A rose garden love-in, but no love lost in Thirsk

Just as his leader Nick Clegg was fawning over David Cameron in the Downing Street rose garden this afternoon, the Liberal Democrat candidate in the delayed Thirsk and Malton election promised a “full-on fight” against the Tories – and even called on Labour supporters to “vote tactically”.

Nick-Clegg-David-Cameron-Rose-Garden Howard Keal, leader of the Lib Dem group on Ryedale council, told the Yorkshire Post:

“It’s a full-on fight, there’s no question about it. I never expected anything else than we would fight the by-election. It was never in any shadow of a doubt. I hope people in our constituency will seize the opportunity we have been given to upset the apple cart…

“I hope disgruntled Conservatives – of which there are plenty – will lend me their vote and Labour supporters will vote tactically to help deliver a shock result in Thirsk and Malton.”

Labour candidate Jonathan Roberts, however, has accused Keal’s party of “propping up the Tories”. Thirsk and Malton is a newly created constituency, with a notional Tory majority of almost 15,000 over Labour – 27,889 (52.8%) to 13,202 (25%) – with the Liberal Democrats in third on 9,663 votes (18.3%).

Though Labour is unlikely to win the seat, the focus will be on the Lib Dem share, with any swing to Labour spelling trouble for Nick Clegg amidst growing fears the party could be squeezed out. The election, postponed because of the death of the UKIP candidate, will take place on May 27.

http://twitter.com/kinell88/status/13857067670 Ell Aitch

RT @leftfootfwd: A rose garden love-in, but no love lost in Thirsk: http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY
http://twitter.com/leamiron/status/13857431725 Roger Fagge

RT @leftfootfwd: A rose garden love-in, but no love lost in Thirsk http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/13858573869 Shamik Das

Lib Dem candidate calls on Labour supporters to "vote tactically" http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY Is he having a f***ing laugh?!
http://twitter.com/jackblaiklock/status/13858912963 Jack Blaiklock

LibDem candidate asks Labour supporters to vote tactically – a bit rich! RT @leftfootfwd http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY
http://twitter.com/nick_parrott/status/13858972679 Nick Parrott

RT @shamikdas Lib Dem candidate calls on Labour supporters to "vote tactically" http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY Is he having a f***ing laugh?! < Erm…
http://twitter.com/lastyearsman/status/13859564496 Andrew Parrington

RT @shamikdas: Lib Dem candidate calls on Labour supporters to "vote tactically" http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY Is he having a f***ing laugh?!
http://twitter.com/twithomas/status/13859792214 Tom

RT @shamikdas Lib Dem candidate calls on Labour supporters to "vote tactically" http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY Is he having a f***ing laugh?!
http://twitter.com/kayewiggins/status/13857055485 Kaye Wiggins

RT @leftfootfwd: A rose garden love-in, but no love lost in Thirsk: http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY
http://twitter.com/chrisplol/status/13859516759 Chris Paul

RT @shamikdas: Lib Dem candidate calls on Labour supporters to "vote tactically" http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY Is he having a f***ing laugh?!
Mr. Sensible

The Lib Dems haven’t exactly learnt, have they.
Anon E Mouse

Mr.Sensible – but remember where the Lib-Dem’s are concerned; “He who laughs last laughs longest”. The Lib-Dems are in government for five years with a good majority, what do they care?

If the left doesn’t stop being reactive and negative about it’s opponents then the potential slide into irrelevance may come sooner than you think. The whole of Europe has moved to the right so the Lib-Dems have positioned themselves on the right side of the curve.

Seems to me Mr.Sensible you’re still fighting the last election.
http://twitter.com/jamesasser/status/13866270067 James Asser

RT @shamikdas Lib Dem candidate calls on Labour supporters to "vote tactically" http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY Is he having a f***ing laugh?!
Fred

Just goes to show how reactionary this silly blog is. What happened in the Rose garden was progressive, new and radical.

Bleet on Shamik you have nothing but Tory hate driving you.
Mr. Sensible

Mr Mouse, I think it would be dangerous to rule out another election just yet.

Clegg and Cameron may talk the talk, but it will be interesting to see if they walk the walk.

BTW Shamik, will LFF be putting up that rather amusing footege from the press conference?
Mr. Sensible

1 sensible thing this government has done is scrap runway 3.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8678282.stm
http://twitter.com/typejunky/status/13872277966 Nick Stone

RT @leftfootfwd: A rose garden love-in, but no love lost in Thirsk http://bit.ly/9Ac2cY
Robert

I think it a little too optimistic to view this as the first bye-election.

You are right, though, that this will be the first test of how popular the coalition is.
http://bestblogs.labourhome.org/2010/05/12/a-rose-garden-love-in-but-no-love-lost-in-thirsk A rose garden love-in, but no love lost in Thirsk « The best Labour blogs

[...] More… [...]
http://www.shamik.co.uk Shamik Das

No video yet I’m afraid! Great quote in today’s Guardian about the Clegg-eron partnership:

In a play on a joke once cracked by Tony Blair, a Conservative quipped afterwards: “If I was Samantha, I would worry David is going to run off with the man next door.”

The question is, will the in-laws get along? Can’t imagine the Tory right and Lib Dem left being too happy!
http://frostmagazine.com/2010/05/is-it-bromance-carl-on-the-coalition/682 Is it Bromance; Carl on the Coalition | Frost Magazine

[...] on May 13, 2010 | 2 comments reddit_url = http://frostmagazine.com/2010/05/is-it-bromance-carl-on-the-coalition/682;reddit_title = Is+it+Bromance%3B+Carl+on+the+Coalition;reddit_newwindow='1';2CommentsShareSince the first press release by Nick Clegg and David Cameron on Wednesday, it has dawned on the media that any coalition conflict in the near future is unlikely to come from these guys, and their so-called ‘love-in‘. [...]