Stroud Green Local Election Hustings, 7.30pm, Holy Trinity Church Hall, Stapleton Hall Road, N4

Arkady

Tonight, Friday 27 April.

Ali

Tomorrow is he big day. Will in be a labour walkover, a Libdem recovery ? I notice two of the Tory candidates either live in Crouch End or up the top of the hill on Highgate

trainspotter

Did anyone go to the Hustings? Have to say I was disappointed by the lack of ambition in all the manifestos I read.

Arkady

Couldn't, sadly. *Avengers: Infinity War* came first. and I say that as a former candidate for the Council.

Were the Greens there? What about the Lib Dems? I get the impression that the latter are basically putting up paper candidates.

It's a curiosity that in such a pro-Brexit area, and despite the alienation of so many centrists by the Momentum takeover of Labour in Haringey (in general, and Stroud Green in particular), and despite one of the Labour candidates being on record as denying that Labour has an antisemitism problem... the Lib Dems don't seem to expect to be the beneficiaries. If anything they're fighting to hold on to their remaining seats in the west of the borough.

As I learned, people overwhelmingly vote on national issues at local elections, and I suppose the lack of a Lib Dem surge nationally will probably be reflected here. But I do wonder whether the Greens might get more votes this year - some as a protest, some because in the absence of real competition from the Lib Dems people will vote with their principles instead of tactically.

I can't help but notice that the Tories are making more of an effort here than they have for decades.

trainspotter

I agree Arkady. I do feel alienated by the takeover, and wasn't reassured by the lack of substantive content in the Labour manifesto. I'm ripe for being won over to the Lib Dems, but the manifesto was equally underwhelming (a few good ideas counteracted by some poor ones, I thought, and total backtracking upon being questioned on the HoL forum which undermined credibility). But the green one looks a bit back-of-a-fag-packet too. I haven't read the Tory one and indeed couldn't easily locate it for comparison purposes. Am at a bit of a loss.

Ali

I expect a very low turnout.

libertyhall

I suspect quite a few greens have gone to Momentum so I expect their numbers to reflect that. Think the Labour candidates will be too distracted with their internal problems so inspite of little campaign on their part the Lib Dem’s may be the best bet.

HolbornFox

I was talking to a Kurdish guy who was telling me that the community are not voting for Labour this time around due to lack of support over recent events, he said he was voting Green as a protest.

@Arkady What party did you represent?

Arkady

Lib Dem in 2014. The coalition did for us.

Whenever I do one of those 'who should you vote for' surveys they always tell me I'm a green though. Certainly well to the economic left of most Lib Dems.

Technically I'm a left-libertarian cosmopolitan environmentalist, but no-one who describes themselves that way in public would ever be able to hold down a relationship.

krappyrubsnif

Confidently expecting a green surge for all the reasons already mooted here - maybe they'll pick up a few hundred votes.

Arkady

Suspect a lot of trad green voters will be seduced by Corbyn. Many of them will be returning to Labour.

krappyrubsnif

The idea of being seduced by Corbyn is not an attractive one.

grenners

Good to see @Arkady earlier in this thread finally recognising this is a pro-brexit area. I was at that hustings. None of the three Lib Den candidates turned up, lots of lame excuses were read out by a representative from Highgate. Vote Tory.

Arkady

Ha, I meant anti-Brexit of course. I read 80% somewhere.

Arkady

Stroud Green 45.85% in 2014, reported as 47% this time. I'd have expected lower to be honest. Suggests a good day for Labour when the results come out.

grenners

Considering Labour fight amongst themselves and cock up by spending millions on the HDV people won't vote for another party. Turnout is too low. Voters apathetic as they cannot change things. Should be proportional representation.

Arkady

Lib Dems just took back Crouch End with a clean sweep. Previously it was two Labour and one Lib Dem - and the Lib Dem defected to Labour!

Same in Highgate where they only had 2/3 before.

Arkady

Lib Dems also took all three seats of Labour in Alexandra ward, and all three in Muswell Hill where they previously had 2/3.

Stroud Green stays Labour, indeed with an increased majority. Shows that campaigning does have an effect, even if national trends are the key factor.

Ali

6 losses for labour 6 gains for Libdem. Seems there are 242 declared Tories in Stroud Green

Arkady

Guardian are reporting it as seven losses seven gains, but I've lost count.

(I can only count to six)

Ali

I got my numbers from the BBC

Arkady

Maybe the Crouch End defection seat makes the difference.

Ali

What's that all about. Guardian does have 7 BBC is still 6.

Arkady

Because of the Lib Dem defection to Labour in Crouch End, LDs have won seven seats but are only up six on 2014?

Arkady

wow

https://www.theredroar.com/2018/05/stroud-greens-corbynites-stand-up-for-assad/

Ali

I wonder who is behind this nonsense. It is not necessary to photo shop Assad into SGR. Speculation here. http://zelo-street.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/whos-behind-red-roar.html?m=1

Arkady

Just to be clear, you're complaining about the article rather than about SG Labour supporting a fascist who uses chemical weapons against his own people?

Ali

I am talking about the site in general just read the rest of the articles. It it is bleeding obvious that Assad is a very unpleasant character. O have no idea what SG Labour talks about and I wouldn't trust a web site like this to inform.

Arkady

Is Red Roar deeply suspicious? Yes. is it linked to the odious Guido Fawkes blog? Quite possibly.

Is it exposing appalling and accurate stories about the depths that Momentum are stooping to locally? Abso-bloodylutely. You'll notice that SG Labour haven't denied it. And there are plenty of very upset Labour party members who despair of the situation and aren't being quiet about it.

Ali

Has anyone noticed a Momentum "revolution" being talked about before the election. Guess they haven't had to set a budget yet as they would have inhery this year's