tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701192378438673089.post8855545219163949305..comments2023-09-15T01:11:46.814-07:00Comments on CatholicLeft: Stockport - from Conservative fasthold, through Liberal Democrat hegemony and on to Labour hope?Catholic Left-wingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03829264770790693322noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701192378438673089.post-76509685916816895842011-06-12T02:22:12.920-07:002011-06-12T02:22:12.920-07:00I certainly intend to try and find the time. It is...I certainly intend to try and find the time. It is a sad thing that the Catholic vote has been solidly behind Labour (even in Labour's electoral nadirs of 1983 and 2005) but that much of the posting on Catholic matters has been done by very politically right-wing bloggers.<br />You are right to say that it isn't as bad here as it appears to be across the 'Pond' but we could do with a bit more debate from the wider pool of people who are willing to blog from a Catholic (and otherwise) perspective.CatholicLefthttp://catholicleft.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701192378438673089.post-15263599014812083712011-06-12T02:11:34.420-07:002011-06-12T02:11:34.420-07:00I hope that having started posting again recently ...I hope that having started posting again recently that you will continue. Having returned to Catholic orthodoxy, I'm finding the equation of theological and political conservatism in much of the Catholic blogosphere a bit stifling (though it seems much less uniform on this side of the Atlantic).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701192378438673089.post-1036729556993382122011-06-11T11:56:05.767-07:002011-06-11T11:56:05.767-07:00Whilst you are right to say there was an increase ...Whilst you are right to say there was an increase in voter turnout, it is important to remember that it wasn't only Labour voters who were part of the increase (although it was surely the greater proportion). You only have to look up the road to Manchester where in wards such as Levenshulme (where my family lived for many years and was a safely Liberal Democrat as it was possible to be) and Chorlton Park, their were considerable numbers of switchers directly from Labour to Liberal Democrat. I was stunned to drive through Chorlton Park just before the election to see a mass of Labour posters where before there had been Liberal Democrat ones - in the same gardens and windows.<br />It can't be feasible to argue that the increase in the Labour vote in in wards like Offerton was simply due to extra voters turning out for Labour and lots of Liberal Democrats staying at home.<br />This year, the Liberal Democrats pretty much got away with it but I am fascinated to see what happens next time.CatholicLefthttp://catholicleft.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701192378438673089.post-78981683757763913622011-06-11T09:28:41.602-07:002011-06-11T09:28:41.602-07:00I think you are rather overstating the movement fr...I think you are rather overstating the movement from LibDems to Labour in the May elections . There was a big increase in the Labour vote but it came mainly from Labour voters who did not vote in the 2006 to 2008 period . <br /> Stockport wide the changes in total votes for each party were<br /> Labour + 15,000<br /> Conser + 2,000<br /> LibDem - 5,000<br /> <br /> Clearly not all the lost LD votes went to Labour . a few went Conservative and others perhaps 2/3,000 simply sat at home . Now that Labour are no longer an unpopular government they should be able to continue to make gains in seat terms in the next 2 rounds of local elections but the swings achieved this year are mostly down to differential turnout and not to LibDem voters switching to Labour in large numbers .Mark Seniornoreply@blogger.com