You are here: Home » News »

2012 election results liveblog

May 3, 2012 10:27 pm

Tags:

Election 2012

Share this Article

00:32:MF – So after 26 hours of the liveblog, it’s all over. And to end on a positive note, Tom Copley took the final London Assembly seat for Labour. Congratulations Tom. And good morning.

00:10:MF – So Boris beat Ken by 60,000 on second preferences as we predicted at 21.31. We’re just waiting for the London Assembly vote now.

22.29MF – We are now over 24 hours into the LabourList liveblog. And still not finished…

21.35:MF – The only thing we dot know for sure now is how many list places Labour will pick up for the London Assembly. We’re almost certain to have 3 (so 11 AMs in total), but there’s the chance we could pick up one more. Our senior Labour source says it’s “knife-edge”.

21.31:MF – We believe Ken has lost by 80,000 first preference votes, could narrow a big on second preferences, but it won’t be enough. But the final 3000 votes are being hand counted after a counting machine broke – delaying the inevitable.

20:27:MF – Ken looks set to lose out by 2 or 3%

20:10:MF – The agents from across London are now getting the results. Soon we’ll know the exact result too.

20:03:MF – Loads of people getting in touch asking why I haven’t been reporting on Ken closing in on Boris as we come to the end of the count. I’ve been staring at the London elects bar charts all day, and the truth is Ken has never at any point been close enough to Boris for second preferences to matter. At the moment we think Boris leads by 4% on first preferences – and based on the potential voting behaviour of the supporters of Paddick, Jones and Benita, Ken would need to be much closer to Boris for this race to still be on. Don’t bet anything on Ken to win. It’ll be far closer than most suggested (including me (see 22.52)) leaving many (me included) with egg on our faces, but Boris is still winning this.

19:45:MF – at City Hall now where every hack in the country is circling the media room, as is Siobhan Benita. No indication as yet of what the final result might be.

18:15:MF – Now we’re told that Brian Coleman IS coming to give a speech. That will be worth listening to…

18:05:MF – Meanwhile in Ealing & Hillingdon Onlar Singh Sahota has won for labour. Another London assembly gain for Labour.

18:00:MF – I’ve spent all afternoon at the Alexandra Palace counting centre in North London. Tory Brian Coleman has lost his London Assembly seat to Labour’s Andrew Dismore (which I’m obviously delighted about). But seemingly Briqn Coleman won’t be turning up to make a concession speech. What a shame.

17:00:MF – LABOUR WINS GLASGOW – majority on the council.

16:00:MF – Overall majority in Glasgow all but confirmed. Remarkable.

15:40: MF – Hearing positive noises from Glasgow. An overall majority for Labour isn’t out of the question.

14:00: MF – Glasgow Labour leader Gordon Matheson has held his seat. Labour get to drop a councillor yet in Glasgow.

13:35: MF – And 12 Labour gains in Wakefield too (including the Tory leader)

13:35: MF – The South has had some pretty good results for Labour – but the North is having a good time of it too. 8 gains for Labour in Leeds and 9 in Sheffield. And that councillor gains number is still ticking up.

13:15: MF – Right everyone – the liveblog will be a bit quieter for the next few hours as I’m on my way to the London count. Will be bringing you details from there – and elsewhere – as the afternoon progresses.

12.42: MF – Now mathematically impossible for SNP to be the biggest party in Glasgow. Labour cautiously optimistic about forming a majority administration. Reports on the ground suggest SNP Deputy Leader Nicola Sturgeon’s “face has hit the floor”.

12:05: MF – According to the BBC Labour has crossed the symbolic 500 councillor gains mark. As for the London Mayoral election – the latest is Boris 45% Ken 39%.

11:52: MF – Laura Wilkes, what a star. Thanks to Laura for all of her help – and knowledge – over the last 14 hours (!). I’ll be staying with you until the final London results are in. And of course, we’ll be keeping an eye on Glasgow.

11.46: LW – time for me to head off. Sleep calls. Labour has had a set of great results today, and I hope they continue in Scotland this afternoon. Will also be watching for news of the other mayoral referendums; looking more and more likely that it’ll be a clean ‘no’ sweep. Thanks for having me!

11.26: LW – Glasgow council finally catches up and starts announcing results on their website.

11.22: LW – Labour holds Wolverhampton.

11.21: MF – Just spoken to a Labour person at the Glasgow count who says it is “almost impossible” for the SNP to win a majority there.

11.07: LW – 9 Labour gains in Barnsley. Will hold council.

10.59: LW – hear that the current running tally is now SNP 3, Labour 4 in Glasgow.

10.53: LW – Labour currently doing really well in Wolverhampton – as expected.

10:49: LW – Ed and Albert greeting Labour supporters in Birmingham. Jubilant scenes.

10:48: MF – Members on the ground suggesting Newlands / Auldburn is 2 Labour and 1 SNP – no change from 2007.

10.43: LW – Nothing confirmed but sounds like Newlands / Auldburn has been declared for SNP in Glasgow.

10.37: LW – Hearing that Glasgow has started declaring.

10.33: LW – First Labour seat results announced in Health Town and St Peter’s wards, Wolverhampton.

10.23: LW – Counting has started in Wolverhampton. Labour should hold here.

10:10: MF – Ed Miliband isn’t doing a victory lap today. Quite the opposite. Seemingly the Labour leader is off to Worcester, where Labour didn’t win, to talk about how much further the party has to go.

10.02: LW – Hearing that Wakefield has a 29% voter turnout. Mayoral referendum expected here later.

09.58: LW – Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s count has started. Key council for Labour to watch. Currently a Conservative (20 seats) / Lib Dem (13 seats) administration. Labour is a very close second with 20 seats and should the Conservative or Lib Dem vote swing to Labour they could take control.

09:54: MF – Here’s something that might slow down the London Mayoral result. There was a power cut at one of the counting centres this morning (Alexandra Palace), which means the Barnet and Camden GLA seat hasn’t started counting yet. That’s a possible gain for Labour from Tory Brian Coleman.

09.50: LW – count has started in Leeds. Election by thirds and Labour expected to hold the council. One to watch for Mayoral result, where all three main parties have been campaigning hard for a ‘no’ vote.

09:47: MF – Counting is now under way across London. London Elects have a live updating bar chart of the results which you can see here.

09:46: MF – Ed Miliband has put out a statement on the results so far. You can read it here.

09:19: MF – I’m back on the liveblog again through to the end of the day. Absolutely fantastic work through the night by Laura, who (remarkably) is going to be staying with us for the rest of the day. Onwards…

08.48: LW – Now hoping for my ‘second wind’ as the next wave of results start to trickle in from Scotland (who don’t start their counts until the morning) and elsewhere in the country. Been going since 11pm – so am hoping you’ll help me out by tweeting me with results you see: @laurawilkes Thank you!

08.45: LW – Doing nicely in Wales.

08.41: LW – Labour gains Torfaen in Wales. Final result Labour 30 seats, Conservative 4, Plaid 2 and others 8. Labour was in minority control before the result today.

08.37: LW – Labour gains Merthyr Tydfil from Independents. Labour 23, Independents 9, UKIP 1.

08.30: LW – Amazing final result in Cardiff: Labour 39, Lib Dems 15, Conservatives 7, Independents 4, Plaid 2. Labour should be very proud in Cardiff today.

08.25: LW – Here was my prediction on Cardiff two weeks ago: ‘Currently a Lib Dem (35 seats) / Plaid coalition; the Lib Dems are braced for losses, and Labour (14 seats) are currently doing well in Wales. It is a long shot, but if Labour do exceptionally well on the night, they could take the council.’

08.15: LW – Another Cardiff update: Labour have 34 seats, with 20 of those being gains. Amazing result and still counting.

08.10: LW – Onwards – next big one for Labour to watch. Glasgow.

08.00: LW – Vote share being reported as: Conservatives 31%, Labour 39%, Lib Dems 16%, others 14% (based on English results)

07.55: LW – Hearing that Salford mayoral election result could be in shortly.

07.48: LW – Bradford mayoral result in: it’s a ‘no’ from them.

07.44: LW – Situation in Torfaen Council is that Labour have taken control of the council; 1 seat won by drawing lots from a hat after a dead heat (unconfirmed).

07.43: LW – Getting news from Torfaen – apparently they are picking names from hats.

07.30: LW – Expecting lots of councils to start counting again between 8-9am. Remember that Scotland don’t start their counts until today, and some big results are expected there. Glasgow is definitely one to watch; voter turnout reported as being low and SNP widely expected to perform well.

