COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 03.07.25

Nine by-elections were held this week, including two on Wednesday.  Labour were defending both of the Wednesday contests and fell to Reform in one, while holding off a Reform surge in the other.

On Thursday there was a gain each for the Lib Dems, Reform and Tories, plus an independent.  Reform were defending seats for the first time and lost both.  It seems that voters are not too happy when they are asked to go to the polls again just two months after they elected these councillors.  In one of those seats Reform slipped to third place behind Labour, who saw a marginal increase in vote share.  Reform  lost their other seat to the Conservatives by the narrowest margin of just eight votes.

In a somewhat merry-go-round of gains and losses, the Tories lost a seat to Reform in Suffolk, while Reform narrowly missed out on a gain in mid Wales.  The Lib Dems held them off by just six votes.

Killingworth, North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

(held on Wednesday)

Ref: 771 (38.5%) New

Lab: 639 (31.9%) -22.7%

Con: 441 (21.4%) -3.5%

Grn: 85 (4.2%) -16.3%

LDm: 81 (4.0%) New

Ref GAIN from Lab

Longbenton & Benton, North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

(held on Wednesday)

Lab: 739 (39.6%) -16.8%

Ref: 602 (32.3%) +19.3%

Grn: 259 (13.9%) -7.8%

LDm: 183 (9.8%) New

Con: 83 (4.4%) New

Lab HOLD

Mendip, Bath and North East Somerset Council

LDm: 496 (57.1%) -18.2%

Ref: 191 (22.0%) New

Con: 84 (9.7%) +6.7%

Grn: 57 (6.6%) +2.0%

Lab: 40 (4.6%) +0.9%

LDm HOLD

Benfieldside, Durham County Council

LDm: 824 (28.3%) +17.3%

Lab: 800 (27.4%) +0.8%

Ref: 747 (25.6%) -6.6%

Ind: 459 (15.7%) -8.0%

Con: 76 (1.6%) -5.0%

Grn: 40 (1.4%) New

LDm GAIN from Ref

Calverton, Gedling Borough Council

Ind: 1,245 (66.3%) New

Ref: 337 (17.9%) New

Lab: 150 (8.0%) -20.6%

Con: 117 (6.2%) -44.1%

Grn: 21 (1.1%) New

LDm: 8 (0.4%) New

Ind GAIN from Con

Fulham Town, Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council

Con: 647 (43.3%) -1.7%

LDm: 345 (23.1%) -4.5%

Lab: 251 (16.8%) -10.6%

Ref: 187 (12.5%) New

Grn: 63 (4.2%) New

Con HOLD

Newark West, Nottinghamshire County Council

Con: 680 (34.7%) +4.8%

Ref: 672 (34.3%) -1.6%

Lab: 316 (16.1%) -3.9%

Grn: 190 (9.7%) +2.1%

LDm: 90 (4.6%) -1.9%

SDP: 11 (0.6%) New

Con GAIN from Ref

Llanidloes, Powys County Council

LDm: 557 (35.5%) +5.2%

Ref: 551 (35.1%) New

Pld: 225 (14.3%) +1.9%

Con: 118 (7.5%) -7.7%

Lab: 112 (7.1%) -4.8%

Ind: 6 (0.4%) New

LDm HOLD

Tower, Suffolk County Council

Ref: 1,332 (28.8%) New

Grn: 1,155 (25.0%) -4.5%

Con: 808 (17.5%) -16.2%

Lab: 667 (14.4%) -6.4%

Ind: 407 (8.8%) New

LDm: 269 (5.6%) +1.6%

Ref GAIN from Con

Abbreviations

Ref = Reform UK

Lab = Labour

Con = Conservative

Grn = Green

LDm = Liberal Democrat

SDP = Social Democratic Party

Pld = Plaid Cymru

Ind = Independent

WOKE WEDNESDAYS #33

Glastonbury used to be a music festival.  Founded in 1970 by left-wing farmer and one time Labour candidate Michael Eavis, its initial theme being 'pop, rock, blues and folk'.  Over the years it evolved to incorporate all kinds of performance arts, although the main focus remained on music.  Throughout the course of this century the event has been a go to place for bourgeois leftists and musicians have increasingly played to this demographic.

