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By-election saddos

Peter Barron | 16:22 UK time, Friday, 23 May 2008

Newsnight logoLast night on Newsnight we set out to establish what was the most significant by-election of the post-war period - a subject close to many of our hearts here. Newsnight staffers have had a long association with by-elections and related special programmes.

The late great practically invented a new form of television with his classic by-election films - a form to which Michael Crick and David Grossman .

Simon Hughes and Peter TatchellWhen we announced our search yesterday, the current newsroom head Peter Horrocks - a former Newsnight and election special stalwart - grew excitable and posited Bermondsey (1983), where he then lived, for pure eventfulness and drama. Personally, my favourite moment has to be , as I was Peter Snow's producer when the huge swing there managed to break our shiny virtual reality . Happily we are not alone in our sadness. My favourite viewer comment from Guy:

    "I admit I am a very sad man. So, when I got married last December, my new wife and 200 guests had to sit and listen to me explain why I thought Orpington was the most significant by-election of the last 50 years, because the old Establishment was humbled by the first proper grassroots campaign. It was only when we were on our honeymoon that I remembered Ashfield. My wife and I are still together - after all these months!"

Thanks Guy, was up there, but the consensus among our viewers is Orpington (1962) and it was great to see the winner, Lord Avebury, on last night's programme. Unless of course there's now a new contender for the most significant post-war by-election - ?

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Peter:

    Interest blog about your topics for
    this item!

  • Comment number 2.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 3.

    Sorry Peter but on the weekend of Eurovision we thought (us viewers ) would be treated to a graphic of you dressed up as Elvis Costello !Remember Edinburgh 2006 ?

    We has human rice too you know !

    Angry Tunbridge Wells ...

  • Comment number 4.

    All very interesting, but why is it that very high paid ´óÏó´«Ã½ newsreaders cannot pronounce NanTwich??

  • Comment number 5.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 6.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 7.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 8.

    Orpington didn't start the Liberal revival. It confirmed the revival that began at Torrington 5 years earlier.
    The 1955 General Election left the Liberals only 6 seats. In 1957 the Liberal MP for Anglesey died and the By-Election was the last time Labour gained from the Liberals in a By-Election. The cruellest blow was that they used an ex-Liberal MP and daughter of a former Liberal Prime Minister, Lady Megan Lloyd-George, to do it. That's almost cheating but not quite!
    The Liberals were at their nadir. Only 5 MPs. That's when the jokes about all fitting in a taxi or a 'phone box first did the rounds.
    Then the Conservative MP for Torrington died and the grandson of Asquith (another former Liberal Prime Minister) Mark Bonham-Carter, won the seat for the Liberals. Six MPs again! And it never dropped below that again though it took a long time to climb above of it. Torrington got abolished and absorbed into North Devon and Mark Bonham-Carter became a very long serving Deputy Chairman of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ so I'm surprised that you forgot about him!

  • Comment number 9.

    I would like to commend the moderator of this thread to the authorities- a 50% deletion rate (up to post 8- who knows what will happen to this one) is miles ahead of the competition, and clearly merits a special GOLD AWARD, for assiduous moderation in the interests of maintaining a relentlessly positive tone across the Editors' Blogs. If the usual junket is organised in connection with the award, please remember whose idea it was, and let me have an invitation.

  • Comment number 10.

    Thanks for the censorship.

    so by this thinking is censoring comments your way of confirming them?

    if this is the case could you help me out with Nibiru, I am trying to confirm whether it exists or not, maybe you can help?

  • Comment number 11.

    I don't know why so many of these comments have been removed - I'll ask the moderators to explain

    Peter

  • Comment number 12.

    Well, Peter, it's very nice to see that at least one of "the editors" actually looks at these blogs from time to time. My comment at 9 above was directed at precisely the issue you raise- and appears to have been moderated, or at least hasn't been published yet. Doubtless it breached the House Rules by seeming to be critical, although it was intended to be constructive. I must learn that any form of irony or sarcasm breaks the House Rules. Or better still, perhaps I should go post somewhere else- that would make everyone so much happier.

  • Comment number 13.

    my comments were removed because they were off-topic.

    your blog was about by-elections
    my comments were about 7/7 and the rediscovered bus footage that didn't exist a few years ago

    A would like to offer a huge apology to the ´óÏó´«Ã½ for even considering questioning the official truth.

    I will try and comment only on the given topic in future and will keep reminding myself that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ knows best, even when the facts make stories impossible.

    i will self censor to save the problem, and stay on topic

    with this in mind.


    Well done ´óÏó´«Ã½ on all your by-election coverage. It couldn't be improved on and was wonderful and perfect in every way.

    Thank God that we have you to inform, educate and entertain.

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