07.23: LW – Lots of positive looking headlines for Labour this morning – though some choosing to focus on Bradford result. Stay with us; we are still waiting for around half of the councils up for election to declare. Still a lot to play for.

06.56: LW – Labour has done well so far – with only half results declared. We’ve won big seats that were expected, and there have also been some unexpected gains in places like Cardiff (though full Cardiff result still pending) and Dudley. Labour has gained ground in every part of England and Wales and Ed Miliband will take particular satisfaction from progress in the South of England, where there are councils with key parliamentary marginals. The worry is that half of the councils that are counting are yet to declare and with talks of an SNP surge in Glasgow and a Boris victory in London, this could take a shine from the performance. Full story of the election is still to unfold today.

06: 50 LW – Thoughts to start rounding up for now…

06.33: LW – Looks like we have confirmation that Welsh Labour has taken Caerphilly. Was a Plaid / Independent minority administration.

06.30: LW – I speak too soon. Hearing that Labour have taken Torfaen.

06.21: LW – Results dried up for now it would appear.

06.08: LW – A (very) brief summary for those who are just joining us: overall picture is that Labour has performed very well. Big wins in Birmingham, Plymouth, Southampton, Thurrock and more. ‘No’ to Mayors in Birmingham, Coventry and Nottingham (others still to count). Disappointing result in Bradford, where the Labour Leader Ian Greenwood was ousted by Respect candidate; leaving Labour missing a majority by 1 vote.

06:00: LW – seat count so far (via BBC):

Labour+453

Conservative -267

Liberal Democrat -133

Good night for Labour then.

06.00: LW – Morning TV news reports saying it has been a ‘bleak’ night for the coalition.

05.55: LW – Labour now gained 16 seats. Lib Dems lost 11. 30 seats left to count. Hearing though that they may have taken a break until later on in the day.

05.54: LW – Meanwhile in Cardiff…

05.46: LW – What does this mean for power in Bradford council? Will Labour go with a coalition or minority administration?

05.40: LW – To take control of the council in Bradford, Labour needed 46 seats; we got 45. Here is a full breakdown of all Bradford results:

Labour, 45 seats

Conservative, 24 seats

Liberal Democrats, 8 seats

Independent, 5 seats

Respect, 5 seats

Green Party, 3 seats

05.38: LW – Earlier prediction correct, Labour have lost this seat by just 17 votes.

05.36: LW – Final result for the Little Horton seat in Bradford:

Alyas Karmani, Respect, 2191

Ian Greenwood, Labour, 2174

Andrea Taylor, Conservative, 120

Shabir Ahmed Butt, Lib Dem, 96

05.33: LW – Hear that Ian Greenwood may have lost his seat by just 17 votes. This leaves the council in no overall control.

05.28: LW – Confirmation. Respect have ousted current Labour Leader Ian Greenwood in Bradford.

05.27: LW – Yet again, Respect are calling Ian Greenwood’s seat.

05.23: LW – Things still very tense in Bradford. If Respect take Ian Greenwood’s Little Horton seat, Labour will be denied the council majority by one vote.

05.15: LW – Update for the last hour:

Blaenau Gwent: Labour gain. Was in Independent control.

Bridgend: Labour gain. Was Labour minority control.

05.13: LW – Don’t want to speak too soon; but things are looking pretty good in Cardiff. This would be unexpected.

05.07 LW – Local journalist in Cardiff saying that Lib Dems expecting Labour to take the majority.

05.02: LW – More Labour gains in Cardiff – now 12 seats gained. Lib Dems down 7 seats. Could this be one to watch?

04.58: LW – Unconfirmed, but hearing that there is now a 4th re-count on Ian Greenwood’s (current Labour leader) seat in Bradford; Respect are calling it.

04.58: LW – Respect now have 4 seats in Bradford. Hearing that Ian Greenwood may be out (unconfirmed)

04:55: LW – Cardiff update. Labour currently gained 10 seats. Count still going.

04.51: LW – Confirmed. Labour has taken control of Bridgend.

04.46: LW – Hearing that Labour has taken Caerphilly from a Plaid / Independent minority administration.

04.39: LW – Down to the wire in Bradford. Apparently they are on the 3rd re-count of current Labour Leader, Ian Greenwood’s seat.

04.34: LW – on the edge of my seat. Labour now just need 2 seats to take Bradford.

04.32: LW – Sounds like drama in Bradford. Currently re-counting Ian Greenwood’s seat.

04.27: LW – Labour just need 3 seats to take control of Bradford.

04.17: LW – Reports coming in that Labour is about to take Bridgend Council. We currently have minority control here.

04.12: LW – Confirmed. Respect have 3 seats in Bradford.

04.08: LW – Joe Anderson has become Liverpool Mayor with 57% of the vote.

04:04: MF – So much for all of those parliamentary by-elections we might have been facing. The backlash against elected mayors means that isn’t much of a problem anymore…

04.03: LW – Blaenau Gwent, Wales, Labour gain from Independents

03.56: LW – Labour now gained 7 seats in Cardiff. It’s currently a Plaid/Lib Dem coalition but too early to tell whether it’s a possibility.

03.52: LW – hearing that Respect now have 3 Bradford seats (unconfirmed)

03:51: MF – According to the BBC, if today was a general election, Labour would have a majority of 86

03:47: MF – In Slough Labour is looking at a clean sweep – 14 seats from 14 so far

03.41: LW – Labour now gained 5 seats in Cardiff. Lots of wards still to count

03.40: LW – sounds like Coventry also say ‘no’ to an elected mayor

03.35: LW – another short round-up: Dudley: Labour gain. Previously Tory control
Harlow: Labour gain. Previously Tory control.
Reading: Labour gain. Previously NOC.

03.23: LW – Labour gain Dudley from Tory control.

03:21: MF – Manchester votes No on the Mayoral referendum

03.18: LW – could we have the mayoral referendum result in Manchester shortly?

03.14: LW – Labour’s Ali Ahmed gains Lib Dem seat in Butetown ward, Cardiff

03.09 LW – BBC reporting that Respect expecting to take some of the 12 seats they fielded candidates in – but no official announcement yet.

03.05: LW – Labour easily hold Tong ward in Bradford – Respect not made any inroads in this ward.

03.02: LW – Looks like we are starting to hear results from Bradford and Cardiff.

02.44: LW – another check of the Labour stock: Also gained Carlisle, which was previously a Tory minority; and Great Yarmouth which was previously Conservative.

02.30: LW – let’s take stock for a minute. From the councils we thought Labour should watch, here is how Labour have done:
Birmingham: Labour gain. Previously Tory / Lib Dem coalition.
Cannock Chase: Labour gain. Previously labour minority.
Chorley: Labour gain. Previously Tory / Lib Dem coalition.
Derby: Labour gain. Previously Tory / Lib Dem coalition.
Exeter: Labour gain. Previously NOC.
Newport: Labour gain. Previously Tory / Lib Dem coalition.
North East Lincolnshire: Labour gain. Previously minority Labour control.
Norwich: Labour gain. Previously labour minority.
Nuneaton and Bedworth: Labour gain. Previously NOC.
Plymouth: Labour gain. Previously Tory control.
Sefton: Labour gain. Was hung.
Southampton: Labour gain. Was in Tory control.
Thurrock: Labour gain. Previously NOC.
Wirral: Labour gain. Previously Tory / Lib Dem coalition.

02.20: LW – Not good news I’m afraid. Looks like it’s not going so well in Hartlepool.

02.19: MF – Correction (we were always going to have one tonight) We of course did win Wirral (1:56).

02.10: LW – Labour gains Newport

02.10: LW – Labour gains Norwich

02.08: LW – Labour has Reading – previously no overall control

02.06: LW – Bradford already Labour, but worries about Respect after Bradford West result.

02.04: LW – Apparently Tory group leader in Bradford is tweeting that Labour may have overall majority on the council.

01.56: LW – Wirral remains no overall control. Maybe next time…

01.46: MF – Labour win in Derby confirmed.

01.46: LW – Plymouth goes to Labour.

01.40: LW – Labour must have Derby by now?

01.38: MF – Labour gain Sefton Council (on a personal note – well done to Sefton MP Bill Esterson and team – one of the real nice guys of the PLP). Sefton has been NOC since 1986!

01.35: LW – North East Lincs called for Labour from minority control.

01.35: MF – Labour takes the second city – Birmingham goes red.

