Political View: A continuing decline of the two big parties
The Gorton and Denton by-election result last Thursday has been hailed as a momentous one in British political history, writes Nick Sandford, Communications Officer, Peterborough Liberal Democrats. .
It saw the Green Party win a parliamentary by-election for the first time ever and I would like to add my congratulations to their new MP, Hannah Spencer. It's usual for Governments to lose by-elections but this one was catastrophic for Labour, seeing them lose over half their vote share from the 2024 General Election, in what was previously one of their safest seats in England.
Like in the City Council by-election in Fletton and Woodston two weeks ago, it turned into a contest primarily between the Greens and Reform. The main difference was in our local by-election Reform narrowly won the seat and Labour did even worse , losing two thirds of their previous vote.
So this is further evidence of the increasing fragmentation in British politics and a continuing decline of the two big parties who dominated the 20th century, Labour and the Conservatives. Most national opinion polls now show Reform ahead but with four other parties in a cluster behind them. Sometimes the order varies but the pattern is becoming consistent. At the local level, in council by-elections in 2025, Lib Dems won 105 seats, Reform 104, Conservatives 45, Labour 36 and Greens 24.
This political fragmentation is seen starkly on Peterborough City Council where Labour is the largest party but with only 13 seats out of 60. What this has done is to encourage political groups on the Council to work together and since last year the Council has been run by a coalition of the Labour, Peterborough First and Liberal Democrat groups. Cambs/Peterborough mayor, Paul Bristow, used to warn about a "coalition of chaos" but our new council coalition has been far from that. The financial strategy passed by the City Council last week was the strongest for many years, showing balanced budgets for the next three years, no significant cuts in services and extra investment in key areas such as children's services and adult social care.
Politics in Britain is seeing a decline in our two party system but also an increased willingness of people to challenge other institutions and see them subjected to greater scrutiny. The ongoing stream of revelations about the former Prince Andrew and his links to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein have led to widespread calls for a reduction in the deference and secrecy surrounding the monarchy. Liberal Democrat MPs have successfully forced the Government to promise to publish papers relating to Andrew's appointment as a UK trade envoy and have called for a public inquiry into all aspects of Epstein's links with the British establishment. Lib Dems also want to put an end to Parliamentary protocols which prevent MPs investigating or criticising members of the Royal family or their finances.
Finally, just a comment on President Trump's recently launched air strikes on Iran. As a Liberal Democrat, I abhor the way the Iranian regime has persecuted and murdered its citizens but I also oppose pre-emptive military attacks on another country which are a clear breach of International Law. Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, has been clear in his criticism of Trump's actions, just as a previous Lib Dem leader, Charles Kennedy, was equally critical of the illegal invasion of Iraq by a previous US president.