[Closed] Zac Goldsmith

It couldn't have happened to a more appropriate person.

My comment from the EU thread

Richmond voted 70% Remain and the Tories did not put forward a candidate so a LibDem win isn't a big surprise. I would not have voted for Goldsmith. As Jess Phillips said a stupid game from a rich boy. She also said this

Do you know what this election won't change - Heathrow expansion or Brexit

Whatever the circumstances its a win for centre left which from my perspective is a good thing. If they can now just make sufficient noises about immigration controls or at least closing the employment loopholes that drive it to satisfy folk who worry about that we may start to see a resurgance.

Tories didn't put a candidate forward so as to give Zac a clear run. The kippers supported him. So the incumbent (who had 58% of the vote at the general election) with the weight of the Tories and the supposed weight of UKIP behind him, campaigning on Heathrow expansion, which is not exactly popular locally, lost.

Surprising? Well maybe not the in 2016. But at least we know staying in the EU is more important than whether your windows get rattled by A380s.

A50 worse than A380?

That result will concentrate a few minds in Parliament

doubt that very much

Zack has always been a rich boy looking for a fairground to play in.

As for the result, excellent. Sadly it won't lead to a change in this Govt's policies, since they're all on A Facist Boot camp and unable to take calls.

But at least we know staying in the EU is more important than whether your windows get rattled by A380s.

Give him his due. He said he'd resign if Heathrow went the wrong way and he did, played it badly but stuck to his word. Wonder if he thought he would lose when he caused the by-election? Can't see many other MP"s taking the same risk, certainly not now.

I note the level of debate is at its usual stw standard. Someone you disagree with is only fit for name calling, remarkable.

The vote was more about the slimy shit.

Yes I agree.

Here is what Jess tweeted in October

I think Zac Goldsmith is invoking an expensive (tax payer) vanity project that only rich kids could ever consider. Bravo!

aP - don't disagree. My A380/A50 comment only reflected last night. Same way the June 23 result only reflected June 23.

Jamba - which project was he invoking? Not Heathrow obviously so Brexit perhaps?

Bye bye Zac you self-entitled, opportunistic, racist ****!

That didnt quite go to plan, did it?

In an unremittingly grim political climate, this has made my day! 😆

Friday too binners so treat yourself !

igm Heathrow vanity project. LibDems said they'd be anti-LHR too so Zac offered no differention there, took the airport out of the by-election imo.

..and made it about Brexit.

(ZG's probably not even racist himself, just happy to appeal to racists. Hey ho.)

I wonder if this will give any other centrist MP's (Labour or Tory) from remain constituencies the courage to jump to the Lib Dems as a party better representing their constituents values.

which project was he invoking? Not Heathrow obviously so Brexit perhaps?

Seeing as brexit is the mother of all expensive vanity projects, thats a fair point

Zac was an idiot, his and the tory election machine sunk very low in the mayoral election, that kind of shit might play well on the pages of breitbart and the Daily Mail, but in a cosmopolitan city its not going to wash.
All of that and it immediately became about brexit, I wonder if from now on we will see well to do areas voting pro-EU and left behind ones anti-EU- until they twig (probably too late) that their probems are nothing to do with brussles and all about westminster.

It was always a sham, instead of resigning in front of the whole house after the Heathrow announcement, he slunk off to quietly quit at a small press conference in a book shop? and spare May some embarrassment, meanwhile he had access to the Tory funding machine and his website still carried the same links to and praise for the Tory party it always had.

[url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/zac-goldsmith-has-lavish-multi-million-pound-tantrum-20160506108643 ]Do you think he's doing this again?[/url]

😆

Bye bye Zac you self-entitled, opportunistic, racist ****!

That didnt quite go to plan, did it?

In an unremittingly grim political climate, this has made my day!

