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A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 25 February 2017
UK Conservatives embarrass Labour Party by winning seat

rural district in the far north fiantly Friday that he is
of England that has long “proud” to lead the party
been a Labour stronghold. and will continue to focus
It was the first time since on the future of Britain’s fi-
1982 that a governing par- nancially strained National
ty gained a seat in a spe- Health Service as well as
cial election, and Labour’s the issues of social care
defeat raises more ques- and housing.
tions about Corbyn’s ability But some Labour legislators
to strongly lead the party said the party is on a disas-
into a general election, ex- trous course ahead of the
pected in 2020. election in 2020.
The surprising victory “We are in trouble as a par-
brought Prime Minister The- ty,” said Labour lawmaker
resa May to Copeland for John Woodcock. “We are
a joint appearance with on course to a historic and
Harrison. catastrophic defeat and
“This is an astounding victo- that will have very serious
ry for the Conservative Par- consequences for all of the
ty but also for the people of communities that we rep-
Copeland,” May told sup- resent.” The Labour Party’s
porters. “Labour have held strength in Parliament is at
this seat since the 1930s.” its lowest level since 1987,
Leader of the opposition Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves after a speech where he laid out the Harrison said Corbyn did with only 230 of the 650
plan for the party following the Brexit vote in June 2016, in London, Friday, Feb. 24, 2017. Corbyn’s not represent “ordinary seats in the House of Com-
Labour party had mixed fortunes overnight with the results of two special elections, one Labour working people” in the dis- mons, and is far behind the
held, and one they lost to the ruling Conservative Party. trict. Conservatives in the polls.
(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Corbyn, who had cam- Many Labour figures in Par-
GREGORY KATZ blow Friday to the opposi- been in Labour’s hands for paigned in the district, has liament have criticized Cor-
Associated Press tion Labour Party and its decades. struggled to unite his party byn’s performance but he
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s struggling leader Jeremy Conservative Trudy Harrison and faced repeated calls retains the support of party
governing Conservative Corbyn by winning a par- won the seat in a special to step down. He said de- militants.q
Party dealt a humiliating liamentary seat that had election in Copeland, a
Germany: Merkel’s party slips
behind center-left SPD in poll

FRANK JORDANS nationalist Alternative for
Associated Press Germany, or AfD, after the
BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s Sept. 24 general election.
Social Democrats nudged AfD has seen its support
past Chancellor Angela decline in recent months
Merkel’s conservative bloc amid party infighting over
for the first time in more comments by a prominent
than a decade according member who suggested
to a poll released Friday, as Germany should end its
the center-left party rides a decades-long tradition of
wave of enthusiasm from atoning for its Nazi past. The
their surprise nomination of remarks by Bjoern Hoecke,
a new leader. who leads the party in the
The Infratest dimap poll eastern state of Thuringia,
for ARD television showed reopened divisions among
the SPD gaining four points the AfD leadership about
compared to three weeks where to draw the line
earlier to reach 32 per- when it comes to sensitive
cent support while Merkel’s issues such as the Holo-
Union bloc fell 3 points to 31 caust.
percent. A recent trip by AfD co-
The SPD is enjoying a boost leader Frauke Petry to
from the choice last month Moscow, where she met
of Martin Schulz, the former with members of Russian
president of the European President Vladimir Putin’s
Parliament, to challenge party, has also raised fears
Merkel in September elec- among some AfD officials
tions. that conservative voters
Experts caution it’s too could be alienated if the
early to tell whether the party is seen to be cozying
momentum will last. up to Russia.
The SPD is currently Merkel’s In the new poll, the support
junior coalition partner in for AfD declined one point
government. Schulz hasn’t to 11 percent, down from
ruled out a coalition with as high as 16 percent last
any major party except the fall.q