01.33: LW – Looks like Chorley is about to go to Labour

01.32: MF – Target council of Reading also expected to be gained by Labour from NOC

01.31: MF – Nottingham rejects elected mayor – 57% of voters against

01.30: MF – Labour takes Thurrock. Labour surge in the South and East continues.

01.22: LW – Is Labour about to take Wirral? This council has been back and forth recently but Labour hoping for gains to get control back.

00.19: LW – Has Labour gained Carlisle from no overall control?

00.18: LW – Labour gains Paston ward in Peterborough

01.12: MF – Looks like Labour has taken Southampton. That’s a big one.

01.10: MF – Oh my – “Lib dem leader in St Helen’s was thrown out by police after losing his seat & trying to punch labour candidate”

01.07: MF- Labour takes overall control of Cannock Chase council – home of the infamous Aidan Burley MP.

01.04: LW – Update from a Norwich insider – Labour taken 2 seats.

01.02: LW – Labour gain Orton Loungeville, Bretton North and East in Peterborough.

01.02: MF – Albert Bore (Labour leader on Birmingham Council) is on the BBC now. Strange night for him, he’s on track to become leader of the council, but had backed Liam Byrne for Birmingham Mayor and backed a Yes vote for Birmingham Mayor. He has all but admitted that there will be a No vote in Birmingham.

01.00: LW – Labour gain Oscott ward in Birmingham. Very much on track to take the council.

00.58: MF – Exeter, Harlow, Plymouth, Basildon – some important gains for Labour in the South.

00.58: LW – Great Yarmouth called for Labour.

00.57: LW – Labour taken overall control of Exeter.

00.55: MF – Labour gain in David Cameron’s seat of Witney, which at my count is two Labour councillors now in Witney. (And Chipping Norton too)…

00.53:LW – Nuneaton and Bedworth called for Labour with 8 gains. (Previously No Overall Control)

00.51: LW – Labour doing well in Chorley – making gains.

00.48: LW – Is Labour poised to take Derby? Results coming in…

00.45: LW – Labour has Sandwell. Full results

00:45: MF – Labour takes 10 out of 11 seats in Lincoln – and the deputy leader of the Tories lost their seat.

00.42: LW – Reports from the inside say that Labour are due to gain 8 seats in Liverpool. Looks like Joe Anderson will have the mayoralty too.

00:42: MF – Labour takes Harlow.

00.25: LW – Margaret Godfrey takes seat from BNP in Maltby ward, Rotherham.

00.21: LW – Confirmed. Jess Phillips has taken Longbridge ward for Labour in Birmingham. If these results keep coming Labour will be on track to take control here.

00.18: LW – BBC reporting that Labour are about to take Harlow.

00.17: MF – On the BBC Sayeeda Warsi says Boris fought on “9 very clear points” – what were they? Can anyone remember them? I’m guessing Warsi can’t…

00.14: LW – Labour now has ALL seats on Knowsley council.

00.08: LW – Labour hold three seats in Chorley. 2 in Adlington and Anderton and 1 in Chorley North East.

00.05: MF – The Only Way is Essex? Not quite. Lots of excitement from the BBC tonight (and here) about big swings to Labour. I’m hearing turnout is low (like everywhere else) and in places like Basildon, Thurrock and Harlow, it’s still tight. Let’s not get carried awat just yet – but sign are encouraging.

00.05: LW – Hopefully we’ll be expecting results in the next hour from Exeter, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rochdale and Walsall. All councils to watch.

00.01: LW – Whispers from Birmingham that Labour may take Longbridge from Tories. Unconfirmed.

00.00: LW – Full Sunderland results in – solid Labour hold.

23.55: LW – BBC suggesting that Labour will take Plymouth. This is a key council for Labour.

23.52: LW – Sandwell results coming in. So far – Labour hold Friar Park ward. Full results here: http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/elections2012

23.49: LW – On the Sefton results: Carol Gustafson elected in Derby ward with 81% and James Mahon elected in St Oswald ward with 91%.

23.31: LW – Quick average on turnout so far – 6 councils in, it’s looking like a turnout of around 30%. This would be down on last year.

23.46: LW – Labour hold two wards in Sefton: St Oswald and Derby wards

23.36: LW – Lots of wards now declaring in Sunderland. Check full results out here: http://www.sunderlandcitycouncil.com/elections/

23.29: LW – Reported swings to Labour in Basildon.

23.18: LW – News from Rochdale – one of the councils Labour should be watching – they are experiencing a power cut! Expect delays on expected time of results.

23.09: LW – Hearing that 3 Sunderland results are in; including Susan Watson winning in St Anne’s ward on a turnout of 28%.

23:08: MF- Well that was distinctly depressing to type (22.50). Onwards and upwards – expecting some good results from around the UK for Labour tonight – and tomorrow in London Labour could pick up a couple of London Assembly seats. However early reports suggest that Birmingham could (somewhat surprisingly) reject moving to a mayoral system. If so, Liam Byrne stays in the shadow cabinet – and lots of rows over the Birmingham Mayoral selection have happened for nothing…

23.00: LW - First up; seeing lots of reports that we are expecting voter turnout to be low – especially in Scotland. This could be difficult for Labour, particularly as the SNP are expected to perform well. Glasgow will be a key council to watch but we aren’t expecting results there until Friday after 10am.

22.52: MF – We probably won’t know the results of the London Mayoral election for almost 24 hours – so tonight will be all about the locals. However as I’ve been campaigning there all day I feel I should cover it briefly before we move on. I said this morning that turnout would be key. From what I’ve seen myself today, and from what I’ve heard from across London, turnout just won’t be enough. It’ll be lower than last time, and that means that Boris Johnson will be the Mayor of London for the next 4 years. I’d imagine that Boris will probably win by 6-8%, from what I’ve heard so far. I won’t comment much more on the London Mayoral race tonight – and it’s not over until the votes are counted – but I just can’t see how Ken could have won today.

One thing is for sure, the party will need to take a serious look at itself over what has happened in London – and how we campaign – especially if some of the low turnout figures we’re hearing are to be believed.

But for now – on with the results in the rest of the country. Keep an eye out for Southampton, Reading, Harlow, Thurrock, Birmingham – and of course, Glasgow.

22.50: LW – Hi All. Aiming to keep updating throughout the night with election results from across the country. I’ll be concentrating on the 50 councils Labour should watch (see below) but it would be great to get all your intelligence from the ground, so please tweet me @laurawilkes with any news – big or small – and I’ll post it.

22.13: MF -Good evening everyone. I’m just back in from my committee room this evening, and have skipped the traditional post-election pint to bring you the start of the 2012 election results liveblog – which will power right through until there are no more results left to announce (or at least until we fall asleep/you stop reading.

We’ll try to be comprehensive – but we promise we’ll be here for as long as we can.

I’ve got help this evening from a special guest – Laura Wilkes from LGiU (writing in a personal capacity). She’ll be helping us stay updated on the local election results from around the country. All posts from me will be marked “MF” and all posts from Laura will be marked “LW”.

As an appetiser – read Laura’s post on when the key Labour council results will be announced. And get comfy ready for a long set of results.

derek

Thanks Mark!
Brumanuensis

Paul Richards has tweeted that the mayoral vote in Birmingham looks like it’s going to the ‘no’ campaign at the moment. Having voted ‘no’ myself, this is obviously pleasing.