This, however I doubt

That result will concentrate a few minds in Parliament,

and, let's be honest, it's hard not to agree with

Do you know what this election won't change - Heathrow expansion or Brexit

Give him his due. He said he'd resign if Heathrow went the wrong way and he did, played it badly but stuck to his word. Wonder if he thought he would lose when he caused the by-election? Can't see many other MP"s taking the same risk, certainly not now

I wonder if this will give any other centrist MP's (Labour or Tory) from remain constituencies the courage to jump to the Lib Dems as a party better representing their constituents values.

May well mean the 2016 results was their nadir though

That result will concentrate a few minds in Parliament

This, however I doubt
That result will concentrate a few minds in Parliament,

Really? MPs are at the mercy of the mob, any MP in a constituency that voted for Brexit, even narrowly, must be feeling very uneasy as this will be how their opponents will target them.
Even more so if they think that the narrow Leave victory of 1.9% has swung the other way.
deadline

and, let's be honest, it's hard not to agree with
Do you know what this election won't change - Heathrow expansion or Brexit

Actually I think brexit is far more likely to go ahead than Heathrow, years of legal wrangling await the new runway, brexit has a deadline
They will both cost the country billions, the only difference is that one is an investment, the other is just madness 😉

It's a tipping point. Anti Brexit anti racist tipping point.

Richmond was 70% Remain. Goldsmith is pro Leave. The result is hardly a shocker.

Well at least 2016 had one good laugh in it.

It's a tipping point. Anti Brexit anti racist tipping point.

I'd like to hope so, but I fear London is a bit of a special case and this twerp even more so.

"Special"?

Certainly.

Our lady PM may have played a blinder here... sacrificed that prat so that it'll be easier to get Heathrow through now; making the LibDems the party of metropolitan remainers will harden the resolve of the rest of the country that is Brexity; and it shafts Labour by squeezing them in London while UKIP take their votes up north. Not a bad day's work.

Richmond was 70% Remain. Goldsmith is pro Leave. The result is hardly a shocker.

How many elections can you think of where there has been a 30% swing?

[quote=mike_p ]Our lady PM may have played a blinder here... sacrificed that prat so that it'll be easier to get Heathrow through now; making the LibDems the party of metropolitan remainers will harden the resolve of the rest of the country that is Brexity; and it shafts Labour by squeezing them in London while UKIP take their votes up north. Not a bad day's work.

Who knew the PMs press secretary posted on STW

You have a real talent for one sided spin as that is both plausible and rational.
JAmby please take note of how to do it

It's a by-election ransos and a very specific one. Witney was a 24% swing (checked and rounded it up 😉 )

It's a by-election ransos and a very specific one. Witney was a 24% swing (checked and rounded it up )

So you can't think of an example, then.

Always nice to see a Tory lose. 😀

But I have a feeling that the only people this is really bad news for long term is Labour. We know they can't count on their northern grassroots vote any more because huge swathes of it have gone idiot-racist and now vote UKIP. But this by-election shows that they also can't count on limp hand-wringing smug progressive types (*waves*) either, because of their doormat-like stance on Brexit. They don't have the balls to go far enough down the populist path to regain their old working-class vote, and they've lost most of us left-leaning namby-pamby elite types through Corbyn and Co's failure to speak any pragmatic sense on Europe or bring the fight to May and her bunch of clowns.

Unless something big changes, they're going to get ****ing destroyed at the next election.

it shafts Labour by squeezing them in London while UKIP take their votes up north. Not a bad day's work.

[Edit: yeah, this.]

Richmond was 70% Remain. Goldsmith is pro Leave. The result is hardly a shocker.

Most of our current incumbent MPs didn't campaign on, or even declare, their Remain / Leave stance in the last election, They perhaps need to get ready to be judged for their position in the next one.

Politicans are too vain to realise they don't win elections, they get the job by being the one that didn't lose. They get voted out for their actions, not voted in for their promises.

