Voting patterns in Ealing Southall

Telegraph

The by-election result in Ealing Southall made grim reading for the Tories. Forced into third place, the Conservative vote was less than one per cent higher than in the 2005 general election. Labour retained the seat, albeit with a reduced majority, while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell passed a stern challenge as his party’s share of the vote increased by more than three per cent. As each party assessed the statistics, Miles Goslett spoke to the voters to find out what had driven their ballot box choice.

Jerome Healy, 58, office worker: "I voted Lib Dem. The Tory candidate had no chance of winning as he wasn't credible. I'm very unsure about the Conservative Party. David Cameron strikes me as a lightweight in the Blair mould. I thought William Hague was a good leader, but they ditched him. I like to see a more serious kind of leader and a more serious kind of candidate before I'll think of voting for them."

Sanjay Hirani, 43, shopkeeper: "I voted Liberal Democrat, as I did at the general election. They had the only credible candidate in the area. The Labour candidate has made little impact in 25 years as a councillor, and the Tory candidate has only been on the scene for a number of weeks. So I was never going to be convinced by him despite his visibility. I met David Cameron three times during the campaign. He was here a lot. So was Sir Ming. We think he's a pretty good leader. He seems honest."


Harnam Singh Hans, 65, retired: "There is no way I'd have voted for Tony Lit [the Tory candidate]. He doesn't live in Southall. He has no experience of politics. I don't mind David Cameron -- he's okay, but not his candidate. David Cameron thought he could secure votes in the Asian community with Tony Lit, but no way. We are pleased with Gordon Brown. We expect a lot of things of him. So I voted Labour, as always."

Austin Brown, 60, photographer: "I'm a floating voter. I voted Conservative this time. I couldn't allow myself to vote Labour as I detest what's been going on in the country. I think Gordon Brown has done a good job since he became PM, but we need a change. It was a protest vote. I voted for Tony Lit first and Cameron second."

Suryakant Hirani, 71, businessman: "I've lived in the area 36 years and I voted Lib Dem. I used to vote Labour and I switched to the Liberal Democrats in 2005. I'm fed up with the Labour government. I'm not sure about Gordon Brown yet, so I was never going to move back. For me it was a local decision, and the Liberal candidate was the best for that. The Tory has only been around for five minutes!"

Carolyn Kiraz, 55, teacher: "I voted for the Green Party because I think we should be doing more for the environment. David Cameron says he's supportive of the environment but he hasn't had much effect yet. I don't think it's worth trying to get him into government.

I voted Liberal Democrat at the last election but I had no faith in their candidate. For me, it was a local election and the Green Party have the best plans for improving the environment in this area."

Ali Shah, 45, butcher: "I voted Labour because I liked their candidate. Of the three, he was easily the best. He's local. He knows the area. I've lived in Southall 15 years and I've always voted Labour. It's as simple as that."

Krishan Paul Daddar, 65, businessman: "At the last general election, I voted for the Conservative candidate. This time I voted for the best man - the Labour candidate. He's been around here a long time and he's done a lot for the area. I don't mind David Cameron but the fact is he's not in power. If he comes to power, let's see what his policies are, and let's see what he's like. At the moment, it's Mr Brown. I like him. He has good policies."

Gregory Coulbeck, 43, electrician: "I used to believe that it was an obligation to vote but I now realise they're all bent, back-stabbing cheats. I've reached the point where I don't care any more. People like me don't care any more.

Politicians should be worried by the level of apathy." The result in the Ealing Southall by-election made grim reading for the Tories. Forced into third place, the Conservative vote was less than 1 per cent higher than in the 2005 general election.