Labour's response to by-election loss is the worst response since 1982

The Conservatives have just crushed Labour in a by-election that had Labour's name all over it.

Not to worry, though - Labour are feeling pretty good about it!

By-elections historically favour opposition parties. After all, it’s the government taxing us and making unpopular decisions.

But yesterday marked the first by-election victory by a governing party in 35 years.

In 1982, the Conservatives were in government, and they beat Labour in a by-election in Mitcham and Morden.

The by-election in Copeland yesterday saw another win for the Tories, who received 13,748 for their candidate versus Labour’s 11,601.

This is particularly embarrassing for Labour, because the party had held a seat there for more than 80 years.

Daniel Hewitt, political correspondent at ITV, tweeted that Labour MP Cat Smith said:

To be 15-18 points behind in the polls and to push the Tories within 2,000 votes is an incredible achievement.

Now that is optimism.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement:

Labour’s victory in Stoke is a decisive rejection of UKIP’s politics of division and dishonesty. But our message was not enough to win through in Copeland. 

In both campaigns, Labour listened to thousands of voters on the doorstep. Both constituencies, like so many in Britain, have been let down by the political establishment.

To win power to rebuild and transform Britain, Labour will go further to reconnect with voters, and break with the failed political consensus.

If it's not working, just continue doing the exact same thing, we guess?

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