But this by-election shows that they also can't count on limp hand-wringing smug progressive types (*waves*) either, because of their doormat-like stance on Brexit

If you look at the history of elections in Richmond, you'll see that Labour has always performed poorly. What they need to do is grow up and form a progressive alliance with the Lib Dems and Greens, but it ain't ever going to happen.

But I have a feeling that the only people this is really bad news for long term is Labour. We know they can't count on their northern grassroots vote any more because huge swathes of it have gone idiot-racist and now vote UKIP. But this by-election shows that they also can't count on limp hand-wringing smug progressive types (*waves*) either, because of their doormat-like stance on Brexit.

Ruth Davidson summed Labours problem up perfectly on QT last night. She said that right now Wakefield, Gateshead, Warrington, and Bradford (insert name of generic Labour 'Heartlands' here) feel as far away from Islington as Edinburgh and Glasgow did at the last election. And the result will be the same.

And as last night showed, the hand-wringing Guardianista's *HI!* are allgoing to vote Lib Dem on the strength of their Brexit stance.

I'm going to shove a bet on Labour being reduced to under 100 seats at the next election, because I think the only seats they'll hold for certain, under Corbyn, are in the City's. And they'll even struggle there.

I do get the feeling though that Jezza and his comrades are now so detached from reality that the scale of the electoral armageddon that awaits them still hasn't even registered.

It's a by-election ransos and a very specific one. Witney was a 24% swing (checked and rounded it up )

your comparison to show how typical it is is is both one where the party kept the seat and the swing was much less 8)

your trolling, when it works , is sublime

Ps you got the maths wrong CMD got 60.2 % and the sitting MP got 45% i am very interested in seeing your checked maths work...have you really got a maths degree? 😯

Bet May's sphincter is twitching

her constituency voted to remain 😆

How many elections can you think of where there has been a 30% swing?

Quite a few. Not uncommon for big swings in by-elections. Even in general elections. In 2015 Glasgow NE -

the SNP won all seven seats in Glasgow with the country's biggest swing - 39.3% from Labour - in Glasgow North East;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-scotland-32635871

If you look at the history of elections in Richmond, you'll see that Labour has always performed poorly. What they need to do is grow up and form a progressive alliance with the Lib Dems and Greens, but it ain't ever going to happen.

Agreed. Sadly.

I'm all for tactical voting but would really struggle to put my cross on Lib Dem/Green when there's a Labour candidate on the the ballot, even now and even in a Richmond situation where the Lab candidate stood no chance and alternatives did. Don't get me wrong, I'd try but might not manage it. Better if the parties could sort it out. But they won't

For me Tony Blair's worst mistake was not to push hard for PR when he had the post-landslide opportunity to do so.

Quite a few. Not uncommon for big swings in by-elections. Even in general elections. In 2015 Glasgow NE -

I think you're proving my point - talking about the biggest swings that have occurred demonstrates that the result is an outlier.

hmmm IDS constituency voted remain by 18%

https://libdems.secure.force.com/LiberalDemocrats/NewMemberRegistration

IDS is going mental after an EU negociator commented on the Richmond vote.

Are the Brexiters starting to realise it is not all going to plan?

Even amongst this shower, IDS always manages to stand out as a particularly vile little turd

Labour's candidate did well;

[img] [/img]

Dominic Rabb next please - he really is a ....
I also agree about IDS
Can't wait for the tantrums from the take back control brigade when this whole shambles unravels

Labour is dead ..... and will remain that way unless some fresh young blood energises it and appeals to the next generation of voters

dominic raab 23% remain 😉

mashiehood - Member
Labour is dead ..... and will remain that way unless some fresh young blood energises it and appeals to the next generation of voters

Kier Starmer for PM? 😉

Yep and I live in his constituency- my wife has gone for him in a big way and he's just a slimy c#n7.

Come on. Labour is not dead, some of what Corbyn is talking about has an appeal to many. Next election is 2020 plenty of time for Labour to get themselves organised with the right message (populist event). Also there is plenty of time for the Conservatives to make many mistakes (and they will).

