Friday 7 May 2010

Far Left UK General Election Results

Here are the only results that matter: the vote tally of the combined forces of the far left. Just to note, while left independents are listed here they will not be included in the overall vote count because of the diffuse support they attract, which tends to accrue regardless of their politics.

The constituencies are listed alphabetically along with the candidate(s) and party/parties contesting the seat, their vote, and +/- (where applicable) on the 2005 result. Seats contested by party can be found
here.

NB The SP has adopted the confusing policy of standing some of its TUSC candidates as Socialist Alternative. For our purposes, all of them are listed here as TUSC.

Aberdeen North - Ewan Robertson (SSP) 268 votes (0.7%, - 1.2% SSP)

Barnsley Central - Terry Robinson (SLP) 356 votes (1%, + 1%)

Barnsley East - Ken Capstick (SLP) 601 votes (1.6%, + 1.6%)

Bethnal Green and Bow* - Abjol Miah (Res) 8,532 votes (16.8%, - 19.8% Res)

Bermondsey and Old Southwark - Steve Freeman (Ind) 120 votes (0.3%, + 0.3%)

Birmingham Hall Green - Salma Yaqoob (Res) 12,240 votes (25.1%, + 25.1%)

Birmingham Perry Barr - John Tyrell (SLP) 527 votes (1.3%, - 1% SLP)

Blackley and Broughton - Kay Phillips (Res) 996 votes (2.9%, + 2.9%)

Blaenau Gwent* - Dai Davies (PV) 6,478 votes (19.9%, - 38.2%)
- Alyson O'Connell (SLP) 381 votes (1.2%, + 1.2%)

Bootle - Pete Glover (TUSC) 472 votes (1.1%, - 1.5% SocAlt)

Bradford West - Arshad Ali (Res) 1,245 (3.1%, + 3.1%)

Brent Central - Abdi Duale (Res) 230 votes (0.5%, + 0.5%)

Brighton Kemptown - Dave Hill (TUSC) 194 votes (0.5%, - 0.6% PP & SLP & SocAlt)

Brighton Pavilion - Ian Fyvie (SLP) 148 votes (0.3%, - 0.4% SLP & AGS)

Bristol East - Rachel Lynch (TUSC) 184 votes (0.4%, - 0.9% Res)

Bristol South - Tom Baldwin (TUSC) 206 votes (0.4%, + 0.4%)

Bromsgrove - Mark France (Ind) 336 votes (0.7%, + 0.7%)

Camberwell and Peckham - Jill Mountford (AWL) 75 votes (0.2%)
- Margaret Sharkey (SLP) 184 votes (0.4%)
- Joshua Ogunleye (WRP) 211 votes (0.5%, + 0.2% SLP & WRP)

Camborne and Redruth - Rob Hawkins (SLP) 168 votes (0.4%, + 0.4%)

Cambridge - Martin Booth (TUSC) 362 votes (0.7%, - 0.4% Res)

Cardiff Central - Ross Saunders (TUSC) 162 votes (0.4%, - 0.7% Res)

Cardiff South and Penarth - Robert Griffiths (CPB) 196 votes (0.4%, - 0.3% SocAlt)

Carlisle - John Metcalfe (TUSC) 376 votes (0.9%, + 0.9%)

Central Ayrshire - James McDaid (SLP) 422 votes (1%, - 2% SSP & SLP)

Colne Valley - Jackie Grunsell (TUSC) 741 votes (1.3%, + 1.3%)

Coventry North East - Dave Nellist (TUSC) 1,592 votes (3.7%, - 1.3% SocAlt)

Coventry North West - Nikki Downes (TUSC) 370 votes (0.8%, - 0.6% SocAlt)

Coventry South - Judy Griffiths (TUSC) 691 votes (1.5%, - 1.2% SocAlt)

Croydon North - Ben Stevenson (CPB) 160 votes (0.3%)
- Mohammed Shaikh (Res) 272 votes (0.5%, + 0.8%)

Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East - Willie O'Neil (SSP) 476 votes (1.2%, - 1.7% SSP)

Derbyshire South - Paul Liversuch (SLP) 266 votes (0.5%, + 0.5%)

Doncaster North - Bill Rawcliffe (TUSC) 181 votes (0.4%, + 0.4%)

Dunbartonshire West - Katharine McGavigan 505 votes (1.2%, + 1.2%)

Dundee East - Angela Gorrie (SSP) 254 votes (0.6%, -0.8% SSP)

Dundee West - Jim McFarlane (TUSC) 357 votes (1%, - 1.7% SSP)