The flags that are famously waved by spectators have varied during the same period, in order to depict whatever 'virtuous current trend' demands their attention.  Brexit loomed large in the 2010s, leading a reporter from The Guardian to comment in 2016 that she 'didn't encounter a single person who voted leave'.  

The BLM riots coincided with the scamdemic that led to the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 festivals, so attendees missed out on lots of race-related lectures.  Eavis's daughter Emily commented at the time that the festival would have been 'inspired' by BLM, as well as 'climate change'.  When it returned in 2022, the Glastonbury political messenging went into overdrive.  There were keynote speeches from Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Greta Thunberg, while Labour's Jess Phillips and Andy Burnham also addressed audiences.

There are of course exceptions to the middle class rule.  A lad in a 'Love Brexit' t-shirt was spotted in 2019, while a Trump flag was flown in 2023.  However, they stood out because they are exceptions.  You're far more likely to see communist regalia and the flags of the EU, Palestine, Ukraine and the Alphabet People.  Whichever is the current thing...

Last week's Eluned Morgan meme generated 39 comments and seven shares on Facebook.

TOON TUESDAY #61

As the Labour government approaches the first anniversary of its election, Chairman Starmer has been forced into another embarrassing u-turn.  This time it is to appease his own backbenchers, as opposed to voter backlash and flatlining polls.

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

Graeme Bandeira for The Northern Agenda

Nicola Jennings for The Observer

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

Morten Morland for The Times

Dave Brown for The Independent

Ben Jennings for The Guardian

Peter Brooks for The Times

Christian Adams for The Sunday Telegraph

Morten Morland for The Times

Christian Adams for The Daily Telegraph

Dave Simons on Instagram

The Wimbledon tennis championship began as the Glastonbury political rally ended, inspiring a couple more leftist-inspired efforts from the Telegraph's finest...

Patrick Blower for The Daily Telegraph

Matt Pritchett for The Daily Telegraph

MEME MONDAY #41

Karl was away last week, so the memes were a little more intermittent than usual.  The week was populated by several comical efforts, with mixed results, although the Ed Miliband meme went far and wide...

Mon 23 Jun - 491 shares on the main Facebook page

Tue 24 Jun - 113 shares on the backup Facebook page

Wed 25 Jun - 11 shares.  Aww, bless Zarah.

Wed 25 Jun - 708 shares

Thu 26 June - 60 shares.  The second in a series of similar
memes, mocking Blair's desperate attempts to promote
digital IDs in the name of anything and everything.
Sadly, there are too many comments that indicate
ignorance and/or anathema to the digital ID/CBDC
totalitarian social credit plan.

Thu 26 Jun - 1,027 shares

Sat 28 Jun - 53 shares

Sat 28 Jun - 84 shares

This week's Facebook stories included a milestone for the backup page, as we surpassed 40,000 followers.

If you would like to show your appreciation for our ongoing work, you can buy us a pint each here.

BOATWATCH #16

The recent all time weekly high of 2,083 recorded boat migrants appears to have emptied Calais as it was followed by a lull in the past week.  Just two boats were intercepted all week, but a lull is all that it is.  More illegals are en route, make no mistake.

Total = 118 (down 1,965 from previous week)

COUNCIL BY-ELECTIONS 26.06.25

A whopping ten by-elections were held this week, from Edinburgh in the north to Sussex in the south.  Labour were defending half the seats and finished the day on just one, a hold in Stevenage.  Labour's vote share was down in every single seat, from a marginal decrease of 1.7 per cent in Edinburgh to a crushing 34.3 per cent in Chorley, Lancs.