Source: The Guardian live-blog.
Brumanuensis

BBC reporting that results from Basildon are showing a similar swing to Sunderland (large drop in Tory/Lib Dem vote, big increase in ours). Looks like this year the South will be going our way too (fingers crossed).
Brumanuensis

Guardian reporting that Liberals have been wiped out in Salford; Tories suffering heavy losses in Sunderland, with UKIP seemingly doing well at their expense.
Brumanuensis

ITV’s Gerry Foley reporting that Conservatives are -6 (of 8) in Sunderland and the LDs have lost their only seat.
Brumanuensis

I may get in trouble for this, but Labour have sent out a text to Birmingham members inviting us to a ‘victory party’ at 10.15 in Victoria Square. This was sent out at around 11 PM.
Brumanuensis

On a non-Labour note, the (Conservative) leader of Oxfordshire County Council has lost his seat on West Oxfordshire District Council to a Liberal Democrat. A shock according to the BBC.
Brumanuensis

Warsi suggests on BBC One that the decline in BNP candidates is exactly matched by the increase in UKIP candidates. Nick Robinson picks up on this. Potential future political spat?
Brumanuensis

Labour have total control of Knowsley. 63 seats to 0 (Labour + 4, Lib Dem – 4).
Brumanuensis

Labour hold Bolton. BBC report that Labour are confident of winning in Harlow and the overall trend in East Anglia is looking very good.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Nick Robinson reports 10% swing in Southampton, to Labour. Enough to win the council.
Brumanuensis

Betsyn Powys reports Tories fear losing Monmouthshire; Lib Dems in Cardiff ‘depressed’. No real word on Plaid Cymru yet.
Brumanuensis

SNP campaign director sounds downbeat, far from confident in Glasgow. Vague references to ‘progress will be made’. Emphasis on other cities. Hmm, could just be caution.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Labour gain seat from Tories in Portsmouth. Respect reported to gain at least 3 seats in Bradford though.
- derek
  
  Brummy, Doosan may have a factor but the strange thing is? the SNP who have a majority control of the Scottish parliament seem to be lack lustre there, compared too when they led a minority government but as pointed out low turnout in many areas. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Stirling will tell if labour is making a come back in Scotland, things seem to be going well in England though.
Brumanuensis

Labour get 15 seats (+3) in Worcester, Tories 17 (-2), LDs are -1 and Greens +1. Tory to NOC.
Brumanuensis

Nuneaton and Great yarmouth both Labour gains. Excellent.
Brumanuensis

Labour gain Exeter. Conservatives lose Wyre Forest to NOC.
GuyM

If the BBC are correct and Tories only down 3% on last year then I suspect the government will be quietly accepting of that.
- Brumanuensis
  
  The ‘national’ share of the vote is meaningless in local elections. I’ll say that to Labour people if they start trying to use it. It’s too vulnerable to being skewed, depending on what seats are up for election. Labour increased their vote in Bournemouth last year, but didn’t gain any seats. Seats are what matter.
  - GuyM
    
    Seat gain levels two years into the term are largely irrelevant in terms of the next election. Hague won local elections post 1997 and then was stuffed in 2001, it really means very little
    
    These seats were sat in 2008 when Labour polled 24%, all that happens in these elections are heavy swings one way and then the other over the years against the sitting government.
    
    There is not a chance in a million that a Tory government was going to get anywhere near the result similar to 2008.
    
    If The Tories win London, Labour lose Glasgow and the Tory vote is down only 3% to 4% on last year then I reckon they will be accepting of that.
    
    I say that also as I personally won’t care too much. If Boris wins then I’ll be left with everything still Tory:
    
    Tory PM
    Tory Mayor
    Tory MP
    Tory Council
    Tory MEP
    3 Tory Councillors.
    
    I’ll be quite happy with that myself.
    - GuyM
      
      Plus the lowest turn out in more than a decade… I can’t see much of anything of note coming out of tonight, even if London gets Boris and Glasgow goes SNP.
      
      Within a few weeks none of this will be of interest nationally.
      - TomAshe
        
        The abject failure of every Coalition policy to deliver results as promised WILL continue to matter tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.
      - GuyM
        
        Whereas I think it’s delivering on the key issue, not being Labour so not raising taxes, borrowing, interest rates and wasting my money on your useless core vote.
        
        As for a “recession”, who cares if you are in work?
      - TomAshe
        
        I really wish the Tory members of the Coalition were as forthcoming as you are GuyM. In a sense I agree with you, although not with your pervy sadistic streak of course. Like you I am totally convinced that the Tory members of the Coalition really don’t give a toss about the unemployed! If only they had come clean about this lack of concern before the local elections their losses would have been proportionately and phenomenally greater.
        
        Which would have been a good thing.
        
        Thank you for your honesty.
      - GuyM
        
        No I don’t care about the unemployed, because to do so would be to focus on the symptoms rather than the illness.
        
        Until we get back to an economy that is not based upon huge levels of governmental and consumer debt then there is no solution.
        
        All your party wold do is give us more of the same, more borrowing, more debt etc. and delay the inevitable restructuring a few years.
        
        Your party oversaw a huge bubble, it burst and now it’s time to pay for correcting it all.
        
        The problem with politicians is that they are so focused on votes that they won’t tell the truth.
        
        The UK lived and spent beyond its means (government and public) for years and now it’s time for payback.
        
        I didn’t go on a consumer splurge Tom, I took a mortgage at a reasonable size and had no loans, no credit cards and no outstanding debt.
        
        I have zero sympathy for people who for years spent what they did not have. It is not governmets job ot bail out people who put themselves in such a position.
      - TomAshe
        
        I really don’t believe any of this guff you prattle on about, Guy. I don’t know why you write this stuff but I don’t believe a word of it. What human being could be unmoved by the suffering of a child condemned to poverty? Not even you I am sure.
      - GuyM
        
        You mistake sympathy of “suffering” with sympathy with a leftist solution that involves chucking someone elses money ar them.
        
        If we take that to a natural conclusion there is no personal responsibility left.
        
        I go to work for my family (if you take out the mandatory tax for universal services), to pay for them to go on holiday, have dinner out, buy a new tv, go to Wembley etc.
        
        I don’t work to pay for some underclass members to have their kids subsidised to the same or even similar levels.
        
        If you can’t afford to bring up kids you shouldn’t be having them in the first place and Labour are immoral for pretending otherwise, but then they are your core vote aren’t they.
      - TomAshe
        
        As I said I think all this guff is a pose which you strike for some reason known only to yourself. People simply do not spend their days disliking and hating other people unless they’ve got something wrong with them. So I’m sure that your online persona is fake and that in reality you’re really a joker,
        although nobody seems to be laughing.
        You’re annoying but harmless. Like a puppy before it is house trained.
      - GuyM
        
        I dislike the underclass, all the ill educated, tabloid reading, soap watching, classless scum who churn out kids and sit on benefits.
        
        I also have a deep hatred of socialism and those who support it. They are nothing more than common theives.
        
        I’m also happy to say I take that discrimination over into my professional life. Hire middle class candidates is my general policy.
      - GuyM
        
        I dislike the underclass, all the ill educated, tabloid reading, soap watching, classless scum who churn out kids and sit on benefits.
        
        I also have a deep hatred of socialism and those who support it. They are nothing more than common theives.
        
        I’m also happy to say I take that discrimination over into my professional life. Hire middle class candidates is my general policy.
      - TomAshe
        
        As I said I think all this guff is a pose which you strike for some reason known only to yourself. People simply do not spend their days disliking and hating other people unless they’ve got something wrong with them. So I’m sure that your online persona is fake and that in reality you’re really a joker,
        although nobody seems to be laughing.
        You’re annoying but harmless. Like a puppy before it is house trained.
      - James
        
        If none of this matters why remain awake in the wee small hours, at the keyboard or your computer, making posts on LabourList?
      - GuyM
        
        Because I’ve always loved election night coverage, but the whole thing seemed to be rather low key.
        
        No one of the parties was making a big song and dance of it, including all the Labour spokepeople.
        
        Even the BBC where having trouble making anything significant out of it.
        
        So I went to bed.
      - treborc1
        
        Ah yes when in the mire, try to get out by saying it’s a low turn out, yes it’s a low turnout of your parties voters, it also shows that the people who vote for parties by swinging have turned away from Cameron and Clegg so own up it’s a bad night, take it on the chin and state the Tories have to do more to see how they can help the people, not the rich
      - GuyM
        
        Help people?
        
        That’s a laugh, given the fact Labour never helped anyone in my neck of the woods in 13 years.
        
        I don’t want “help” treborc”, I want to be largely left alone and government out of the way to allow business to flourish.
        
        So no taxation for redistribution and no red tape. Poor people are not my concern so long as there is a basic safety net, they will be helped by private sector growth, not big state, big tax crap.
      - James
        
        You sound psychopathic, Guy.
        
        Your posts indicate that you think that the pain and misery of other men, women, and children can be completely discounted as long as you and yours are safe and warm. Worse than that you seem positively desperate to persuade visitors to this blog (and probably yourself) that this absence of emotion and empathy is equable with some weird mixture of muscular, libertarian virtues you have concocted. You really do seem to have convinced yourself that your personal shortcomings, e.g., aloofness, coldness, selfishness, egoism, and obliviousness to torment and distress in others, are actually virile, admirable qualities much to be desired.
        
        You are wrong of course. Very few people outside the walls of secure hospitals, designed to incarcerate members of the incurably criminally insane, would agree with the views you have, for God only knows what reason, chosen to air repeatedly on this site.
        
        Give it a rest, eh?
        
