving Loony Party), 59; Khidori Fawzi Ibrahim (Public Services Not
War), 219; Harold Immanuel (Independent Labour), 188; Noel Lynch (Green
Party), 638; Ms Kelly McBride (Independent), 189; Winston McKenzie
(Independent), 197; Ms Sarah Teather (Lib Dem), 8158; Neil Walsh
(Independent), 101; Rainbow George Weiss (WWW.XAT.ORG). 11

Turnout: 36.23%