Lord Tom Burlison

Working class Hero

The death of Lord Tom Burlison was completely unexpected.

He appeared fitter than any of the other 70 years olds in the Lords and Commons. He had spent 20 years as a professional footballer and he was still trim and lean.

In the eighties he was a familiar face on TV as the moderate voice of trade unionism. Although I was politically distant from his brand of Labour party, I formed a good friendship with him in recent years. He did a great deal to secure the parliamentary seat for Peter Mandelson. His elevation to the Lords was a reward for services to Blairism.

When running for the GMBU's top job in 1985, he said: "I've got a grass roots background. My father, a miner, died from a disease of the chest. If I get the job, one thing I could not forget and would not forget is my roots in the North-East. I would use any opportunity which became available to project and assist the North."

In 1993, The Northern Echo wrote: "It is hard, impossible, to imagine a nicer chap." I have attended many meetings of the Western European Union’s Defence Committee with Tom.  He was a delightful companion and an engaging raconteur. Although he had a deal of unhappiness to bear in recent years, he remained dedicated to the job of representing working people and serving his region.

Misleading By-election results

To avoid over-excitement at tonight’s inevitable dreadful election result at Crewe, it’s instructive to recall the hysteria unleashed by other by-elections in 1987-1992. That was before Labour lost the general election. We were deluded over and over again by by-election false hopes. It was a time when papers asked, ‘would a Government ever win a by-election in future.”

Useful figures to keep in mind as the Tories tonight ramp up their anticipatory excitement.

    * Eight seats changed hands in the 1987 Parliament at by-elections. The Conservatives lost four seats to Labour and three to the Liberal Democrats. Labour lost Glasgow, Govan to the SNP.
    * Labour gained the highest share of the vote in by-elections during the 1987 Parliament with 38.8% (Con: 23.7%, LD: 19.1%)

Lab gain from Con

          o Vale of Glamorgan (4 May 1989) - 14.2% swing towards Labour
          o Mid Staffordshire (22 March 1990) – 24.3% swing towards Labour
          o Monmouth (4 April 1991) – 11.6% swing towards Labour
          o Langbaurgh (7 Nov 1991) – 4.6% swing towards Labour.

Lib Dem gain from Con

          o Eastbourne (27 Sept 1990) – 21.1% swing towards Lib Dems
          o Ribble Valley (29 Nov 1990) – 27.1% swing towards Lib Dems
          o Kincardine and Deeside (7 Nov 1991) – 12.7 swing towards Lib Dems