Reform continued their good form, with gains in Basildon and Rossendale from local independents and also taking a Labour seat in Sheffield.  In all three seats they came from nowhere to win first time round.

The other Labour losses came at the hands of the Greens in London, Conservatives in Chorley and Lib Dems in Edinburgh.  Labour enjoyed a narrow lead in Edinburgh on the first round, but eventually lost out to the Lib Dems thanks to Scotland's single transferable vote system.

Wickford Park, Basildon Borough Council

Ref: 922 (40.6%) New

Con: 840 (37.0%) +6.1%

LDm: 171 (7.5%) -6.8%

Ind: 148 (6.5%) -25.4%

Lab: 146 (6.4%) -16.4%

Grn: 43 (1.9%) New

Ref GAIN from Ind

Buckshaw & Whittle, Chorley Borough Council

Con: 576 (35.5%) +3.2%

Ref: 530 (32.7%) New

Lab: 412 (25.4%) -34.3%

Grn: 103 (6.4%) -1.6%

Con GAIN from Lab

Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart, Edinburgh City Council

(first preferences)

Lab: 1,293 (20.8%) -1.7%

LDm: 1,269 (20.4%) +13.3%

Grn: 1,133 (18.2%) -1.7%

SNP: 905 (14.5%) -8.2%

Con: 857 (13.8%) -12.8%

Ref: 489 (7.9%) New

Ind: 111 (1.8%) New

Ind: 39 (0.6%) New

Ind: 36 (0.6%) New

SFP: 34 (0.5%) -0.2%

SLP: 25 (0.4%) -0.1%

Ind: 25 (0.4%) New

Ind: 9 (0.1%) New

LDm GAIN from Lab (elected at stage 13)

Shooters Hill, Greenwich London Borough Council

Grn: 869 (34.6%) +19.5%

Lab: 756 (30.1%) -29.1%

Ref: 402 (16.0%) +13.2%

Con: 288 (11.5%) -2.4%

LDm: 128 (5.1%) -3.6%

Ind: 57 (2.3%) New

Ind: 9 (0.4%) New

Grn GAIN from Lab

Crediton Lawrence, Mid Devon District Council

LDm: 540 (64.9%) +12.8%

Ref: 226 (27.2%) New

Lab: 66 (7.9%) -18.3%

LDm HOLD

Whitworth, Rossendale Borough Council

Ref: 733 (47.5%) New

Con: 449 (29.1%) -0.7%

Lab: 251 (16.3%) -4.8%

Grn: 110 (7.1%) -4.0%

Ref GAIN from Ind

Catsfield & Crowhurst, Rother District Council

LDm: 267 (36.6%) -11.9%

Ref: 200 (27.4%) New

Con: 162 (22.2%) -10.9%

Lab: 101 (13.8%) -4.7%

LDm HOLD

Stocksbridge & Upper Don, Sheffield City Council

Ref: 1,789 (32.9%) New

LDm: 1,595 (29.3%) +12.1%

Lab: 1,324 (24.4%) -25.2%

Con: 332 (6.1%) -21.6%

Grn: 294 (5.4%) -7.1%

Yrk: 58 (1.1%) New

TUS: 43 (0.8%) -1.2%

Ref GAIN from Lab

Great Wyrley Landywood, South Staffordshire District Council

Con: 358 (48.7%) +9.1%

Ref: 292 (39.7%) New

Lab: 55 (7.5%) -30.3%

LDm: 30 (4.1%) New

Con HOLD

Bedwell, Stevenage Borough Council

Lab: 506 (43.2%) -2.5%

Ref: 404 (34.5%) New

Con: 105 (9.0%) -9.9%

Grn: 79 (6.7%) -7.8%

LDm: 78 (6.7%) -8.6%

Lab HOLD

Abbreviations

Ref = Reform UK

Con = Conservative

LDm = Liberal Democrat

Lab = Labour

Grn = Green

SNP = Scottish National Party

SFP = Scottish Family Party

SLP = Scottish Libertarian Party

Yrk = Yorkshire

TUS = Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Ind = Independent

WOKE WEDNESDAYS #32

Despite the Supreme Court ruling on the trans issue, the leftist establishment are continuing with their misogynistic agenda regardless.  Earlier this week BBC News presenter Martine Croxall defied her employers and corrected an autocue script that described 'pregnant people'.  "Women" she declared, while struggling to stifle her amusement at the absurdity of having to do so.