        It really isn’t funny or amusing any more.
      - GuyM
        
        Whereas you sound mentally deluded and in need of a spell in a secure institution.
        
        Your ideology means nothing to me, I don’t see it as the states responsibility to even up outcomes beyond providing the usual universal services and some degree of safety net (but at minimal levels).
        
        The best way to do that is have a simple for strong regulatory framework and let private business thrive. Keep taxes low and the state at reasonable size.
        
        You’d have us believe that families earnings are fair game for your redistributional crap to fund the shirkers in your core vote. That’s why you are mentally deluded.
        
        If some underclass family wants to have a load of kids on benefits, then I don’t see it as my responsibility to give my families earnings to fund their irresponsibility.
        
        You are simply pushing for a bit of theft from non socialists to fund the work shy scroungers in the lower classes that are your core vote.
        
        You are need of a psychologist, as are all socialists.
      - AlanGiles
        
        “You are need of a psychologist, as are all socialists.”
        
        And you are in need of a psychiatrist who could provide medication to steady yopur condition. Your obsessive thoughts and rantings can onlybe explained by some sort of obsessive and attention seekig illness, or possibly alcholism, since you get more and more beligerant, and seemingly unaware you are making a total ass of yourself.
      - GuyM
        
        You’re a socialist Alan, a retired one at that, and from both counts not at all relevant to 2012.
        
        Your party has a strong Blairite wing, a majority of members and PLP voting for the Blairite leadership candidate 18 month ago.
        
        There will be no return to socialism and you can sit on LL bleating about redistribution all you like, but I can’t see any chance of your party going for it in an election.
        
        You are yesterday’s man in so many ways… best drift off into the sunset of your life quietly old man.
      - Ben_Lodge
        
        What a funny little person.
      - AlanGiles
        
        ”
        You are yesterday’s man in so many ways… best drift off into the sunset of your life quietly old man.”
        
        Yes you halfwit.
        
        You said that yesterday – and the day before – and the day before.
        
        Take your medication
      - GuyM
        
        I have to keep saying it, as at your age you probably can’t remember what you were doing yesterday.
      - James
        
        Reciting this catechism over and over seems to be all that’s left to you. While I feel sorry for you I have no more time to waste on you or any similarly disturbed Jihadists.
      - GuyM
        
        Jihadists?
        
        Back on Ken’s friends and Labour’s core vote again I see.
      - GuyM
        
        Jihadists?
        
        Back on Ken’s friends and Labour’s core vote again I see.
    - derek
      
      As far as Glasgow goes at best the SNP will have gained to make a NOC.There’s been a big issue and questions over the wind farm policy of the SNP, ranging from the public saying there ugly, noisy and ain’t delivering the jobs the SNP said they would in 2011.There is a sense that if the SNP doesn’t make significant progress from 2011 results then they’ve hit the brick wall and could slide down drastically.
    - TomAshe
      
      Enjoy it while you can, Guy.
      - GuyM
        
        As a number of those won’t ever change (it is Surrey after all) and none of the others for at least 3 years… I’ll be fine for some time yet thanks
Brumanuensis

Sir Albert Bore says Labour will win council; says ‘No’ vote has won mayoral referendum.
Brumanuensis

Gary Streeter, Con MP for Devon South West, says Labour have won control of Plymouth and have gained 5-6 seats. Says voters have told him last two months crucial to outcome and has been told that ‘incompetence’ has turned voters away from Tories.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Says UKIP has done well. Says this poses risk to Tories and warns of threat of leadership not being seen as conservative enough.
Brumanuensis

Labour gain 3 seats from Tories on West Oxfordshire district council.
derek

lib/dem candidate gets all leeds united and throws one! LoL! Clegg will duck the rest?
Brumanuensis

Tories hold Tamworth, not far from my patch. Labour up 4, Tories down 4. Slightly more affluent, so a stretch. Current tally L – 11, C – 18. UKIP have councillor on NE Lincolnshire.
Brumanuensis

Labour gain Carlisle from NOC.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Labour gain Thurrock. Lib Dems hold Portsmouth. Con holds rather clustered in the Home Counties at the moment.
Brumanuensis

Reports that Nottingham has voted ‘no’ in its mayoral referendum.
derek

Where will the bad news come from?
@MartynNewell

LLabour doing well so far in Basingstoke. Hopefully this will be a turning point for our town.
Brumanuensis

Birmingham has gone Red. Labour wins a seat in Sutton Coldfield (!) LDs being mauled in Brum; Labou set to gain 13 seats according to analysts on BBC. Paul Tydsley gets snippy with Jack Dromey. Cheltenham looks set to stay LD.
- Brumanuensis
  
  *Labour
Brumanuensis

LD leader of Derby council says Labour has gained Derby.
Brumanuensis

BBC reporting Labour have gained Southampton and have +11 councillors.
Brumanuensis

BBC reporting Labour have ‘exceeded expectations’ in Derby. Notingham has voted ‘no’ to mayors by 57 – 43%.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Mentions infamous ‘BNP – EDL’ leaflet. Chuka Umuna says he ‘would not have put out that leaflet’.
Brumanuensis

Labour +5 on Hastings; Lib Dems lose last seat to Labour; Conservatives down 4, all to Labour.
- Brumanuensis
  
  I’ll sign off now. Looking good overall. Rhodri Morgan not sure if Labour have gained Cardiff.
  - derek
    
    Thanks Brumanuensis! excellent updates!!!!!!!
derek

Hartlepool, wasn’t that once the seat of the dark one?
http://profile.yahoo.com/GP7MYWGCRPOPB6SRFXT2K6YMVA colin

Great Yarmouth won from the tories breaks a long reign, their leaders scalp was the cherry on the cake. Ukip vote strongly aided us in 3 seats, and they were within 25 of winning a safe tory ward. God awful ‘shared services’ merger with Breckland and South Holland now dead in the water. What a night!
derek

Seems like the BBC are saying Boris will hold on? nice if we could have an update on those doughnut wards, labour seem to be picking up council seats in all areas even when the cons hold on and maybe that could be a reflection on just how close the london mayor vote might be?
derek

Sadiq Khan predicting a Boris win?
- AlanGiles
  
  Given the amount of anti-Livingstone propaganda, not least – in fact, most – coming from members of his own party, this wouldn’t be a surprise, but I suspect the vote will be quite close and hardly a runaway victory for Johnson, despite the massive resources of the Evening Standard and Labour Uncut swinging behind the bumbling Johnson.
  
  At least those right-wing “Labour” supporters who had hoped to kill two birds with one stone, by bringing Ed Miliband down in the wake of a KL defeat have been thwarted thanks to the good results elsewhere in the country.
  
  Apart from Liverpool, which had the decision foisted on them, it seems the areas which had the chance of a Mayor have turned the idea down. Bore, the leader of Birmingham Council told BBC1 about 4 a.m. that he believes there will be a “No” vote there, so it seems Liam Byrne will have to content himself with vying with Ivan Lewis to be bottom of the LL monthly poll. Good news for Birmingham, distressing news for the sick and disabled who will have to endure more of his gung-ho rhetoric about welfare.
  
  As for the LIbDems, how long before Nick Clegg will be forced to resign?
  - derek
    
    We know Sadiq ran an article in support of Ken, so was he pointing to an underlying situation with the London labour elite. Tom Watson was part of the BBC news team reporting on the elections and raised the issue of london mayor and Dan Hodges, saying Dan wrote? for the labour party and was labour party member but was voting for Boris. So far the conDems have taking a right doing from the electorate, so what went wrong in the london mayoral race? exactly what you describe above @Alan. I think the Blairite mob must go and surely Byrne can’t continue on the front bench, in fact I’d expel him and still go for that by-election.
  - TomAshe
    
    At their current rate of decline the LibDems will cease to exist as a political force some time around 2020. I think Nick Clegg’s place in history is assured.
    - AlanGiles
      
      I think their only hope would be to dump Clegg and get Menzies Campbell back as a caretaker leader till they can find an anti-coalition anti-Clegg candidate.
      