Edinburgh East - Gary Clark (TUSC) 274 votes (0.7%, - 1.6% SSP & CL)

Edinburgh North and Leith - David Jacobsen (SLP) 141 votes (0.3%)
- Willie Black (TUSC) 233 votes (0.8%, - 0.8% SSP)

Edinburgh South West - Caroline Bellamy (CL) 48 votes (0.1%)
- Colin Fox (SSP) 319 votes (0.7% - 0.5% SSP)

Enfield North - Anna Athow (WRP) 96 votes (0.2%, + 0.2%)

Enfield Southgate - Samad Billoo (Res) 174 votes (0.4%, + 0.4%)

Feltham and Heston - Matt Linley (WRP) 78 votes (0.2%, + 0.2%)

Foyle - Eamonn McCann (PBP) 2,936 votes (7.7%, + 3.1% SEA)

Gateshead - Elaine Brunskill (TUSC) 266 votes (0.7%, + 0.7%)

Garston and Halewood - Diana Raby (Res) 268 votes (0.6%, + 0.6%)

Glasgow Central - James Nesbitt (SSP) 357 votes (1.2%, - 4% SSP & SLP & CPB)

Glasgow East - Frances Curran (SSP) 454 votes (1.4%, - 2.1% SSP)

Glasgow North - Angela McCormick (TUSC) 287 votes (1%, - 2.8% SSP)

Glasgow North East - Kevin McVey (SSP) 179 votes (0.6%)
- Jim Berrington (SLP) 156 votes (0.5%)
- Graham Campbell (TUSC) 187 votes (0.6%, - 17.4% SLP & SSP)

Glasgow North West - Marc Livingstone (CPB) 179 votes (0.5%, - 3.7% SSP & SLP)

Glasgow South - Brian Smith (TUSC) 351 votes (0.9%, - 3.2% SSP & SLP)

Glasgow South West - Tommy Sheridan (TUSC) 931 votes (2.9%, - 3% SSP & SLP)

Greenwich and Woolwich - Onay Kasab (TUSC) 267 votes (0.6%, + 0.6%)

Guildford - John Morris (PP) 280 votes (0.5%, + 0.5%)

Hackney South and Shoreditch - Paul Davies (CL) 110 votes (0.3%)
- Nusret Şen (DDCP) 202 votes (0.5%, - 4.6% Res & CPB & WRP)

Holborn and St Pancras - John Chapman (Ind) 44 votes (0.1%, + 0.1%)

Horsham - Jim Duggan (PP) 253 votes (0.5%, + 0.5%)

Huddersfield - Paul Cooney (TUSC) 319 votes (0.8%, + 0.8%)

Hull West and Hessle - Keith Gibson (TUSC) 150 votes (0.5%, + 0.5%)

Inverness Nairn Badenoch and Strathspey - George McDonald (TUSC) 135 votes (0.3%, - 0.7% SSP)

Islwyn - Dave Rees (Ind) 1,495 votes (4.3%, + 4.3%)

Kensington - Eddie Adams (AGS) 197 votes (0.6%, + 0.6%)

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath - Derek Jackson (LPP) 57 votes (0.1%)

Leeds Central - Dave Procter (Ind) 409 votes (1.1%, + 1.1%)

Leeds East - Mike Davies (AGS) 429 votes (1.1%, + 1.1%)

Leeds North East - Celia Foote (AGS) 596 votes (1.3%, - 1.2% AGS)

Leeds North West - Trevor Bavage (AGS) 121 votes (0.3%, - 0.1% AGS)

Leicester East - Atvar Sadiq (U+PS) 494 votes (1%, - 0.1% SLP)

Leicester West - Steve Score (TUSC) 157 votes (0.4%, - 1.3% SocAlt)

Lewisham East - George Hallam (PBP) 332 votes (0.8%, + 0.8%)

Lewisham Deptford - Ian Page (TUSC) 645 votes (1.6%, - 0.8% SocAlt)

Liverpool Walton - Darren Ireland (TUSC) 195 votes (0.6%, + 0.6%)

Liverpool Wavertree - Kim Singleton (SLP) 200 votes (0.5%, - 0.2% SLP)

Liverpool West Derby - Kai Andersen (SLP) 614 votes (1.7%, - 0.6% SLP)

Livingston - Ally Hendry (SSP) 242 votes (0.5%, - 1.3% SSP)

Luton South - Frank Sweeney (WRP) 75 votes (0.2%, - 2.2% Res + WRP)

Manchester Central - Robert Skelton (SEP) 54 votes (0.1%)
- Ron Sinclair (SLP) 153 votes (0.4%)
- Jonty Leff (WRP) 59 votes (0.1%, - 1.3% IPL & SLP)

