Depressed lefty red-eye thread

[policywonk]

hello

Am so pleased for Caroline Lucas - quite a result!

The North East keeping the flame alive with lots of lovely ladies.

I could cry over the overall result though.

[goes into hibernation hoping it will all go away]

it really could have been so much worse and the tories should have done sooo much better. they don't look smug to me.

Am relieved to see that there is no strong majority.

BAD result for the Tories. After so many years in opposition, plus the whole crisis/critical press and the pressure that GB had been under, to just scrape in by the skin of your teeth is by no means a victory.

Having some parenting worries so off to start a thread for some advice. Wonder if anyone will even notice it?

signing back in, bleary. Glad it's a hp. Slap in the face to hamchops, tbh - on paper it should have been his to lose at the start of the campaign.

By ze way, what happened with Justine? Did she get all dolled up for nothing?

If Clegg sells out on PR to get his grubby hands on a bigger piece of the pie surely he will lose all credibility both in the eyes of the public and his own party?

The only way I can see this being presented (if the Tory majority doesn't happen) is that people want change so they'll eject Gordon Brown and adjust the system. Would a referendum be required to implement PR?

LiB Dem to Tory I just can't get over this

I would think so beachcomber.

It must be difficult, because they imagined that they would probably be in a much stronger position. If they don't go in with someone else, will they stand a chance of power again? But then if they don't ger PR, they will never get in for good.

I bet WaxyDave is seething! This is a really bad result for the Tories so far considering long Labour term, recession, etc.

If they can't do it with all the cash they have thrown at it and with the help of the press then that really makes them look bad.

A tight morning in Hampstead and Kilburn.

The thing is, although the Libdems may be able to bargain on PR now, actually the country hasn't shown that's what it wants as any sort of priority - or it would have voted in more Liberals using this system. Ooh, and then they wouldn't have wanted PR any more!
Very peed off with the LibDems for causing such a fuss about nothing, and still crowing on about three party politics.

I'm not surprised Harrogate has gone blue - was always waiting to happen. I think the MP stood down as well so no sitting candidate?

Well I went to bed at 2.30 and feel quite perky this morning. Plainly there are tough times ahead but after everything that's happened - the wars, the economy, the expenses etc it's pretty remarkable that the conservatives couldn't get it together enough to win. It's all going to be fine.

Just noticed there are 49 seats left to declare their result and the Tories need 40 of them for a majority.

Geekgirl, I'm so sad about Harrogate, I grew up there.

Morning all!

No red eyes here - just a red nose. Am in agony as sinus meds have worn off over night but strangely cheered by the news.

It's not the result I wanted but it could all work out ok I think [hopeful]

POOR lib dems though. Feel really sad for them - I wanted them to get a substantial share. I blame those 50% poll ratings after the TV debates. All the waverers thought it was a done deal and went back to their roots.

Yeah I think on the whole, right now, things are positive for us. Hung parliament best expected result if Tories don't pull back and as others say this is actually a disaster for both Tories (failed in their best chance) and LibDems - total collapse of proposed 'bounce'

But it does still very much depend on these last seats...

Just catching up and seeEdgbaston had only 0.5% swing - Go Gisela

and agree this is a disaster for Dave.

He was handed this election on a monogrammed silver platter plate and he still couldn't get an outright majority.

[hopes I'm not previous here - can't imagine all the remaining seats are going to go Tory!]

[gibbers and chews nails]

have had about 3 hours sleep, no shower yet, have a headache and dd1 is having a tantrum

morning

I really wonder if PR will benefit the lib dems as much as everyone seems to think.

They are the party that benefits most from tactical voting. Surely with (some form of) PR there will be less incentive to vote tactically and they may actually lose vote share?

I am going to phone my Mum later and rant at her. Bet she voted SNP.

What is likely to happen regarding the polling problems? Would it affect Nick Clegg?

Do feel bad for the LibDems and have actually voted for them in the past. Surely they have lost a lot of votes to people backing Labour in order to keep the Tories out.

Seems crazy to think that Lab/Lib voters will join forces to keep the Tories out and yet the Tories would make a big fuss over them forming a coalition. It does appear the electorate as a whole does not want the Tories.

I'm Scottish though so perhaps don't get the mood as hardly anybody votes Tory here (just as well).