As Kensington turns red, ‘The Steeple Times’ reflects on the defeat of a woman nicknamed ‘#LazyBorwick’ , a win by a hard-left Labour blogger and a need for an MP who’ll now represent all constituents
Last night, in frankly the biggest shock of a shambolic and wholly unnecessary General Election, Kensington replaced one flame haired harridan with another and a Conservative majority of nearly 7,500 votes with a wafer thin Labour majority of just 20.
That a seat, where someone once commented: “Even a pig in a blue rosette would win here”, turned red shocked many but given the apparent laziness of the incumbent Member of Parliament, Lady Borwick, the result was a reflection of the constituency’s dissatisfaction with a woman whose reply rate to constituents was listed as just 18% on the website TheyWorkForYou.com.
Victor Emma Dent Coad represents something that many in the seat will not, however, want. Hard-left, and a Momentum supporter, this blogger undoubtedly can be credited as a dedicated councillor but her tangible lack of anger towards Brexit will come to disappoint the 69% of constituent supporters of ‘Remain’.
After the result was announced, Dent Coad, who was backed to the chagrin of a number of locals by Gina Miller’s ‘Best for Britain’ campaign, told those assembled:
“This constituency is a microcosm of everything that is wrong in this country after seven years of incompetent and uncaring coalition and Tory government”.
“I will do everything in my power in the next five years to make ‘One Kensington’ an example of the finest qualities of common humanity, mutual respect for all our communities and social justice to create a thoughtful, kind, co-operative and tolerant society where we can all prosper and thrive”.
Ousted Lady Borwick spoke briefly and added: “I wish Emma every success, but please be assured, as far as I am concerned, tomorrow I start the fight back for Kensington and the Conservatives”.
On Twitter, actor and local resident John Cleese responded: “Metro, The Mirror and the Evening Standard are blaming me for helping Labour’s chances in Kensington and Chelsea [sic]. Delighted my trick worked…”
Elsewhere, in response to an article published in April in The Steeple Times, a reader and associate of Lady Borwick going only by the name “Daniel M.’ remarked:
“You stupid, stupid people. You have destroyed Victoria Borwick’s majority and you should realise the impact that will have on the area. We do not suit Labour representing us and as someone who has worked with Victoria and knows her well I will tell you this: Shame on you Matthew Steeples. I am disgusted by your vendetta and demand you apologise”.
Ignoring this bitter Tory’s diatribe, Matthew Steeples concluded:
“Annabel Mullin deserves a worthy mention for having increased the Liberal Democrats’ share of votes cast from just 6.6% to 12.2% in spite of having no party structure behind her. Unlike machined up to the hilt Borwick and Dent Coad, she campaigned throughout the electoral area and now, as before, we have a constituency divided between the richer Tory south and the poorer Labour north”.
“Kensington might be perceived as the land of supercars and £120 million houses, but in fact, this is an area with a rife problem of homelessness and an area where people ‘buy-to-leave’ rather than to ‘buy-to-let’ let alone ‘buy-to-live’. Independent, locals businesses are being wiped out here and nowhere is it clearer that ‘money park London’ just cannot be allowed to continue unabated”.
“Emma Dent Coad, undoubtedly, secured an amazing win but it now remains to be seen whether she’ll represent ‘the many’ throughout Kensington or just ‘the cleverly focused few’ she so successfully targeted to secure her victory last night”.
Results (with percentage change from 2015 General Election):
Electorate – 60,594
Turnout – 38,677 (63.8%)
Majority – 20 for Labour (previously 7,361 for the Conservatives)
Emma Dent Coad, Labour Party– 16,333 (+11.1%)
Lady Borwick, Conservative Party – 16,313 (-10.1%)
Annabel Mullin, Liberal Democrats – 4,724 (+6.6%)
Jennifer Nadel, Green Party – 767 (-3.1%)
James Torrance, Independent – 393 (+1%)
Peter Marshall, Independent – 98 (+0.3%)
John Lloyd, Alliance for Green Socialism – 49 (-0.2%)
Pictured above: Ex-MP Lady Borwick with Theresa May; Emma Dent Coad after her victory on Friday
Lady Borwick was the wrong person for Kensington given her focus in parliament was on ivory and Brexit rather than ordinary people. She liked cocktail parties a little too much from what I’ve heard and I am glad she has gone. Emma Dent Coad, though I would never support Labour (and I am a resident of Pimlico so my vote wouldn’t count anyway) does seem to be saying the right things. I think she deserves a chance and I will look forward to hearing her maiden speech asap.
