Barnsley Central: Lib Dems punished into sixth
Voters in Barnsley have sent the coalition’s junior party a troubling message, by pushing the Liberal Democrats from second to sixth place.
Dan Jarvis held the seat for Labour as expected after the by-election was triggered by his predecessor Eric Illsley’s expenses disgrace.
The big story of the night was the reversal suffered by the Lib Dems. Last May Christopher Wiggin finished six votes ahead of the Conservatives to take second place. Yesterday his 6,394 votes were reduced to just 1,012 for Lib Dem Dominic Carman, the son of the famous George Carman QC.
“In truth it was a no contest for any non-Labour candidate,” Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said.
“It was a very safe Labour seat. Labour got a huge majority on an abysmally-low turnout and everybody else was left to pick up the pieces.”
But Mr Jarvis said in his victory speech: “Tonight the people of Barnsley Central are sending the strongest possible message to David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
“Your reckless policies, your broken promises and your unfair cuts are letting our country down.”
Party president Tim Farron blamed low turnout for the result. Only 36% of eligible voters bothered to cast their vote on what proved to be a cold, wintry day for Barnsley.
The other big surprise was the impressive performance of Ukip’s candidate Jane Collins. Her 2,953 votes placed her in second.
The Tories, who finished in third, nevertheless saw their supporters at the ballot box drop from 6,388 votes to just 1,999.
Both Enis Dalton for the BNP and independent candidate Tony Devoy got more votes than Mr Carman, in a result which will be viewed with alarm at Cowley Street.
“Lots of people just didn’t turn out at all,” Mr Farron told the Today programme.
“I suspect that was what happened to our vote, the Tories and even some of the Labour vote as well. People have just thought ‘what is the point?'”
But Labour’s share of the vote actually increased. Mr Jarvis, a former para who now specialises in electoral battles rather than real ones, secured a majority of 11,771, compared to Illsley’s 11,093 advantage.
Labour leader Ed Miliband called the result “fantastic” and described it as “another step on the road to regaining the trust of the British people”.
Speaking in Barnsley this morning, he said: “After less than ten months of this Conservative-led government the people of Barnsley have made clear that they are fed up with what they are doing to our country: squeezing living standards, betraying the hopes of young people and destroying the institutions we value most from local libraries to the NHS.
“Labour is the only progressive alternative to this Conservative-led government and I urge people to join us or work with us to change the direction of this country.”
The new MP for Barnsley Central pointed out that neither the prime minister nor his deputy had bothered to campaign in the constituency. Mr Clegg, he said, had been “too embarrassed to visit even here in his own back yard”.
Analysis from pollsters Survation suggested 60% of voters who backed the Lib Dems last May had switched to Labour.
Barnsley Central by-election result in full:
Dan Jarvis (Lab) – 14,724
Jane Collins (Ukip) – 2,953
James Hockney (Con) 1,999
Enis Dalton (BNP) – 1,463
Tony Devoy (Ind) – 1,266
Dominic Carman (LD) – 1,012
Kevin Riddiough (Eng Dem) – 544
Howling Laud Hope (Loony) – 198
Michael Val Davies (Ind) – 60
