Red Pepper's Election Blues

The left so far

Plaid Cymru's Hywel Williams - who voted against the war, foundation hospitals and control orders, and brings a good voice of dissent to the House - has been re-elected as MP for Caernarfon.

Elfyn Llwyd - a Plaid MP with a similarly positive voting record - has also held on to Merionnydd Nant Conwy.

Jill Russell, standing for Respect in Tyne Bridge, picked up 1.7% of the vote.

Bill Bonnar of the SSP, standing in Rutherglen & Hamilton West, received 2.7% and 1,164 votes.

Peter Beck, Green Party candidate in Birmingham Edgebaston (where Labour's Gisela Stuart held on) got 3% of the vote, or 1,116.

... and Red Pepper editor Hilary Wainwright, who's commentating on the election for the BBC World Service, is predicting a respectable result for Reg Keys in Sedgefield.

Mapping Dissent

Ever since '97 the left has found coping with this right wing Labour government extremely difficult. As the General Election approaches those problems are thrown into ever sharper focus, producing a mosaic of opposition that is simultaneously cutting with the grain of public opinion but is itself too often disorientated, fragmented and punching below its weight.

Red Pepper has teamed up with the Socialist Unity Network to produce the definitive dissenter's   guide to the election. Use the map to find progressive candidates in your constituency.

To the dissenters' map or Back to Red Pepper