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 Mr. Burning wrote:
Well. Its a Conservative majority.

Not yet although it will be close.

Ed Milliband will soon be committing sepiku.

I've said it before during the Scottish referendum, a lot of the complaints the SNP had about Westminster apply equally to everyone outside the Home Counties; unfortunately it appears that whilst the anti-Westminster sentiment in Scotland has gone to the SNP, in England it's going to UKIP, where previously it might have gone to Labour or the Lib Dems. This appears to have drained the Labour margins in a lot of places, leaving the Tories clear.


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 Silent Puffin? wrote:

 Mr. Burning wrote:
Well. Its a Conservative majority.

Not yet although it will be close.

Ed Milliband will soon be committing sepiku.

Clegg might get pipped to the post again!

UKIP has gotten absolutely nowhere though. They only managed 1 (maybe 2) seats, so much for the UKIP revolution.

Surprise to see the size of the swing from labour, i bailed at 2:30 as had work today. However its partly the anti- westminster sentiment from the last 5 years, the surge in SNP support from the indy ref and the fact that labour are just treading water, with no other left option, the SNP walked this, but with a tory majority i can see them peddling another 5 years of 'all the tories fault' instead of actually trying to do something with scotland.

Next years holyrood elections will be a massive SNP win again as its going to be that way for a while.

So- lowest ever turn out in my part of the UK. Kind of a disgrace really. I don't get why people complain about stuff when they haven't actually voted.

 Rick_1138 wrote:
but with a tory majority i can see them peddling another 5 years of 'all the tories fault' instead of actually trying to do something with scotland.

I don't think so. The next 5 years would be an opportunity to work out some of the wrinkles in the SNPs performance, such as reduced NHS spending in Scotland or some of their dodgy tax policies, and polish up their policies in general (in terms of accuracy rather than spin). The SNP should now be laying very solid foundations to ensure that they can deliver (in so far as possible) to their newfound support. Given that the SNP are a professional, ambitious and driven political party so I expect that this is what they will be doing.

I don't believe this last minute surge idea. ATM the Tories are on 36% of the total vote which is almost exactly what they got last time. It hardly argues for a significant change of heart.

People on the whole don't care about the EU.The economy is their no.1 concern. As you say there is a general impression that the Conservatives are a safer pair of hands on that tiller. This is incorrect but most people vote on instinct rather than by looking at the facts.

On the whole I think the Tories have got lucky with the distribution of FPTP votes. If they end up with a majority of seats on only about one in three of votes, it will prove it.

 Silent Puffin? wrote:
UKIP has gotten absolutely nowhere though. They only managed 1 (maybe 2) seats, so much for the UKIP revolution.

But they will have a fair sized % of the overall vote.

Pleasing though to see a complete lack of BNP candidates and vote, hopefully we won't see this like again in any significant way as per the last election.

Ed Balls is gone, funny and a millstone around the labour parties neck that they didn't seem willing to shift. Did I mention funny.

I think with the SNP this shows they really need as much power devolved to Scotland as possible.

They wont have much power in Westminster despite such a result. If things don't change I imagine SNP will make big losses next time.

Something needs to change there.

Labour need to change, they need to really rebrand themselves if they want votes.

Ed Milliband is gone now. I think everyone knew he was not really up to leading. He will go down as one of the worst ever Labour leaders.

 sebster wrote:
Am I right in thinking that the rise of the SNP is less to do with any kind of revival in genuine Scottish seperatism, but is more due to the SNP holding to left wing values, which resonates with Scottish voters who no longer see their values reflected by the modern Labour party?

If so, the way forward isn't necessarily a division of the union. The way forward may be for the SNP to evolve towards a new left wing party, and take the ground that Labour has abandoned, and that the Liberal Democrats flirted with for short while.

I think that's about it; SNP stand for what labour used to, and a lot of labour voters were alienated with the independence referendum nonsense.

As a Scot who voted yes to independence and for an SNP MP, I have to say that's where I sit. I don't really want a separate Scotland, I just don't want a Tory government.

From the results it looks like there's a huge political difference between Scotland/England so I've actually starter to come round to the idea of a separation as what both nations want.

Of course, doing so would annihilate any chance of a Labour majority using FPTP, but that looks like it's gone now anyway.

Labour need a strong leader and a drastic reform if they are going to get seats in the 2020 Election.

Agree about political divide. If there is a separation, I don't want either party to crawl back to the other for handouts or rejoining. Personally I feel the SNP wanted more powers devolved to Scotland. That would be a better solution (at least to me anyway)

Herzlos wrote:

 sebster wrote:
Am I right in thinking that the rise of the SNP is less to do with any kind of revival in genuine Scottish seperatism, but is more due to the SNP holding to left wing values, which resonates with Scottish voters who no longer see their values reflected by the modern Labour party?

If so, the way forward isn't necessarily a division of the union. The way forward may be for the SNP to evolve towards a new left wing party, and take the ground that Labour has abandoned, and that the Liberal Democrats flirted with for short while.

I think that's about it; SNP stand for what labour used to, and a lot of labour voters were alienated with the independence referendum nonsense.

