Right Pulse

A couple of big swings against the Labour Party, both here in Australia and in the UK. Starting in Australia and in the Gippsland by-election the ALP suffered an 8.4 per cent swing against them after only 7 months ago having achieved a 1 - 2 per cent swing the other way. The result was never in doubt, a National win, but the swing against the Government is promising. Rudd’s popularity is starting to wain as people start to think about politics again.

In the UK, the Labour Party suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the conservatives:

A HUMILIATING fifth place finish for the Labour Party in a parliamentary by-election was Gordon Brown’s anniversary present yesterday as he marked his first year as Prime Minister.

Labour’s candidate even lost his pound stg. 500 ($1036) deposit after failing to reach the 5per cent threshold intended to discourage joke candidates.

Labour supporters who have been wondering just how low the Government’s fortunes could plunge may have found out in the Henley-on-Thames by-election, as their candidate polled just 3.1per cent of the vote.

For the first time, Labour was beaten not just by the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, but even by two parties that lack a single member of parliament: the Greens and the far-right British National Party.

Combined with promising polling in New Zealand for the conservative Nationals, and also with Liberal state oppositions here, it looks like the political pendulum is swinging back to the right all round. The latest from the SMH about Premier Morris Iemma:

The results of today’s Sun-Herald/Taverner Poll will be the final straw for MPs, who have stoically stuck by their man only to see their party’s support plummet, with political oblivion a certainty unless something is done.

The damning verdict of voters surveyed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights will alarm Labor MPs.

An election held now would propel the Opposition into government with a 56-44 two-party preferred landslide.

Positive news around the world for conservatives. In NZ the Labour Party is sending the budget into deficit to fund the first tax cuts in nine years. Given that there is an election in NZ this year and the Government is so far behind in the polls, it is a pretty desperate and conceited attempt to get reelected:

A Fairfax Media-Nielsen opinion poll published at the weekend showed Opposition leader John Key’s National Party on 56 percent and Clark’s Labour on 29 percent.

And in the UK the Labour Party has been routed in by-elections this week:

Mr Timpson surpassed Labour’s worst fears achieving a swing of 17.6 per cent in his party’s first by-election gain since 1983 - and the first from Labour for 30 years.

David Cameron described the result as “remarkable” and attacked Labour’s campaign which targeted independent school-educated Mr Timpson’s background, portraying him as a “Tory toff”.

He remarked: “It was in many ways the end of New Labour. I think it was a great mistake.”

Lets hope the trend continues in Australia.

The New Zealand National Party continues its good polling in the lead up to an expected September 2008 election. Some polls, including this one, have the Nationals governing in their own right.

“New Zealand’s conservatives have managed to maintain a wide lead over the governing Labour party this month, according to a poll by Roy Morgan International. 51 per cent of respondents would vote for the opposition National party in the next election to the House of Representatives, up 1.5 points since early March.”

The New Zealand Nationals have been out of power since 1999.

Chief Blogger @ March 30, 2008 (This is a restoration of a previously posted blog)