      I think Charles Kennedy, even with any personal problems he has, would be better for them. Clegg is doing to the LibDems what salmonella did for eggs.
      - Mike Murray
        
        I think that the only hope for the Lib Dem Stooges is for them to cross the floor and join us in opposition. But can anyone really see that happening?
      - http://www.facebook.com/elliot.bidgood Elliot Bidgood
        
        I don’t think they’ll boot him, at least not yet, but my money’s on Tim Farron for their next leader. He’s more on the “Beveridge Group” side of the Lib Dems, in my rough estimation, and probably reflects their grassroots a bit better than the leadership do. He’s already been elected president over the more establishment pick, Susan Kramer, an Orange Book contributor who probably would have been a minister had she not been defeated in 2010. He’s defended coalition on pragmatism grounds and he’s no fan of Labour, but he also reportedly annoyed the leadership by calling for an end to coalition with the Tories in 2015, whereas Clegg would like to able to keep his options open. He’s also alright as a speaker, appears quite affable, I think.
        
        He might earn the Lib Dems back some of their disgruntled anti-Tory voters, since I suspect many of them are far from locked for us at the moment. However, his problem would be that it would seem like the Lib Dems were running away from their record in government by switching leaders. The “it’s the realities of coalition, we’re doing the best we can” defense doesn’t seem to resonate beyond their core 10% at all, despite having a logical basis to it, and is unlikely to look much better by 2015. That’s also what Labour will have to stress when running against him or any other Lib Dem in 2015. I heard a joke told about us in 2010- “I feel sorry for Gordon Brown and Labour. They’ve got all these great new plans and ideas for their next term, but all anyone seems to want to judge them on is their last 13 years in government!” Harsh, but the reality if you’re the incumbent.
  - Daniel Speight
    
    If Johnson does win in London it gives Labour’s enemies two successes and lessons for the future.
    
    For the Tories it will be that bringing in the Australian negative campaigning guru works and best have him for the next general election too.
    
    For the Blairites they will think what they did to Livingstone they can do to Ed Miliband too. It will be Hodges explaining in the Telegraph why he will vote for Cameron rather the younger Miliband.
    - Brumanuensis
      
      Nah, even Hodges wouldn’t do that. He voted Labour in the GLA election after all. I still think his decision to actively vote for a Tory is disgraceful – as opposed to abstention – but he wouldn’t vote Conservative, if only because he’d no longer be of use to the Telegraph as the token Labour writer who hates Ed Miliband.
      - http://www.facebook.com/elliot.bidgood Elliot Bidgood
        
        I don’t agree with alot of what Hodges writes and I certainly don’t condone his decision to back Boris, but he’s smart, otherwise loyal and I’d warn against caricaturing him. He gives Ed credit when it is actually due. He also defended Ed against the charge that a Ken loss reflects badly on him last night; I know that’s close to being common sense to most Labourites, given that Ed was only elected at the same time Ken was selected, but it nevertheless goes against the “the Blairites will engineeer a Ken loss to bring Ed down” conspiracy theory. He instead suggested that the party as a whole needed to look at itself over the Ken selection if/when Ken loses, again true, given that it was in fact the London party membership’s decision.
    - AlanGiles
      
      Nothing would surprise me where Hodges is concerned, but if I was Ed I’d take my revenge next week with a reshuffle, which would see Byrne given Shadow Sport brief, and downgrades for other Blairite ministers, especially as Blair is seeking to re-establish himself in this country again. Ed is like one of the snooker players, three frames down. It is not fatal yet, but you can’t afford to give any opportunities to your opponent, and attack is the best means of defence, because I don’t think anyone should be in any doubt that Blair, if he returns, will want to be a king-maker and therefore an opponent of the current leadership. Add to the mix Mandelson is going to start getting active again, I would leave nothing to chance.
      
      With these excellent results, Ed Miliband now has a really good opportunity – perhaps his only one – to establish his authority and have his own people in place, rather than try to mollify disgruntled Blairites. Appeasement hasn’t and won’t work
      - GuyM
        
        I hope he does do that to the Blairites, that would show clearly he wants an internal civil war, great fun to watch.
      - AlanGiles
        
        Just the sort of fun to entertain somebody like you, no doubt, but the fact remains, Blair is no longer in a position of power, who would be an electoral liability to Labour, and who in any case would not get enough money out of it, which is all that matters to him.
        
        Ed Miliband must make it abundantly clear, both to Blair and his remaining fans, that the party is under new management, there will be no return to 15 years ago, and the NL excesses, and those shadow ministers who are not happy with that will be expected to return to the back benches. Any interference from Blair and Mandelson, overt or covert should be stamped on quickly and spurned.
        
        Liam Byrne was so committed to the shadow cabinet he was going to resign if he stood a chance of becoming a Mayor, as that is not to be, I would offer him the choice of demotion or a return to the back benches.
      - GuyM
        
        Whether the party returns to Blairism is up to the party, not the leader.
        
        Remember, but for your union chums, Ed wouldn’t be leader. Your membership and parliamentary party voted for the Blairite candidate a year and a half ago.
        
        If you really think that level of support indicates the Blairite wing of Labour is cowed then you are very foolish.
        
        In fact I suggest that the Blairite membership and PLP regard Dave as the legitimate leader and not one shooed in by the Unions.
        
        If Ed goes on an internal witch hunt, which you seem to be suggesting, then it really will be fun.
        
        I’d just draw your attention to the large number of Labour figures who were happy to dump on Ken Livingstone during the London campaign. I doubt very much that they see Blairism dead.
    - http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
      
      “It will be Hodges explaining in the Telegraph why he will vote for Cameron rather the younger Miliband.”
      
      This is what we have to be wary of – Blairite insiders coming out of the woodwork in the run-up to the next general election declaring how their ‘consciences’ won’t allow them to vote for Ed.
      
      If they can’t rule the Labour Party they’ll want to ruin it.
derek

When you look at these results the picture is clear, the lib/dems have been toast for a long time and the only thing that’s keeping the Tories weighted is labour Blairites.Shocking!!!!!!!!
- treborc1
  
  You would not say so listening to Danny Alexander this morning, it’s due to the mess left by labour, I do not like a few labour New Labour MP’s but this bloke gets right up my nose, I do not know what the hell Cameron have offered this little creep but it must be worth a lot
  - Jim
    
    Alexander is a truly dreadful, smirking little non-entity. He is smugness personified.
    - aracataca
      
      Hang on a second -worse than Clegg?
      - Jim
        
        No one expects the Spanish Inquisition and NO ONE is worse than Clegg!
      - treborc1
        
        Clegg, Cable, and Alexander, boy what ever they have been promised by the Tories, must be a very very good deal for them
      - James
        
        Faust sold his soul to the Devil for less.
Brumanuensis

I’m back chaps. A few hours rest, but the official results haven’t updated much. Pleased that Coventry has said no to mayors.

Just announced on 5Live that Labour have won a comfortable majority
on Cardiff council.
- Brumanuensis
  
  On the Bradford front – other than the council results – the mayoral referendum has resulted in a 53% ‘No’ vote, according to the BBC. A blow to Gorgeous George, who was a vocal supporter of the idea.
Brumanuensis

Labour reportedly has 35 seats on Cardiff City Council now, including 3 out of 4 on LD leader’s Plasnewydd ward. Recount due at 1 PM according to BBC.
TomAshe

Birmingham have voted AGAINST having an elected Mayor. This is DEVASTATING news since Liam Byrne, having nowhere else to go, will remain an MP and member of the shadow cabinet until Miliband gets the stones to sack him. This is VERY bad news for the Labour Party. Much, much worse than Boris Johnson winning the Mayoral race in London.
- treborc1
  
  But you have to say it’s better to have him in government then locally god knows what he would have done for Birmingham, Blair would have had a statue and pictures in his office.
- James
  
  True but elected Mayors were a key policy as far as Cameron’s ideas about “localism” and the “Big Society” went. The fact that the people rejected this policy is yet another slap in the face of our marvellously incompetent Prime Minister. His ruddy complexion will no doubt be purpler this morning than usual.
  - GuyM
    
    You mean like Prescott got smacked in the face over regional government?
    - James
      
      Prescott wasn’t Prime Minister.
      - GuyM
        
        and?
        
        I honestly can’t remember CAmeron spending much time talking up mayors, many other things but not that. In fact thinking about it I can’t think of a single speech I’ve heard him make on the subject.
        
