[gynn]

It's difficult to draw any major conclusions from the Barnsley by election, given that it is the sort of Labour seat where they weigh rather than count the votes. The other candidates tend to be a bit of an irrelevance.

On the face of it, the Lib Dems look to have been annihilated, and there is clear disillusionment with their leader and their support for the right wing agenda of the coalition.

It will be interesting to see if the extent of that disillusionment translates into the national picture in the local elections in 8/9 weeks time.

My own view is that it will, and the Lib Dem party is about to enter a major crisis that has got to threaten the coalition.