to think that David Miliband would have walked this?

[ApplePaltrow]

I just can't help but think that if Ed Miliband had not been selfish and instead had thought of the country, this night would be going very differently.

Labour are blaming the tories, blaming UKIP, blaming everyone else. Isn't the reality that they shat away an incredible opportunity to define a political generation over stupid opportunistic selfishness? They thought that the tories would be so toxic that anyone could beat them. Such hubris! When you take electorate for granted, you get UKIP and the SNP.

It's not even like Ed Miliband was particularly left-wing in the end. Was it worth it???

I feel like this should be a wakeup call but instead the guardian etc are somehow painting this as a cameron loss. Unbelievable.

He MUST go. Bring back David.

[YouBetterWerk]

YABU and YANBU.
YABU to say that Ed was selfish. He won a democratic, transparent contest fair and square. He got the most votes. So he won.
But YANBU to say David would have walked it.
I thought exactly the same thing. This is the first time since 1920 where the electorate are worst off at the end of a government then they were at the beginning.
Last week my friend, who works 37 hours a week, in the 6th richest country in the world, had to go to a food bank to put food in her children's mouths.
Labour should have walked this.
David would have done

[YouBetterWerk]

I wonder if Ed will step down.

[ApplePaltrow]

God, he better. I feel like screaming.

[meandjulio]

Ed will be gone.

But of course David Miliband wouldn't have walked it. This was not a popularity contest about the leaders. There are a lot of Conservative supporters in this country.

I really don't see why Ed Miliband should be vilified for having a relative in the same profession - a relative who was tainted by the Iraq War. If anything, it is the 'fault' of having so many political dynasties in this country and a lack of candidates from outside the usual channels.

[YouBetterWerk]

I know apple
Do you agree labour should have walked this?

[propelusagain]

It's very frustratig.

Milliband must take responsobility for this loss.
Scotland has been desperate for some leadership from lanbour for years, some effort would have paid huge dividends fo the labour party.
Instead they were easy pickings for the SNP.
The SNP have trundled along for deacades with a low following in Scotland.
Labour have allowed this mess to happen.

[daisychain01]

I wonder if David Milliband is secretly gloating.

#brotherlylove
#schadenfreudemoment

[RawCoconutMacaroon]

Propel, labour have indeed allowed this mess to happen, but the SNP taking labour seats doesn't affect the outcome. If every Scottish seat (all 59) had been won by Labour, the Cons would still be around 30 seats ahead of Labour.

[ApplePaltrow]

The country was breaking apart and it needed leadership. Ed Miliband couldn't step up and capitalize on any of it! The tories INCREASED THEIR MAJORITY. This isn't a "loss", this is a rout.

The country are scared. A leader would have reached out to people with a genuine connection. Ed Miliband is not a leader and never has been.

[MythicalKings]

YANBU

[Hillingdon]

Honestly - labour ignored mass immigration in many towns, they allowed it because they thought it would increase their voters, they left that stupid note which I think lost it for them. As that woman in Question Time in Leeds said, it's not funny at all. That and saying they didn't overspend.

[Howaboutthisone]

I couldn't agree more! There are so many people who rightly or wrongly just couldn't see Ed as prime minister and its swung them the other way.

[The80sweregreat]

Andy burnham for leader. Such a sad night all round. Unless your Snp! I fear for the NHS.

[Hillingdon]

Ed really believes in what he says. In fact he is a champagne socialist who has never had a proper job. Who was brought up in a Marxist household. God help us if he had got in.

But he hasn't and all this - well if his brother David had run.. Well he didn't! It's all over for Labour.

[JoanHickson]

I think EB is off putting. It may just be me though, I can't forget the glee on his face when Alan Johnson resigned.

[Hillingdon]

Now the EU issue. Really really undecided on that one. If he can stop benefits being paid and being sent home by people who have never contributed that would be enough for me.

[DontCallMeBaby]

I don't think he would have done, no. I'm in a constituency where Labour are an irrelevance, and we've just lost our good Lib Dem MP of the last decade, because ... why. Have people punished the junior coalition partner by voting for the senior one? Or after all this have they just decided, in droves, that the Tories are better? Either way, if it's in any way reflective of the mood of the country, there's no one Labour could have had at the helm who would have walked it.

[Hillingdon]

Lots of PR given to the Greens before the Election, people saying they will vote for them. They are due to get ONE seat. Clearly on the previous polls and in public people are saying one thing and doing something else

[shewept]

I don't actually blame Ed for standing against his brother. They both wanted the job. I am unsure why he comes in for so much flack but his brother doesn't. If some could enlighten me I would be grateful.

This was not a popularity contest about the leaders

I actually think it was in part. I don't think a lot of people trust or like Ed Milliband. Not all left or decided against Labour for that reason. But if your don't trust the leader, are you going to help them become PM.

I think labour have a lot of thinking and work to do. Its not just a case of 'tory wankers' they really to reassess why this has happened from their own point of view. Why have they lost so much support?

I am still waiting for my seat to be announced.

[shewept]

I did feel that Ed was the wrong choice. I wonder what swung it in their. Favour

[MarshaBrady]

You do have to trust the leader to vote for the party, and many don't, he puts them off. I hope he resigns today.

[AvonleaAnne]

I feel exactly the same. I worked at DEFRA when he was Secretary for the Environment and I was really impressed by him.

[eyebags63]

YABU, the other Miliband is a snake. Labour lost because of their policies and the fact that a majority of the country appear not to give a shit about the NHS or disabled people.

[fancyanotherfez]

Yes I think he was just not strong enough as a leader, and that stupid platitude filled tablet of stone hammered the nail in his coffin. No only was it ridiculous, but it highlighted the weakness of his policies.

[ApplePaltrow]

I don't actually blame Ed for standing against his brother. They both wanted the job. I am unsure why he comes in for so much flack but his brother doesn't. If some could enlighten me I would be grateful.

The problem for me is that David Miliband was a bit too smooth - ok - but he clearly seemed like a man who spent his entire life leading up to this point - becoming prime minister. This is going to sound awful but I realized that Ed Miliband was a dud when he turned out not to be married to his partner. It wasn't that they weren't married. It was that he bowed to pressure to marry her AFTER the newspapers brought it up. Either stand firm on it OR have the political common sense to marry her BEFORE the campaign. You want to be prime minister of the United fucking Kingdom and you haven't even thought that maybe people would be interested in your living arrangements?

He lacked political common sense. He lacked charisma. He lacked EVERYTHING. Yet he still ran!! He deprived the UK of David Miliband who was actually good. He would have made a great chancellor. Why do these egotists all want to be the bride?