God, Ethel, you really are a frightful, repetitive bore.
Is there not some Darby and Joan club you can join?
Your thoughts on what’s next please Peter. Will Emma Dent Coad represent ALL her constituents or will she focus on North Kensington residents only? One of her supporters told me she “won in the north” and that’s her entire focus on Twitter yesterday. They repeatedly slammed the people of other parts of the constituency as irrelevant and I was somewhat shocked by that.
Matthew
My feeling, knowing Emma, is that she will not ignore the south. She knows she has to have an inclusive approach geographically.
The bigger question is what will happen to boundaries next year.
A good result overall. Victoria Borwick’s position was untenable.
The people have spoken! And nationally, they made clear they want NO MORE ELECTIONS. Theresa May needs to resign tout suite.
Disgraceful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kensington has got it so wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mrs Victoria, the Lady Borwick or whatever she wants to call herself has been wrongly insulted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She supported Teresa May and her efforts to MAKE GREAT BRITAIN GREAT AGAIN and you stupid f***ing pom people showed yourself as potato heads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!! Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There should be another recount!!!!!!!!!!! Electoral fraud smelling stench all the way to Oz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have wanted to say this for a long time, Roderick. It’s THERESA not TERESA.
Perfectly legitimate election. But you wouldn’t know that if you’re in Oz
Teresa May and her efforts to MAKE GREAT BRITAIN GREAT AGAIN would be better served by her rabid departure to the back benches !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That lot voted to leave the EU not all the trade agreements, and now a hard border with N.Ireland is unlikely one can only wonder at what comes next. Yo ho ho, as they say! I always knew she was incompetent and unable to follow dear Margarets shoes. “Dreamon Tess” I call her. Her £18,600 immigration income rule is unjust to many families and especially for those who ask for nothing save spouse entitlement to entry. Monstrous!!!!!!! Monstrous!!!!!!!! Monstrous!!!!!!!!
MAY OUT!!!!!!!!
Stuffed comes to mind.
I think you summed it up very accurately, Matthew. The constituency clearly needed a change, and complacency on Lady B’s part ensured it got change. My feel, though, is you all got rid of the Shah of Iran and replaced with the Ayatollah, if you follow my analogy.
Ethel is right theoretically, in that the new MP deserves a chance, but people said that naively about Trump and are living with the consequences. I’m not holding my breath.
Brexit supporter Victoria Borwick got kicked in to touch by Gina Miller and Best for Britain supporting Emma Dent Coad. I look forward to meeting Ms Dent Coad for dinner soon to celebrate I hope.
Charlie Mullins, the guy whose plumbers overcharge the old and naive.
Mullins, the only reason you don’t like Brexit is that you might run out of plumbers you can pay peanuts to
Sad cow gets beaten by equally sad cow. This is not what I wanted. I was very disappointed UKIP didn’t stand in my home area. I want hard Brexit and I want hard Brexit now. Lady Borwick let me down and she’s let down the real people of Kensington by letting in this lefty scumbag.
Emma Dent Coad’s past needs checkin out. Something suspicious about her by my reckonin.
Really disappointed that Annabel Mullin didn’t win. A lost opportunity for Kensington to have a real representative and not some self-serving ambitious politico. Dent Coad is just a red equivalent of Borwick. There’ll be nothing from her for people living in my area – Queen’s Gate – I reckon. It’s all about North Ken now just as Borwick was about Phillimore Gardens only.
The Beatles spring to mind.
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution…