Barnsley
It all began in Barnsley?
Trouble in the north, and not just for Nick Clegg
Modern Barnsley, oh dear!
It had to happen. In the Barnsley Central by-election the coalition has hit the floor and what they have to face is that there will be rejoicing. And no, not only from the supporters of Labour. From the outset the coalition has not satisfied grassroots supporters of either the Conservatives or the Liberal Democrats. It's ducking out of the issue to pretend that, as the LDs and Conservatives stood as separate parties, the result is a disaster for only the LDs who lost their deposit. For they are, the rest of the time, part of 'the coalition'. They are together in victory and defeat. Nor will it do to point out this is a northern town with all the usual tendencies of political tribalism.