Labour's candidate did well;

I'm surprised anyone's surprised. When did they ever have a strong showing in this constituency? Evidence that their local supporters voted tactically.

No, their mistake was to not support the Lib Dems.

Come on. Labour is not dead, some of what Corbyn is talking about has an appeal to many.

Is that why they're presently polling 16 points behind the Tories?

Corbyns labour party is going to be absolutely decimated at the next election. I fully expect to see seats that have been labour since the dawn of time go to UKIP

I am sure you constantly attacking him as cult of personality liberal metropolitan elite and part of the Islington set who are out of touch with normal working class northern folk is in no way helping that scenario occur

Could not agree more.
Labour do not represent opposition anymore.
They need to get a grip and quickly.

Corbyns labour party is going to be absolutely decimated at the next election.

Yet no-one seems able to find a better candidate. I suggest Labour members should put up, or shut up and get behind their leader.

binners - Member
Come on. Labour is not dead, some of what Corbyn is talking about has an appeal to many.
Is that why they're presently polling 16 points behind the Tories?

pollsters had zac down to win

Well, I have the benefit of being a constituent.

(1) Zac's result in 2015 was also an extraordinary swing as well as he benefitted from a backlash against the LibDems for the coalition. This has been replaced by a blacklash against Brexit. Richmond Park was a Lib Dem marginal in 2010.

(2) The LibDems had far more troops on the ground. We were inundated with leaflets from them, three a week at least, including a fake weekly newspaper, which hid its real purpose in very small print. They had a lot of activists on the ground, 1,000 were bussed in one weekend. By contrast, Zac had many Tory activists who remained loyal to him, but greatly missed the National apparatus that was available to the Lib Dems.

(3) He has been a very good local MP and is a decent bloke who has kept his word, an example more MPs should follow. He has certainly been by far the most visible MP representing me.

pollsters had zac down to win

pollsters had zac down to win

Only initially, his lead was ebbing away thoughout the campaign.

For me Tony Blair's worst mistake was not to push hard for PR when he had the post-landslide opportunity to do so.

Generally speaking, people winning landslide victories under first-past-the-post haven't been overly keen on PR for some strange reason.

I may be corrected, but I'm pretty sure no party has won an outright majority of the popular vote in modern (say, post 1945) general elections in the UK.

(3) He has been a very good local MP and is a decent bloke who has kept his word, an example more MPs should follow. He has certainly been by far the most visible MP representing me.

Alternatively, he's a racist who ignored the wishes of the people who elected him.

I'm all for tactical voting but would really struggle to put my cross on Lib Dem/Green when there's a Labour candidate on the the ballot

I've voted for Tory, Labour and Lib-Dem (not in that order) in the last 3 general elections as, at each time I felt they were the best option. People need to vote on policy and not on party.

He has been a very good local MP and is a [b]decent bloke[/b] who has kept his word, an example more MPs should follow. He has certainly been by far the most visible MP representing me.

didnt stop heathrow expansion- the single issue he was elected on
tried to sod off at the 1st opportunity and win the mayoral using some nasty, ,even for a Tory, tactics and of course campaigned to leave the EU, very much against the wishes and best interests of his constituents.......
sounds like a great MP

still hes pipped cameron for being biggest loser of 2016?, maybe not

the racially tinged mayoral election and his cynically staged heathrow hissy fit tell me that we have very different definitions of what decent means

If the Lib Dems have policies you believe in and a candidate you trust then why not?

Whilst this is true of all parties to some degree the lib dems is a more random rolling of the dice as they may enable the tories to be tories and that i s not really the point of my tactical protest vote

I always vote for the party most likely to beat the tories. I am not sure i could vote lib dem tbh though it is no tan option locally anyway so I have not given it lots of thought

He has certainly been by far the most visible MP representing me

[quote=lunge ]Out of interest, why? If the Lib Dems have policies you believe in and a candidate you trust then why not?