As a Scot who voted yes to independence and for an SNP MP, I have to say that's where I sit. I don't really want a separate Scotland, I just don't want a Tory government.

From the results it looks like there's a huge political difference between Scotland/England so I've actually starter to come round to the idea of a separation as what both nations want.

Of course, doing so would annihilate any chance of a Labour majority using FPTP, but that looks like it's gone now anyway.

The smartest thing the SNP could do is to state categorical that there will be no new indy referendum for say 10 years, then build on this success and become the new labour vote in Scotland, then plan for a full indy plan, that is more economically sound, explain tax increase will happen but it will help lower earners because XYZ.

The big problem with the last vote was economically it was dreaming, and the public knew it.

However i still dont see this as a vote of confidence in a separate Scotland, that was last year and the majority said no, but this election alows those who voted No to state to westminsetr\scottish labour that they still want change for scotland.

The holyrood election next year will show more differences again i think.

I think you're right Rick, they got about 50% of the votes and 95% of the seats in Scotland.

I think they want change but I don't think its a nationalism thing for most of them.

@Killkrazy; it may not be a surge compared to the last election, but in the run up to this one almost all the polls had both the main parties trading around 33-34%, so to suddenly have the Conservatives on 36% and Labour down to 30% after months of no change I think constitutes a surge (well at least a wet burp).

Conservative vote going from 36% to 37% is not a surge.

Labour lost a lot of votes to SNP.

Of course a further independence vote decision does not sit with the SNP rather with the UK govt. Also the Scots people voted for Union so the SNP does not have a mandate for such action.

Ironic that the last referendum was granted by the hated Tories, Blair would never have accepted any chance of a reduction in his power.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Conservative vote going from 36% to 37% is not a surge.

Labour lost a lot of votes to SNP.

A 39% swing in seats is significant. Even if every SNP seat was a Labour one it's still a Conservatives win.

Lib Dems have changed to Conservatives here. 18 years under Sir Bob Russell in Colchester, now gone to Conservatives

Looks to be a majority, there are still some seats left that were held in the 2010 elections by Conservatives - and they just need five more to get the magic 326.

Interesting to note that one of those is Thanet South, where Nigel Farage is standing. If Farage loses that, Cameron will have claimed the heads of Farage, Miliband and Clegg.

I love the fact that Cameron is saying that the result is some sort of endorsement for the Tory party... yeah ok Dave. There are 650 seats up for grabs, you are (at this moment in time) likely to get 326, 325 or 324 of them. Not really an endorsement is it?

By the way that's a statement I'd make about any party who came out the same sort of comment, based on those figures.

Just out of curiosity, what does the rest of the world, particulary Europe, think of a majority Conservative government?

If I recall, Cameron said he would hold a referendum on EU membership if he won.

 Frozocrone wrote:
Just out of curiosity, what does the rest of the world, particulary Europe, think of a majority Conservative government?

If I recall, Cameron said he would hold a referendum on EU membership if he won.

I think most of Europe and the US wanted Milliband to be PM

Putin wanted Cameron.

I know some people aren't happy about it but it is only 5 years and the economy will be ok in that time.

It's a good message to Labour to do better. Somewhat true for Lib Dems too.

I think things will be interesting for the SNP now, they are now the UK's third largest political party, I would have voted for them myself, as I agree with most of their policies, but can't get over the blatantly racist abuse their supporters repeatedly hurled at my (English) wife at home in Dundee during the referendum.
They won't have the voice they thought they were going to have as they shot themselves in the foot by taking away the Labour seats they would have needed to form a coalition, and the thought of Alex Salmond writing the Labour budget may have scared a lot of voters blue.
I'm sitting at my desk compulsively refreshing the results page for Thanet South, I want to see that smug git Farage lose...

Foamy the squirrel approves of Farage losing

To be honest I do to. I know Thanet North is held by Conservatives. Hopefully that continues south


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Farage loses...that is three for Mr. Cameron.

Great night for the Conservatives.

Bon voyage Nigel Farage, beatan by a UKIP defector as well!

Having been following the results since 5am this morning (I had the radio on whilst walking my dog), this South Thanet result is the one I've been waiting for... Seeing the fixed grin on Farages' face was priceless. And so the pupil has become the master

Bleeding hell, another 5 years of the Tories.

Gee, thanks Scotland... (See this is why we can't let you go, without you it'll be Tories forever)

Yes, the financial stability would be terrible?!?

Labour has a whole lot of work to do, not just in Scotland but in England.

Farage steps down as UKIP leader. Not surprised, but it's the cherry on top to the icing on Cameron's cake.

 notprop wrote:
Yes, the financial stability would be terrible?!?

'Cos unfunded promises bring stability?

My personal opinion of the financial plans of Lab vs Tories was that the Lab one was better funded.

Just waiting for the outrage on my facebook wall...already people are looking to cross the border than live in a Conservative Britain.

Clegg - retired.
Farage - retired

Just waiting on Miliband now. So many people I know are outraged at this election. I even know some that didn't vote and are complaining. What on earth? You don't get to complain.