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.

[Baddz]

Back in 2010 I predicted the following:
The end of the lib dems as a political force after their deal with the Tories.
The defeat of labour in 2015 if david milliband was not elected leader.
Sadly, I was correct on both counts.

[PHANTOMnamechanger]

I cannot understand how Ed ever won the leadership with David in the running, I simply can't! I voted for labour as my best chance of getting the tories out, not because I thought HE personally was a viable PM. Not a leader at all. Sincere and in politics for all the right reasons, maybe, but not a strong enough person, and no charisma at all.

[BreakWindandFire]

I am tired of supporting others that claim they are forced to have a zero hrs contract

In many cases they are. Sports Direct for example has 20,000 staff. Only 300 don't have zero hours contracts.

[Roseotto]

I think so. David Miliband is a class act - a true statesman. Ed never was, and lurched from one PR disaster to another with misguided politics of envy. He has alienated most of England (who turned out for Blair in their droves). Labour only has the unions to blame!

[BreakWindandFire]

David Miliband would have backed Cameron on military action in Syria, which would have turned into an absolute clusterf*ck. I am grateful that Ed didn't.

[Celeriacacaca]

I don't think David would have walked it. Ed Miliband was bad enough but combined with Ed Balls it was a disaster from the outset. I suspect Labour will regroup now and come back stronger and more appealing to the electorate. I don't think they'll win the next election but possibly the one after that.

[Hillingdon]

I am tired of supporting others that claim they are forced to have a zero hrs contract, forced to make lifestyle choices that dont end well, choices to not work because benefits pay more. The way they live is certainly not a life of luxury but if there is little between working and benefits why would you work? Same with the EU and the migrant issue, people in Slough living in back gardens because they have come here for a better life and the left wingers asking for them to be supported and housed (with someone else's money of course).

Scotland has much less of a immgration issue. They are using other peeople's money and others have said if they were on their own they will find they need to review free prescriptions and free university places. These are lovely to have but not essentials.

I am a Mum just about to wave goodbye to a son who will end up with nearly 50 of debt to go to University because I dont live there.

Scotland have lots of money hence giving these out free to their residents. Its easy to vote for a party that isnt costing you.

And Labour wonder why they lost!

[cruikshank]

Actually, that's true, stircrazy. I'm getting a bit fed up of my tax money being shelled out in tax credits that are propping up employers who won't pay a living wage, and also of the £12bn every year that goes to private landlords in housing benefit because no-one is addressing the housing crisis that this country is in. I'm also mindful of the fact that massive govt contracts, again funded by my tax money, are going to the govt's mates, that I'm subsidising the privately owned rail network at a much greater cost to the public purse than BR ever required. Further, I'm sure I would be paying a lot less tax if companies like Amazon and Starbucks made a proper contribution to the tax coffers from the profits that they make on the back of employing an educated healthy workforce and utilising the roads and transport infrastructure that, again, I fund.

Or did you mean something else?

[stircrazyinthecountry]

NO. I don't know what MNs don't understand about the election results. You could have replaced Ed with whoever you like. They still wouldn't have won. The simple cold hard fact beyond any other is people are sick and tired of going to work every day to support others. It really is that simple.

[Jackieharris]

Both Eds have been a disaster.

Labour should have ditched him a few months ago when it became apparent they weren't heading to a victory.

[cruikshank]

DM would just have been another Blair. Fine if you want that sort of thing, but I don't know that the electorate does, really. Looking at the massive swings across the board in Scotland for a party that is considerably more left wing than Labour parliamentarians are now, I think there is a genuine appetite for a socialist alternative. Where Ed fell was not having the balls to offer that. He should have been much more critical of the tories and the austerity drive. Instead he offered austerity-lite along with a couple of misguided attempts to appease the left-leaning voters, hastily tacked on in the couple of months before the election. He also, instead of tackling the myths put out by UKIP head-on, acted as though what they were saying was credible. The country is in a state of crisis and it would have been easy for a proper socialist, with proper convictions, to knock seven shades of shite out of Cameron - just look at Sturgeon; that's how to do it. He was, in short, weak and not up to the job.

[dougierose]

David has the charm and the charisma but also probably has the knife in his pocket, ready to stab you in the back.

