No stunning victory after all

After every election comes the glorious garbage about swings. The two by-elections this week are typical examples. We were told of a huge swing to Labour, but a look at the numbers of votes cast blows that garbage out of the water.
    In Mid Bedfordshire, Labour’s vote fell compared to 2019. It went up by 800 in Tamworth but that’s nothing compared to the 20,000 Tory voters who didn’t bother. And in Mid Bedfordshire, it took 26,000 Tory voters not bothering to lend the seat to Labour.
    Hardly a totally massive endorsement of their shifty and hypocritical lead.