In a timely moment, I've done some research into Labour's fortunes under JC. From the Labour Party's own news desk:
"Labour’s support slumped in its heartlands last night in a series of council by-elections. The Labour share of the vote plunged by 25 per cent in wards in Newcastle and Mansfield, where the party hung on, and fell by single-digit figures in Pendle, in Lancashire, and Tandridge, in Surrey.
Labour lost the Reedley ward in Pendle where the Tories made an 8.4 per cent gain. Labour’s share of the vote fell by 7.6 per cent as it suffered a surprise defeat to the Tories. The Lib Dems were a distant third on 2.3 per cent. With the final count completed on Friday afternoon, the results showed Labour held three wards, the Tories gained one and held three and the Lib Dems held one. Labour held seats in Carlisle, where it increased its vote share, Mansfield and Newcastle. The Tories and Lib Dems retained wards in Eastbourne, in Sussex, and Tandridge, respectively."
Now these were from November last year but given it's mid-term for a Tory government and all the promising sounds made by JC supporters, I don't see much in the way of a revival, or even a maintenance, of Labour's fortunes under JC.
In Parliamentary by elections, the news is even more dismal. If we look at elections since Brexit and the Leadership challenge, in the Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election Labour went down by 7.1% - more than three times the Tory and UKIP vote. In the Richmond Park election Labour were almost 9% down on the previous election. In the Witney election it was 2.2% down. Incredibly, even in the Ogmore election - a Labour Heartland - they were down by 0.3%.
It'll be interesting to see how the upcoming by-elections work.