I'm assuming he'd vote for a monkey with a red rosette 😉

A vote for Labour would be a totally wasted vote here - I'm going to vote Lib Dem next time (there, I've said it) even if the candidate they put up is as useless and despicable as the ones they've landed us with the last couple of times (I found myself unable to vote for either of them mainly for that reason) as they're the only party with a hope of beating the Tories here. Though my constituency voted for Brexit in just about the same proportions as the national result, so I don't hold much hope of anything earth shattering.

BTW I'm far more happy to announce that I'll be voting Lib Dem in the local elections as I have for the last several elections - voting for the incumbents both of whom I know on a first name basis, and both of whom are truly excellent (though I also know the Tory candidates from last time on a first name basis!)

The parties like to ignore mid-term protest votes. But this morning I wonder if the Tories have any concerns about the health of any of their older back-benchers.

I can't see Labour making a recovery until they throw Tony to the wolves.

I always vote for the party most likely to beat the tories.

I vote the for the person/party whose policies I feel best represent me and my community's/country's needs

In an ideal world our electoral system would reflect this sort of sentiment. But the FPTP system encourages people to abandon idealism and vote tactically. There's no point voting labour if you're in a safe tory seat, similarly voting tory in somewhere like Manchester Central is a waste of time.

didnt stop heathrow expansion- the single issue he was elected on

Nope, Susan Kramer was just as much against it.

tried to sod off at the 1st opportunity and win the mayoral

Having held a poll to ensure that his consituents were happy for him to run.

of course campaigned to leave the EU, very much against the wishes and best interests of his constituents.

His vote in the referendum counted no more than mine, why should I expect him to represent my views.

his cynically staged heathrow hissy fit

aka keeping his word

we have very different definitions of what decent means

I base mine on the efforts he has made on behalf of community organisations etc. Unlike some, he didn't see them only as a photo op.

As an aside, I wouldn't read too much into the Labour result. At the general election they had a charismatic Asian guy who had a bit of a bromance with Zac, whereas the Lib Dem was awful, so that did their numbers a lot of good.

I see Zac s brother is just as 'decent' a fellow as he is [img] [/img]

He has since deleted the tweet

I see Zac s brother is just as 'decent' a fellow as he is

I promise this is no dig at you Junky, but I find this mindset very alien. I vote the for the person/party whose policies I feel best represent me and my community's/country's needs, does that make me odd?

Are you naive or principled I dont know but each person is free to make their own choice in the ballot box.
Were we to have PR and every vote really count then i would do as you do
Not taken as dig BTW

As above there was not a snowballs chance Blair would have opted for PR as to so would guaranty there would never be another majority Labour government. I don't recall any pressure from Labour or the Tories fornPR from 1997-2010.

@mefty interesting local perspective, as you say 2010 result was pretty close too.

Has Corbyn said anything ?

Maybe she could be less drab if she spiced things up with a bit of dog whistle racism?

I don't recall any pressure from Labour or the Tories fornPR from 1997-2010.

No idea why you forgot all of this.

"Well, I have the benefit of being a constituent.
(1) Zac's result in 2015 was also an extraordinary swing as well as he benefitted from a backlash against the LibDems for the coalition. This has been replaced by a blacklash against Brexit. Richmond Park was a Lib Dem marginal in 2010.
(2) The LibDems had far more troops on the ground. We were inundated with leaflets from them, three a week at least, including a fake weekly newspaper, which hid its real purpose in very small print. They had a lot of activists on the ground, 1,000 were bussed in one weekend. By contrast, Zac had many Tory activists who remained loyal to him, but greatly missed the National apparatus that was available to the Lib Dems.
(3) He has been a very good local MP and is a decent bloke who has kept his word, an example more MPs should follow. He has certainly been by far the most visible MP representing me."

Thanks for that insight, especially 1) which hasn't been widely reported in the news.

That Ben Goldsmith would fit right on here. Insult first think later.