Newsnight election report, Tinkers Bubble Community (2001)

[Tony Gosling]

After being pulled by YouTube the Diggers film is back up again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsXb84mUNiw


Jeremy Paxman, Newsnight report, Tinkers Bubble Community, Somerset (2001)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8273602774781551050
5th June 2001 to be precise. Two evenings before general election day.
Followed by a short extract from contemporary comedy series Brass Eye.

The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed 
"the quiet landslide" by the media. There was little change at all - 
outside Northern Ireland - with 620 out of 641 seats remaining 
unchanged. Labour enjoyed its second so-called 'landslide victory' in 
a row, maintaining its position from the previous election. Tony 
Blair became the first Labour prime minister to win enough seats to 
have a full second consecutive term in office. Labour won a majority 
of 167 overall (previously 179) and 247 over the Conservatives 
(previously 254).

The Conservatives netted a gain of only 1 seat after their crushing 
defeat of 1997 (gaining a few seats from Labour, but losing to the 
Liberal Democrats). Conservative leader William Hague resigned 
immediately, becoming the first Conservative leader since Austen 
Chamberlain to leave office without becoming Prime Minister. The 
Liberal Democrats, under Charles Kennedy, made a gain of 6 more seats 
from their already historical high of 1997.

The elections were also marked by voter apathy, with turnout falling 
to 59%, the lowest since the Coupon Election of 1918. Throughout the 
election the Labour Party had maintained a significant lead in the 
opinion polls and the result was deemed to be so certain that some 
bookmakers paid out for a Labour majority before the election day.

The election had been expected in May, to coincide with local 
elections, but both were postponed because of rural movement 
restrictions imposed in response to a foot and mouth outbreak. One of 
the more noted events of a quiet campaign was when a countryside 
protester Craig Evans threw an egg at Deputy Prime Minister John 
Prescott in Rhyl; Prescott then punched him and a struggle ensued, in 
front of television cameras. The 2001 Election also saw the rare 
election of an independent. Dr. Richard Taylor of Independent 
Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern (usually now known simply 
as "Health Concern") unseated a government minister. There was also a 
high vote for British National Party leader Nick Griffin in Oldham, 
in the wake of recent race riots in the town.
<http://www.radio4all.net:8080/files/tony@tlio.org.uk/2149-1-dialect20090314.mp3>http://www.radio4all.net:8080/files/tony@tlio.org.uk/2149-1-dialect200 
<http://www.radio4all.net:8080/files/tony@tlio.org.uk/2149-1-dialect20090314.mp3>90314.mp3 

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