“Now I know what a ghost is. Unfinished business, that's what.”
When Sir Keir Starmer sorts through the rubble of the Labor campaign in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, he may well be meditating on Salman Rushdie's famous quote.
The ghost in this case was Boris Johnson. The unfinished business was Ulez, the ultra-low emission zone introduced in 2015 by Mr Johnson when he was mayor of London.
In doing so, the former prime minister, perhaps unwittingly, left his far-left successor at City Hall a terrible legacy that will haunt Sir Keir until the next general election.
Because it was Sadiq Khan's decision to extend the levy to all of Greater London that sounded the death knell for Labor's ambitions of a stunning double victory in a by-election.
He proved unable to resist the temptation of all the extra money that would bring in. But the damage done to his party in outer London was an astounding political cost.
As Sir Keir watched Labor's hopes crumble as his old rival, he had reason to lament the specter of one particular Prime Minister of the past.
BY-ELECTION — Uxbridge and South Ruislip
The night began very differently, with Labor sources optimistic about their chances of winning as counting began at the Queensmead Sports Center in South Ruislip.
Despite the party's official announcement warning that polls would close. that it would not be easy to get a place, the mood among believers on earth was upbeat.
An army of nearly 100 ballot boxes, fueled by muffins and caffeinated drinks, set to work on rows of tables, sifting ballot papers into red, blue, yellow and white plastic trays.
And as the first batches of ballot boxes began to be decanted and counted, the mood among Labor officials became noticeably more and more pessimistic.
Tellers stack the ballots for the Uxbridge by-election. Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images Europe
Shortly after midnight, Steve Reed, the shadow secretary of justice who ran the party campaign in his chair, spoke in a much more cautious tone in the crowd of reporters.
He acknowledged that «some people raised» Ulez at the doorstep, adding: «I hope, but I'm not going to announce it until we know how people voted.»
The mood further deteriorated, and around 1:30 am Labor Party sources began openly discussing the possibility that the vote was so close that a recount would be required.
Half an hour later, the returning officer announced to stunned silence that the ballots would be checked again. Tory sources immediately denied the recount order, pointing out that Labor was in serious trouble.
Uxbridge vote has been recounted. Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA
At that moment, Count Binface appeared to really intervene. The satirical candidate, played by comedian Jonathan Harvey, suggested to the assembled press that his votes might have been enough to deprive Sir Keir of victory.
«Can you imagine if enough people think they'd rather vote for an intergalactic space warrior than the Labor Party, what does that say about them?» he said.
The Earl of Beanface may have been present, but Danny Beals, the Labor Party candidate, was still absent, a sign that his party was now aware of a likely crushing defeat.
When he did arrive, he immediately headed to the counter, where he plunged into a long discussion surrounded by his campaign team with a straight face.
By 2:40 in the morning, the recount was completed and the candidates assembled on stage with Mr. Beals in the back seat closest to the exit.
Danny Beals (third from left) took his place at the end of the stage as the voices were announced. Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images Europe
Votes were read to muffled applause from Labor activists and then much louder cheers from the Tories in the hall as they realized they had won a shocking victory.
Steve Tuckwell, the Conservative candidate, wasted no time in celebrating his surprise victory by telling the assembled crowd that «Sadiq Khan lost a lei borists in these elections.”
Mr. Beals, looking shocked and upset, quickly left the entertainment center. A jubilant Mr Tuckwell predicted that Sir Keir would come under pressure to oppose the expansion of Ulez, adding that Labor MPs in the London suburbs would be «spooked» by losing their seats. The party was fast, and the leadership immediately issued a statement effectively blaming Ules' expansion for failing to take the seat.
Angela Reiner, Labor's deputy leader, warned that anger over the rally would continue to hurt her prospects, adding sharply: «When you don't listen to the voters, you don't win the election.»
Earlier in the evening, Mr Reed said he was «surprised» by how little of voters in Uxbridge and South Ruiz. lip mentioned Mr Johnson's name at the doorstep, adding: «I thought Boris would be a more prominent figure in this by-election.»
Mr Johnson may not have been in the campaign, but the fallout from Ulez's 2015 decision meant he was far from absent from the Tory victory.
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