        Some places dont want a mayor… that’s up to them, I can’t see it as a win for the Tories if a twon says yes, nor a win for Labour if it says no….. to imply otherwise is retarded tribalism, something perhaps you are good at?
      - TomAshe
        
        Nor did that idiot Cameron draw any lessons from Prescott’s blatant failure.
Brumanuensis

Labour are literally partying like it’s 1999 in Birmingham, where we’ve won 77 seats, equalling our total from that year. More gains from Cons than LDs (11 vs 9). Sir Albert won’t be happy about likely mayoral vote, but 2o seat gain is above expectations and will mollify him somewhat.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Actually +22, as the two Respect councillors have gone down.
  - aracataca
    
    This sounds significant B. 2 respect councillors lost -right?
- Dave Postles
  
  Excellent.
Brumanuensis

Cardiff result confirmed as Labour gain. Leanne Wood appears to have done naff all for Plaid’s prospects.
Brumanuensis

Interesting that Gerald Howarth has identified gay-bashing and blocking House of Lords reform as the paths to Tory recovery. Sure. Go on. Give it a go Tories, the electorate will flock back to you for certain.
- Dave Postles
  
  I hope that you’ve had some sleep and rest.
  - Brumanuensis
    
    Thank you Dave. Had to be up early this morning for work, but have a break at the moment.
Anniewmckenzie

glad labour won all these seats as since tories deserve all they got for what the government has done since they went in as helped the rich and left a lot off people strugling to make ends meet since they have taken a lot off money from the people who need help anne
- treborc1
  
  I was offered a box of food this week, they said my name was on a register as needing help, I’m still trying to find where the register is, and who put my name on it.
  
  hell of a thing when we have to have food parcels.
AlanGiles

In case we forget to say it later, a big thank you to
Laura Wilkes and Mark for their work all night. I was awake for most of it, and I think we should present them both with the Dimbleby Award for stamina.
- Dave Postles
  
  I’ll second that.
  - Peter Barnard
    
    Indeed, AG and DP – monumental effort by Laura and Mark.
    - http://twitter.com/robertsjonathan Jonathan Roberts
      
      Agreed. Great work and thanks to both of you. I hit the sack at 4 and now sat at my desk with a pint of coffee, how you two must be feeling I don’t know! Keep up the good work.
James

If the Sun says it, it must be true…

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4259067/Poll-Lib-Dem-big-guns-face-boot-as-MPs-in-meltdown-at-election.html
AlanGiles

According to todays Independent, if Johnson remains Mayor, it will be a part-time job for him after 2015:-

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-to-seek-return-to-commons-in-2015-7712387.html
- Dave Postles
  
  The absurdity here, Alan, is that it is proposed (apparently by Tory sources) that he conduct both jobs – mayor and MP – for a year. Ridiculous.
  - Hugh
    
    Yes, outrageous – and for a whole year! But, wait, what’s this:
    
    Ken Livingstone: elected London Mayor 4 May 2000
    Ken Livingstone: Member of Parliament for Brent East: 11 June 1987 – 7 June 2001
    - Dave Postles
      
      So what? He was wrong to do it and Johnson will be wrong to do it.
    - AlanGiles
      
      However, Johnson doesn;t see himself just as an MP – he thinks he can be Prime Minister – read the story Hugh before you get het-up.
      
      The fact that Johnson shambles round London, like a walking slum, bumbling away, and he gets away with it, because he is “just old Boris”, does not mean he could be seriously considered Prime Ministerial material.
      
      Perhaps the “affable buffoon” is an act, but by now he is typecast in that role.
      
      Mind you, if he and his sycophants think they should go for it – please do. It would mean there wouldn’t be a Conservative gov ernment for years.
      - GuyM
        
        Crime down, taxes reduced, boris bikes, anti-EU etc. etc.
        
        He’s also one of the cleaverest people in politics.
        
        Far more PM material than a nose challenged badger with a brother problem.
Mike Murray

A disastrous night for the Lib Dem Stooges and the Tory Posh boys. I heard a psephologist say this morning that Labour haven’t done as well as the Tories did before the general election of 2010, and as well as Labour did before the 1997 general election. We can expect a lot of this. The important thing to remember is that the Tories only started winning in these sort of numbers after thirteen years of a Labour government and similarly we only started winning swathes of councils after 16 years of a Tory government. The Tories and their stooges have been in power at Westminster for just two years and we are already making major huge local government gains on top of the significant gains we made last year.
- GuyM
  
  Silly analysis, did you really not expect widespread gains when seats you last fought with 24% of the vote came up?
  
  Plus it’s at just the right time given the bad budget reaction, 2 months earlier and you’d likely have had a lead of only a couple of points, although that again wold be meaningless.
  
  But I do realise you need to talk it up Mike
  
  Personally with such a horribly low turnout, I reckon the story is like me, most in the country are hating all politicians ever more.
  
  A turnout below 30% with no party getting over 40% of that…. hell of a mandate. Labour will get a little over 10% backing from the electorate on those figures.
  
  Every party should be looking at things and asking why the population of the UK so obviously hates all things politician.
  
  Normally you’d think this helps on the ground, but all parties have so few “activists” now that again the effect is slight.
  - Brumanuensis
    
    Whereas the Conservatives winning 36% on a 65% turnout is a mandate? I presume you’ll say the same if Boris Johnson wins on a 40% turnout.
    
    Also, what did I tell you about using national figures Guy?
    - GuyM
      
      Nope not much of a mandate either, but a litle bit better than under 40% of under 30%.
      
      The only figure I can see as relevant is that the vast majority of the English electorate decided no one was worth voting for.
      
      I suspect that if you offered the country the option of no politicians at all and things staying as they are (with some way of having an improving economy) you’d get a majority of any vote going for it.
      
      Politicians are rightly disliked intensely and as I’ve made clear my over the years on LL, my only requirement of politicians is to keep out of my life and keep my taxes low and I suspect there are a lot of population with similar view.
      
      All the “fluff” outside of that is nothing more than the usual meddling as politicians need to show they are doing something, even when most of the population would like them to do very little at all.
  - Mike Murray
    
    “Silly analysis, did you really not expect widespread gains when seats you last fought with 24% of the vote came up?”Silly analysis? Not at all. If the Coalition of the Clueless had been delivering what the public needed we would not have done so well. The coalition of the clueless isn’t delivering what the public need but we are offering what the public need and so we are doing well. Just two years after our defeat at a general election. Which of those statements do you not understand?
    - GuyM
      
      Nationally 7% up at a time of double dip recession in a mid term?
      
      You wouldn’t expect that?
      
      Tribalism from you as usual
Brumanuensis

Labour gain Burnley from the Lib Dems. Last year they made great play of how it had ‘bucked the trend’ in the North. Not anymore.

Also, bizarrely, the Labour leader of Rhondda-Cynon-Taf has lost his seat.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Only BNP councillor in Burnley loses her seat. Excellent.
Brumanuensis

Denbighshire, by no means a traditional Labour heartland, sees its count of Labour councillors go up from 6 to 13.

Gwynedd looks set to be regained by Plaid Cymru.
- Brumanuensis
  
  BBC now saying Plaid Cymru have failed to regain Gwynedd.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Labour have gained 12 on Denbighshire and are now the largest Party, with 18 out of 47 seats. Tories on 9 (-9); Others on 12 (-3); Plaid Cymru on 7 (-1); Lib Dems on 1 (+1). A rare bright spot for the Lib Dems in Wales.
Brumanuensis

I notice that the figures for Barnet and Camden are rather fascinating. Andrew Dismore’s lead over Brian Coleman (as of 12.15) is almost identical to Boris Johnson’s over Ken. A sign of the ‘Labour for Boris’ phenomenon in action probably.
- Bill Lockhart
  
  More likely a sign of the personal unpopularity of Coleman and the effect of his charmlessness upon non-aligned voters. Fingers crossed for Andrew Dismore- whatever the motivations of people voting for him!
Brumanuensis

I expect Ken to lose. However I attach this comment from a Labour poster on UKPollingReport (from 11.18 AM), who makes this observation:

“From the early results in the london Mayor election, it looks like it could be very very tight. Here’s what I’ve done.I’ve taken the proportion of votes counted so far for each region and calculated what the results so far would look like if they precisely mirrored the 2008 election. So far, the results have Boris in the lead on 47% of votes counted, with Ken on 37%. But if this were the 2008 election we would be expecting to see Boris on 50.4% and Ken on 29.7%.Some of Ken’s increase clearly comes from Ld to Lib switchers (Paddick is only on 4% first prefs compared to 9.8% last time), but this does look very much like a 3-3.5% swing in first pref votes from Boris to Ken.And the swing needed for Ken to win is in the region of 3.2%It could be an exciting afternoon”.

Like I said, I expect Ken to lose, but if this is accurate (emphasis on ‘if’), then it might be closer than the polls indicate.
Brumanuensis

From the BBC:

“In one Edinburgh ward a Lib Dem candidate has failed to pick up more first preference votes than Professor Pongoo, an independent candidate who dresses in a six-foot penguin costume. And with nine of 58 seats declared in the city, it is clear the Lib Dem vote is down overall”.

