Labour's Worst Ever "Doing Well??" - Robinson

11.05.05pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 26th Jun 2004

Chelmsford Lib Dems out-polled Labour by nearly 2000 votes in the 2004 Euroelections

In a letter printed in the local press last week, Stephen Robinson, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Lib Dems poured scorn over comments from a Chelmsford Labour party activist on the Euro elections.

He wrote, "I was interested to see Mr Howell's letter in your paper last week speculating about the Labour party's chances at the general election in Chelmsford. Since the election on 10 June 2004 was just about Labour's worst ever result, I fail to see how that means they are doing well.

In European elections in Essex the Liberal Democrats are usually behind Labour. This year the Lib Dems out-polled Labour in many places, including here in Chelmsford by nearly 2000 votes. Across the region the Lib Dems received nearly 100,000 votes MORE than at the last election five years ago.

The good result in Chelmsford this year follows last year's borough election results when Lib Dems won more than twice the number of Labour votes, and were just behind the Conservatives. With Labour more and more unpopular, it is clear that the Liberal Democrats are the challengers to the Conservatives in Chelmsford."