17th May 2010. 

We re-publish this posting from last November as an interesting indication of how badly Wallasey’s Tory Party strategists misread the popular mood.  It is worth reading again as our prediction that misleading Tory propaganda, and throwing huge amounts of money into glossy publications would do them no good.  The writing was indeed on the wall – yet even in the most (theoretically) favourable conditions, when Tories in other parts of the country did not do nearly as badly, here in Wallasey the population were simply not taken in.    And they orchestrated the loss of their most prized Council seat – Liscard –  whilst Labour also regained New Brighton and held other seats the Tories imagined were in the bag.  As for their constant boast that they had become really popular in Seacombe, with a Labour defector peddling their propaganda leaflet for them, they had the rudest awakening of all with Labour not only trouncing their hopes but taking almost 63% of the vote. 

 27th November 2009 - revisited

In Thursday’s by-election the Tories retained Moreton & Saughall Massie.  

They will put on a brave face and ‘spin’ it as a ‘great victory’.  But in one of their ‘safest’ seats, ever since the ward’s creation in 2004, it must be a bitter disappointment.  Even after a year of negative campaigning, in the most virulent propaganda campaign they have ever conducted, their percentage of the vote stagnated (in fact dropping slightly).  Labour’s percentage rose healthily. 

We are told the Tories are spinning a tale that they won ‘This former Labour Ward’.    Moreton and Saughall Massie was never a Labour Ward.  It has been among Wirral’s ’safest’ Tory strongholds since its creation.  Perhaps the ‘spin’ is a smoke screen to cover up immense frustration at their poor showing.  

In the wake of a relentless, and we assume enormously expensive,  propaganda assault during the past year (vicariously aided by strange bedfellows from other camps) on a reduced poll the Tories dropped 681 votes and were also down in their percentage of votes.   Labour’s Andrew Hollingworth, pictured left, comfortably increased the Labour percentage share of the votes cast – even with an ’Independent’ dividing the popular anti Tory vote.  In one of Wirral’s strongest Tory Wards, that is heartening indeed for Labour.   Replicated across Wirral it would produce an excellent outcome in the coming Parliamentary and Council elections.  

These are the results: