10 + 1 things we’ve learned from the Eastleigh by-election
According to a feature in today’s “Guardian” newspaper, there are 10 key things we can learn from the result of this week’s Parliamentary by-election in Eastleigh:
- The Liberal Democrats are more resilient than perhaps they realised.
- British voters are not certain to reject austerity in 2015.
- Voters do not punish parties for the misconduct of individual MPs.
- There are two “one-nation” parties in Britain, but neither of them is Labour.
- Conservative attempts to counter the threat posed by Ukip are failing.
- The Conservative brand remains tainted.
- “Real people” and celebrities don’t always make good election candidates.
- Organisation is the key to winning an election.
- Grand national policies don’t necessarily win elections.
- National Health Action does not (yet?) pose a threat to the main political parties.
The article which fleshes out these 10 lessons is here.
Let me add one lesson of my own. The Lib Dems cannot replicate the organisational effort of the Eastleigh by-election in a General Election. Their by-election machine was formidably impressive but, come a nation-wide election, they will not be able to pour thousands of volunteers into everyone of the seats that they will be defending, let alone those they would like to take from other parties. Eastleigh was special.