Manchester Gorton - Mohammed Zulfikar (Res) 507 votes (1.3%)
- Karen Reissman (TUSC) 337 votes (0.9%, + 1.6% WRP)

Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney - Alan Cowdell (SLP) 195 votes (0.6%, - 0.3% SLP)

Midlothian - Willie Duncan (TUSC) 166 votes (0.4%, - 1.5% SSP)

Motherwell and Wishaw - Ray Gunnion (TUSC) 609 votes (1.6%, - 1.1% SSP)

Newcastle East - Martine Levy (CPB) 177 votes (0.5%, + 0.5%)

Newport East - Liz Screen (SLP) 123 votes (0.4%, - 0.4% SLP)

Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford (Ind) 1,183 votes (2.6%, + 2.6%)

North Ayrshire and Arran - Louise McDaid (SLP) 449 votes (1%, - 1.5% SSP & SLP)

North Devon - Gerry Sables (CPB) 96 votes (0.2%, + 0.2%)

Northampton South - Tony Clarke (Ind) 2,242 votes (5.8%, + 5.8%)

Norwich South - Gabriel Polley (WRP) 102 votes (0.2%, + 0%)

Oldham West and Royton - Shahid Miah (Res) 627 votes (1.5%, + 1.5%)

Oxford East - David O'Sullivan (SEP) 116 votes (0.2%, + 0.2%)

Paisley and Renfrewshire North - Chris Rollo (SSP) 233 votes (0.5%, - 2.2% SSP & SLP)

Paisley and Renfrewshire South - Jimmy Kerr (SSP) 375 votes (0.9%, - 1.7% SSP & SLP)

Plymouth Moor View - David Marchesi (SLP) 208 votes (0.5%, +0.5%)

Plymouth Sutton and Devonport - Rob Hawkins (SLP) 123 votes (0.3%, + 0.3%)

Pontypridd - Simon Parsons (SLP) 456 votes (1.2%, + 0.6% CPB)

Poplar and Limehouse - George Galloway (Res) 8,160 votes (17.5%, + 17.5%)

Portsmouth North - Mick Tosh (TUSC) 154 votes (0.3%, + 0.3%)

Redcar - Hannah Walter (TUSC) 127 votes (0.3%, - 0.1% SLP)

St Helens North - Steve Whatham (SLP) 483 votes (1.1%, + 1.1%)

Salford - David Henry (TUSC) 730 votes (1.8%, + 1.8%)

Scarborough and Whitby - Juliet Boddington (AGS) 111 votes (0.2%, + 0.2%)

Sheffield Brightside - Maxine Bowler (TUSC) 656 votes (1.7%, + 1.7%)

Sheffield South East - Steve Andrew (CPB) 139 votes (0.3%, + 0.3%)

South Shields - Roger Nettleship (RCPB-ML) 91 votes (0.2%, + 0.2%)

Southampton Itchen - Tim Cutter (TUSC) 168 votes (0.4%, + 0.4%)

Spelthorne - Paul Couchman (TUSC) 176 votes (0.4%, + 0.4%)

Stockton North - Frank Cook (Ind) 1,577 votes (4%, + 4%)

Stockton South - Yvonne Hossack (Ind) 536 votes (1.1%, + 1.1%)

Stoke Central - Gary Elsby (Ind) 399 votes (1.2%, + 1.2%)
- Matt Wright (TUSC) 133 votes (0.4%, - 0.5% SocAlt)

Streatham - Paul Lepper (WRP) 117 votes (0.2%, - 0.1% WRP)

Swansea West - Rob Williams (TUSC) 179 votes (0.5%, - 0.4% SocAlt)

Torfaen - Fred Wildgust (Ind) 1,419 votes (3.8%, + 3.8%)

Tottenham - Jenny Sutton (TUSC) 1,057 votes (2.6%, - 4.6% Res & SLP)

Vale of Clwyd - Mike Butler (AGS) 127 votes (0.4%, + 0.4%)

Vauxhall - Daniel Lambert (SPGB) 143 votes (0.3%)
- Jeremy Drinkall (WP) 109 votes (0.3%, + 0% SPGB)

Wakefield - Mark Harrop (Ind) 439 votes (1%, + 0.1% SocAlt & SLP)

Walthamstow - Nancy Taaffe (TUSC) 279 votes (0.7%, - 1.4 % SocAlt)

Wellingborough and Rushden - Paul Crofts (TUSC) 249 votes (0.5%, + 0.1% SLP)

Woking - Julie Roxburgh (PP) 204 votes (0.4%, + 0.4%)

Wolverhampton North East - Shangara Singh Bhatoe (SLP) 337 votes (1%, + 1%)

Worcester - Peter Nielsen (Ind) 129 votes (0.3%, + 0.3%)

Wythenshawe and Sale East - Lynn Worthington (TUSC) 268 votes (0.7%, - 0.3% SocAlt)

23 comments:

luna17 said...

Crikey Phil, you've even included my friend Roger Nettleship (RCPB-ML) who's standing in South Shields against David Miliband. I respect Roger - he's convenor of our Stop the War group - but I'm not getting my hopes up!

Phil said...

They're all included - I have to meet the tough scrutiny of the comrades at Leftist Trainspotters!

luna17 said...

As of 4.20am, that's not a cheering list to read. Two things stand out: the collapse in the SSP's vote, and the inability of TUSC to get above 1% pretty much anywhere.

Lawrence Shaw said...

So do we still think there is a groundswell for a new mass workers party to be formed? On the evidence of the results today, it really doesn't look like it.

Phil said...

The wuestion is will there be a fundamental rethink of far left electoral strategy, or will a Labour squeeze (even though Labour's vote is down), and media conspiracies of silence get the blame? I know where the smart money will be.

Anonymous said...

A small and very impressionistic point - looks like (apart from Nellist) SWP-TUSC has done better than SPEW-TUSC. But perhaps I'm wrong on this?

Mike Macnair

Chris said...

You would have saved yourself a whole lot of time if you had simply said, The Far Left did shit.
And you could have written it yesterday and had a good nights sleep!

2 good things about the election -

1. The choice as always is Tory or Labour

2. We will see now how progressive the Lib dems really are. And when we have the answer Labour can forget about PR and consign the Lib dems to the wilderness.

Phil said...

No, I think you're right Mike. I wonder why this is? It would be fair to say Rob Williams and Karen Reissman have very similar profiles, so why has Rob's vote gone down while Karen has performed creditably (by far left standards). Is there something the SWP does that the SP does not, or does it solely come down to local circumstances?

Leftwing Criminologist said...

or is it that the swp weren't trying to defend 3 council seats unlike the sp

Anonymous said...

I would suggest two elements of an explanation: (1) the SWP has more forces than the SP and was targetting fewer seats (a fortiori Respect, which started campaigning work a lot earlier and has focussed the vast bulk of its attention on three seats, achieved serious results in these three seats though not actually winning any). (2) On the very limited evidence of Weekly Worker correspondents, the SP (in England) seems to have run a 'closed' campaign based on its own members, while the SWP has made some attempt to open out to other activists.

But these are both, of course, even more speculative than the original point ...

Mike Macnair

Phil said...

I don't think defending council seats should detract from the general election campaign, and vice versa. I know slightly different dynamics are in play because we're talking about Labour, but the increased turn out in general elections compared to local elections virtually guarantees the return of council candidates when the contests are run simultaneously.

Furthermore, in practice council and general election campaigns are carried out simultaneously. I can't imagine comrades out on the knocker in Coventry and Lewisham going round and separating out conversations on Ian Page the councillor and Ian Page the general election candidate.

I think there's something deeper going on that is a massive hurdle for all Trotskyist groups that's rooted in their political practice - I'll be talking about that shortly in a separate piece.

Derek Wall said...

My 629, nearly half what I got last time, looks quite hot in comparison to most of these.

We Greens were squeezed but we got Caroline Lucas in and Green left remain strong.

Phil said...

SP statement on TUSC's results here.

It blames the media and, of course, TUSC got much greater support than its vote suggests. If you say so, Guv.

Adam said...

phil, i look forward to your dissection of the roots of the political practice of trotskyism, and its faults no doubt.

do you not consider yourself a trotskyist anymore?

i certainly hope you do.

my understanding was that your decision to join Labour was motivated by a tactical consideration, the perspective that the significant discussions on the question of working class political representation would take place within, rather than outside of Labour. Is that the case, or were there differences you didn't specify?

I disagreed over your perspective and tactics, but i got the impression that you would be a Marxist and a Trotskyist within Labour, your blog certainly has read like that recently. Has the election taken the priority for now?

