onionbagblog

Public service announcement - the results for the by-election (cripes) held in Tulse Hill on the 1st July 2010:

Ruth Ling, Labour - 1235

Terry Curtis, LibDems 745

George Graham, Greens 256

Will Blackburn, Conservative 94

Robin Lambert, UKIP 36

And so congratulations to @ClaphamCommoner for winning over in Tulse Hill. It was the by-election that no one in Lambeth wanted, apart from perhaps @ClaphamCommoner, providing her with a backdoor entry to regain a seat on @lambeth_council after being defeated in her home patch of Clap’ham Common.

It seems that @LambethLibDems simply couldn’t compete with the support that @ClaphamCommoner received from the most unlikely of sources. I didn’t have Ken down as a Nu Labour luvvie; ageing Britpop drummers are few and far between amongst @LambethLibDems.

In return, the response from @LambethLibDems has been well documented - a “vile and disgusting campaign” (stick that in yer election leaflets) which was such a sick stunt that it deserved to backfire spectacularly on the Love Me I’m a Liberal lot.

A third place showing for the Greens is a decent return; meanwhile the Tory’s self styled “Iraq war hero,” Will Blackburn, will be licking his wounds in a disappointing fourth place. It was nice that family and friends came out to support the UKIP candidate.

Tulse Hill can now hopefully return to some sense of progression for all within the local community. Eighteen days having a sitting Coucillor, followed by fifty-five days of confusion, can’t have done much to restore faith in local politics for the electorate.

The 21.5% turnout in Tulse Hill was risible, compared to the 59% less than two months ago. The electorate clearly hasn’t got the stomach to endorse fully any local politician at this moment in time.

Meanwhile the delicate Tulse Hill Situation should be allowed to take the due legal process - something that could have happened all along, if it wasn’t for the resignation of the previous councillor “at the request” of @LambethLabour.

Now then - about that independent seat over in Vassall ward…