Ed prob though that he needed to stand in the leadership contest to raise his profile so that he could have a shadow ministerial position on his own account, rather than a nepotism appointment once David (so everyone thought) because Leader. As Ed won instead, all the rules changed and Ed had to bluff it out until today.

Ed is probably more honest, but yes, I think Labour would have won with David in charge.

[Sootgremlin]

Honestly, it was his actions, or lack thereof, not his face, I do believe that.

[ghostyslovesheep]

I didn't vote for Ed (I voted for AB) but I liked him - he was intelligent, compassionate and cared

I am sad today - I hated the fact that being a 'geek' and looking 'odd' can sway people so much - I dislike personality politics

I have been a Labour member since I was 15 - 30 years this year - I will behind our next leader who ever it is as long as the policies continue to reflect my own beliefs in social justice and helping others

[ComposHatComesBack]

David Miliband was seen as the heir to Blair and in the aftermath of the 2010 would have ripped itself to pieces in a civil war. If I had to give Labour a modicum of credit it is that he kept the party united when it could have descended into infighting.

[MissDemelzaCarne]

YANBU, I knew we were fucked once Ed won the leadership election.

[ghostyslovesheep]

I totally agree Issy I am cross Labour didn't fight back more

they should have tackled issues head on - housing, education - lack of investment rather than pesky immigrants causing the problem - shite condem policies impacting massively on the public sector - increased use of fucking food banks ...

a vast majority of people at the 'coal face' of the public sector are seeing the impact (of what is a politically motivated attack on the public sector not 'reasonable' cuts) on services - sadly the wider public are not yet - sadly they will soon :(

[IssyStark]

I think it was Plunket earlier today who said that labour lost this election in the first six months after the 2005 election when they were too busy in-fighting to start countering the Tory/LibDem narrative of Labour over-spending.

Labour did NOT overspend but hardly anyone outside the economists believe that.

Labour did not single-handedly cause the worldwide economic crisis. In fact most countries copied Brown's measures to mitigate against the meltdown.

The note was a joke, or a sort that the outgoing administration leaves for the incomers. the reason most people don't know about the tradition, is that it isn't anything meant to be public. It is supposed to be a private thing between the politicians concerned. The fact that the Coalition went public said something about their ruthlessness.

And Labour let them get away with re-writing the history. That was were they failed.

[AuntieStella]

Ed M has resigned, wef today. Harriet Harman to be caretaker leader.

[Sootgremlin]

The ludicrousness of Ed Milliband as PM shouldn't be underestimated, he came across as weak, and also at times a bit silly. I listened to him speak a lot without hearing him actually saying anything. Gimmicks like the Russell Brand interview and the giant Tombstone (what are they going to do with that now?) just seemed the desperate acts of a man out of his depth. I imagine a lot of people voted for Cameron to remain as Prime Minister in the absence of any other realistic alternative.

Milliband looked on the ropes at that Question Time debate, and that was in front of ordinary punters, not Putin, not on PMQs.

Most voters want broadly the same things for the country and economy but disagree on how best to achieve this. Honestly this time round, there wasn't much choice. To my mind Labour were not clear enough about what they had to offer on specific issues and didn't do enough to allay the fears people still had after their recent 13 years in power.

[WipsGlitter]

The constant harping on about David did damage to Ed and the party both in public and, presumably, within the party.

I really do not think he would have 'walked it', he would have needed to set out a very clear vision of (1) where he was taking the party and (2) where he wanted to take the country. And I struggle to see who he was going to be appealing to. He is very, very middle class - and the conservatives have that sewn up.

Lots of complaints about Ed being an intellectual and not a good communicator but the same could be said of David. He's assumed mythical proportions in people's heads.

I've met them both and found them to be equally outgoing but Ed to be more sincere.

[Hillingdon]

MY goodness, nearly 100 seats ahead of Labour.... Those previous polls were nonsense werent they....I wonder how much they cost?

[Hillingdon]

Tories have seen off three leaders, Farage, Miliband and Clegg. Blimey....

[Hillingdon]

God, if someone chased out of the country is the person to led the Labour party, God help us.


Tristram Hunt is looking at private schools for his kids. More acceptable in my parents generation when Wilson and Callaghan did just that. The Labour voters just wouldnt let him get away with it now. Chuka looks good but there is something about him, a sort of smugness. Yvette always comes across well but she is married to ED BALLS!