The viral clip is discussed by Richey in the following YouTube video. 

Martine is obviously the exception to the rule at the progressive Beeb, which has jettisoned feminism in favour of airbrushing women from existence altogether.

Like the terms 'birthing people' or 'birthing person', 'pregnant people' is intended to degrade the sanctity of womanhood and, specifically, motherhood.  Progressives argue that such 'gender-neutral' language is necessary, as the language we have been using for almost two thousand years excludes trans and 'non-binary' people.  So in order to be 'inclusive' towards a miniscule proportion of society, we must denigrate around one half of society - ie. biological women?  The objective is to dehumanise women, to render their immutable characteristics meaningless and make them feel worthless.  It is the same reason men are being increasingly demasculated and the sanctity of marriage undermined.

The goal is communism.

This is why such language flourishes on the left.  Take the current First Minister of Wales.  As a health minister in Wales, Eluned Morgan referred to 'birthing people' multiple times.  She was quoted using the term in a January 2022 press release, and again in May that year in a cabinet statement.  The quote featured in the meme below is from an April 2024 cabinet statement.

Sorry Eluned, but you're fooling nobody.  Trans people who were born male cannot give birth and nor can 'non-binary' people who are biologically male.  In short, there is only one type of person who can give birth - a person with xx chromosomes - in other words a woman!

Last week's Rob Schneider meme generated nine comments and 25 shares on Facebook.

TOON TUESDAY #60

With this being the last Tuesday of Alphabet Month, we decided to dedicate it to the Alphabet People.  There is no-one better at mocking the occasion than the conservative Christian American artist known as Jimbob...

You can follow Jimbob for his latest work on X, Facebook and Instagram.  He also has a YouTube channel.

MEME MONDAY #40

Rape gangs, boat people, euthanasia and the G7 dominate this week's selection of Karl's finest...

Mon 16 Jun - 139 shares on the main Facebook page

Mon 16 Jun - 84 shares on the backup Facebook page.  The frontbencher's
remark on the BBC's Question Time received instant ridicule.

Tue 17 Jun -52 shares

Tue 17 Jun - 81 shares

Tue 17 Jun - 73 shares.  Starmer's own words from just six months previous.

Tue 17 Jun - 189 shares

Wed 18 Jun - 137 shares

Wed 18 Jun - 303 shares

Thur 19 Jun - 130 shares

Sat 21 Jun - 427 shares.  Adapted from a sarcastic post by Richey during the
spring 'heat-wave'.  Pretty much everyone got the humour, as these pathetic
attempts to invoke fear of the sun has reached propaganda levels.

Sat 21 Jun - 184 shares.  Italy's right wing PM Giorgia Meloni oozes style
and self respect.  Then there is the woman who would be British PM
given half a chance...

Sun 22 Jun - 115 shares.  Someone asked if this represents Starmer, Rayner and
Cooper, but you could take your pick from pretty much any trio of Labour MPs.

Sun 22 Jun - 127 shares.  The lefty balloon heads of Kneecap, who seem to
model themselves on the Marxist terrorists of Sinn Fein-IRA, but would
probably shit themselves if a car backfired.  They like to pose with flags, but
seem to prefer those of Palestine and Hezbollah, as opposed to the one which
adorns their ever present tea cosy.

Karl has continued to reissue memes in portrait format as 'Facebook Stories', with the following efforts featured on alternate pages.

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