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Results do not support analysis
SIR — I read with interest the comments from Alan McGauley, senior lecturer in politics at Sheffield Hallam University (Derbyshire Times, June 11). I know Alan well as he was my lecturer and tutor when I did my degree a few years ago.
In his analysis of the seat losses Labour face across Derbyshire at the next General Election, he fails to mention Derby where Liberal Democrat Lucy Care achieved a massive drop in the Labour vote in 2005 and is set for victory at the next General Election.
His comments on Chesterfield are very strange however. What is his evidence for what he described as the "unpopularity of the borough council"?
In the 2007 borough elections, Chesterfield Labour Party ran entirely on this issue. Result: Liberal Democrat councillors increased from 35 to 38 and Labour's fell to 10 (no Conservatives), their lowest number ever in modern history.
In the 2009 County Council elections, Chesterfield Labour Party made borough council issues a major part of their campaign. Result: the Labour Party share of the county council vote across Chesterfield and Staveley FELL from 43.6% in 2005 to 36.4% in 2009 — its LOWEST in modern history.
The Liberal Democrat lead over Labour INCREASED from 2.9% in 2005 to 7.1% in 2009. The Conservatives remain firmly in third place across Chesterfield and Staveley and have not elected a single councillor since 1991.
The Chesterfield and Staveley area was also one of only 14 in the entire country where the Liberal Democrats topped the poll in the Euro elections (as they also did in 2004).
The disgruntled Labour rump in Chesterfield can claim all they like – the voters of Chesterfield and Staveley simply do not agree as is evidenced by the hard election results.
Cllr Denise Hawksworth,
Liberal Democraft European candidate, East Midlands region.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Mr McGauley was not asked to comment on Derby as it is not one of the constituencies covered by the Derbyshire Times.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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