Maybe when you're done pointing out how Trotskyism is basically flawed, you could explain what your role is and will be within labour now. Do you still expect the election (and subsequent horse-trading), to force the question of political representation amongst labours ranks? and leadership? How do you see the democratisation of Labour developing? What would be the basis for Labour attracting a new layer of workers and trade union activists? maybe an easier one, what are the prospects for a serious left challenge in a leadership contest? these are serious questions for socialists within labour, so i'm sure you have thought about it and have answers ready. As for your own role, have you found like-minded Socialists (note the capital S) within your local CLP? are you planning on joining any groups within labour or going it alone? if its just you, whats your perspective? whats your strategy? in short how will your activity and the activity of others within labour, help close the gap between the objective situation and the crisis of working class leadership?

i hope you take the time to give serious answers to these questions.

We're clearly entering into a very messy political situation and yet one which will clear up a lot of the questions which have been raised here and throughout the left over the last few years. Socialists, wherever they focus their activities will be tested out. I think these sort of discussions are crucial to help us all prepare, i'm sure you're planning on discussing the results with comrades involved in the campaigns before you type your up balance sheet.

Anonymous said...

These results are shocking, but not altogether unsurprising. Why don't we seem to be able to learn lessons from ventures such as the SLP, SA or Respect? There has been a lot of effort wasted in these campaigns and a lot of goodwill lost along the way.

For me it has clarified one thing. The struggle for socialism must include work in the Labour Party. A difficult task, but I would rather spend my energy strengthening the link with trade unions and pushing our policies within the party rather than waste time outside arguing amongst ourselves and pushing us further into irrelevancy.

Form filled out, I am joining the Labour Party, something I never thought that I would do. Time to bite the bullet and face reality.

Steve

Phil said...

Ad, I'll do one better than that - I'll devote a blog post to them, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

I suppose I was one by default when I was in the SP and may have referred to myself as a Trot in the knockabout of politics, but I haven't considered myself a Trotskyist for a long time - even before I joined the SP.

The theory of permanent revolution, Trotsky's attempts to understand Stalinism, writings on fascism etc. are all serious contributions to Marxist thinking and political practice, but I don't believe his approach to socialist strategy has any purchase now.

adam said...

ok, i look forward to seeing what you approach is or will be.

out of interest, would you still regard yourself as a marxist? a revolutionary?

seems to me, either a lot has changed over the last few months (even since we last spoke) and you've been busy adapting politically to a new environment or there are serious political, tactical and theoretical differences which you kept to yourself over the last few years.

if you have introduced a discussion within your branch or with comrades in general, on trotskys 'strategy' and 'purchase' then feel free to correct me

ModernityBlog said...

Seems a bit silly to go back to the old debates on revolution or reform and who is what or what?

Anyone can beat their chest and shout how revolutionary they are, but that doesn't really count, in the real world.

I think it would be far better to question as to whether the methods, abilities and tactics of the last century's Left have actually achieved anything ?

By that I mean political achievements and how it improves working-class politics, not whether or not it makes individuals feel good about themselves.

henry said...

SDP anybody?

http://www.tribunemagazine.co.uk/2010/05/07/how-they-undermined-gordon-to-get-into-bed-with-clegg/

Michael Fishet said...

The election results indicate many things - one of which is the continuing crisis and decline of Trotskyism as a political force. In part this reflects the decomposition of the industrial and cultural movements that emerged in the late 1960s and which went into full scale retreat after the defeat of the miners, printers and dockers in the mid-1980s. Add in the collapse of Stalinism etc....

The other factor is the practice of the Trotskyist groups themselves. They continue to operate with a profoundly ahistorical understanding of the relationship between class and politics. Political analysis and strategy should begin with an understanding of the contemporary composition of the working class. But too many Trots value the alleged continuity of their thinking with the 'great teachers' above the harder work of generating empirically grounded analysis of the class as it actually is.

It is genuinely sad that many good fighters for a better world are wasting their talents and energy on such a dogmatic and futile form of politics.

Chris said...

Michael Fishet makes a point I have heard a million times before and like a million times before fails to actually explain what this new politics looks like.

That doesn't mean he is wrong but I wish people like him would accept that they don't have the answers and can't be certain they have the questions either.

Michael Fisher said...

The points I have made are hardly new (Marx made similar arguements against the sects and utopians of his day). Unfortunately such points will remain relevant as long as the Trotskyist left continue to think and behave as they do.

The American Marxist Hal Draper, surveying the wreakage of the American radical left, wrote a valuable essay titled 'Sects and Sectism' in which he critiques the futile politics of the sect left and outlines what socialists can do in very difficult circumstances. It provides a useful basis for discussion today - if not the 'answers'. The American 'Solidarity' group has published some useful analysis of the situation facing socialists today and what can be done. Aspects of their analysis are relevant to other countries - such as Briatin.

Phil said...

Trainspotter may be interested to note that the SLP was down to stand in Thurrock but the challenge never materialised. Anyone got the goss?