SNP make gain from LDs in West Edinburgh. Labour gain two from SNP in Fife. SNP gain one from independent in Glasgow.
Brumanuensis

Labour gains 7 seats on Milton Keynes council. Lib Dems down 2.

Bristol has reportedly voted ‘yes’ in its mayoral referendum.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Confirmation from the BBC that Bristol has voted ‘yes’.
  - Brumanuensis
    
    Margin was 53 – 47, on a 23% turnout.
    - GuyM
      
      23%, oh dear.
      
      There really ought to be a “quorom” type limit on these things.
      
      The result doesn’t really matter, 23% shows no one cares.
      - Brumanuensis
        
        Funnily enough, Bradford has the prize for best turnout at the moment, with 35% voting.
      - GuyM
        
        Probably shame on a few people’s parts for electing Galloway.
GuyM

On a far more relevant note to any of this, the Galaxy S III looks fantastic, I shall get one on the day it comes out.

So much for recession and the problems of capitalism that a lot of you lefties keep bleating on about, that new phone shows capitalism is just fine as is global business
- Brumanuensis
  
  Is it 4G capable? Will it enable us to follow election result updates easily?
  - GuyM
    
    Yep 4g running the ice cream sandwich os.
    
    Voice and face recognition, 8 meg camera, huge screen with better specs than the lastest iphone screen.
    
    plus loads of other clever stuff…. making me quite happy the thought of getting one soon (I’ve been waiting for 4 months plus).
    - Brumanuensis
      
      My phone’s touch screen is a bit dodgy these days. I would turn it in for something nicer, but I’m afraid once I brought it home I’d find myself incapable of using it.
      
      I’m not so much a Luddite, as just plain incompetent.
      - GuyM
        
        I think the Galaxy S III is fairly intuitive to use, far more of it is going to be voice operated, plus the OS front screen is clean and simple.
        
        My wife has a Galaxy S II and it is very easy to learn how to navigate through.
        
        I need a new smartphone, tablet and desktop pc, so getting the S III out asap really helps as it seems a clear winner. The desktop is another Dell, but the tablet is going to be a problem.
        
        Given the S III is running Android, I’m tempted to go for a tablet running the same, but I’m not convinced about some of their specs.
        
        Still, it’s fun to play with them all and make a decision.
        
        I do suggest you look at the Galaxy S III though, the S II was very user friendly and the new one seems more so. I suspect you’d be very happy inside a few hours of playing about with it.
      - Brumanuensis
        
        I’ll have a look on my next outing. Thanks for the tip Guy.
      - GuyM
        
        No problem, just wait a few weeks for it to appear in phone shops, don’t be fooled into getting the S II in the meantime (usual clearing old stock out of inventories).
        
        The S III is planned to be their “London Olympics” phone, hence a big launch in London from Samsung is coming up shortly.
    - PaulHalsall
      
      When they get us talking about “Ice Cream Sandwich” we have been had. It’s getting like UNIX, where, I think I recall, one command was the name of someone’s dog.
      - GuyM
        
        Have to agree there, though a bit more catchy than the software name with version and point release.
        
        Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich…..I’d probably prefer the Android 4.0 version
      - Dave Postles
        
        ‘ It’s getting like UNIX,’ – it’s a second cousin of Unix. Android is basically Linux derived from Unix by Linus Torvald’s rewriting the kernel. The CLI is pretty much the same.
      - http://twitter.com/sprogglie Sprogglechops
        
        Absolutely right … the command was (its hardly ever used now) called “biff” … story here:
        
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biff
      - Dave Postles
        
        I use bash every day (as you will know, Bourne Again Shell) as I prefer that shell and do a lot of my stuff from the CLI – so much more flexible than the limitations of GUIs.
- PaulHalsall
  
  I recently got a Galaxy S2! (Which I only got because I was becoming unable to understand all the cultural references mobile phones have inspired).
  
  It is a very wonderful piece of equipment. South Korea though, hardly counts as a bastion of free enterprise, with its large cartels), and the technology is mostly dependent on research funded by governments (in university physics departments), and on hardware funded by the US military.
  
  So, yes, there is a capitalist aspect to it, but it is all built on publically funded infrastructure and research.
  - GuyM
    
    The Galaxy S II is a lovely bit of kit, but believe me the S III looks like it will knock its socks off.
    
    I’d agree over South Korea, but that’s a fairly standard factor of Asian business, something I’ve seen with the Japanese as well in terms of corporate dealings.
    
    The military component isn’t that surprising though is it? They are still de facto at war with the north and get shelled and missiles fired over them from time to time.
    
    But nice to see you like your S II, you’d be surprised to know I’m always happy when people get a nice bit of technology, it being my one real indulgence in life.
    - PaulHalsall
      
      I like tech, but I tend only to buy once something has reach a “plateau” level (as toasters and microwaves did sometime ago). I always made an exception for computers, which I have been buying since in 1987 I spent $1100 for one which ran at 8Mhz and had a 20Meg harddrive. (Still PCs seem to have become like toasters now: I really can’t see any major leap over the past 5 years. Specs get better of course, but it’s all very gradual now.)
      
      I am not sure if mobile phones have plateaued yet.
      
      The military aspect I referred to was the GPS aspect of the phones, which enables many of the apps – that was bought and paid for by the US military.
      - GuyM
        
        Moore’s Law is still holding reasonably true though.
        
        I have my last 4 PCs dotted about the house and the increases are quite noticeable. I expect the next one I get (in the next few months) will show significant increases processing power, graphics and sound.
        
        My mistake on your military point, but I’d still agree with you, but then I suspect quite a lot ot tech comes from that area at least in concept anyway.
  - Dave Postles
    
    A Linux-derivative, of course. Oracle is litigating against Google about the Java component, so there is likely to be a licensing cost at some stage in the future, but not much.
  - Dave Postles
    
    ’but it is all built on publically funded infrastructure and research.’ Linux kernel (basis of Android) is built by the Linux community with assistance from some corporates (IBM, RedHat principally).
Brumanuensis

For those that care about vote shares – I don’t – Labour are up 7 points on 2007 in Scotland; SNP up 5 points. All other parties down (I think).

Looks like Emperor Salmond and Empress Sturgeon might not make as much of a splash as they hoped.
- derek
  
  Yep, as a minority party the SNP always laid the blame elsewhere but as a majority party things have a different perspective, employment, education, nhs, renewables and the flag ship Independence policy are all coming under a brighter spot light nowadays.
  - Brumanuensis
    
    It couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people.
Brumanuensis

For those confused by the Rugby result, where everyone seems to have lost seats, that’s because the boundaries have been redrawn and the total number of councillors reduced from 48 to 42. For some reason, the BBC are showing it as electing 48 councillors. This is incorrect.

The figures are Tories – 25 (-3); Labour – 10 (-1); Lib Dem – 6 (-2) and Others – 1 (0).
Brumanuensis

Some results from Scotland:

Western Isles: IND Hold; Lab + 1, SNP + 3

East Renfrewshire: LAB Gain; Lab + 3, SNP – 2

Inverclyde: NOC Hold; Lab + 2, SNP +1

Perth and Kinross: NOC Hold; Lab + 1, SNP + 0

Dundee: SNP Gain from NOC; Lab +2, SNP +2 - NB that Labour increased their number of seats, even as the SNP gained the council.

Angus: SNP Gain from NOC; Lab – 1, SNP + 3

Aberdeenshire: NOC Hold; Lab + 2 (previously no councillors); SNP + 7

East Lothian: NOC Hold; Lab + 3; SNP + 0 – Labour overtake SNP as largest Party on council.

East Ayrshire: NOC Hold; Lab – 1, SNP + 1

South Ayrshire: NOC Hold; Lab + 3, SNP – 1

Stirling: NOC Hold; Lab + 0, SNP + 2 – SNP overtakes Labour to become largest Party on council.

Clackmannshire: NOC Hold; Lab + 1, SNP + 0 - Labour draws level with SNP on 8 seats each.
- Brumanuensis
  
  So far SNP + 19, Labour + 16 (as of 2.20 PM).
Brumanuensis

Labour doubles its number of councillors in Camarthenshire, going from 11 to 22. Most gains off Independents, but 1 off Lib Dems (who lose their last councillor) and 2 off Plaid Cymru.
Hugh

Labour currently up 666 seats.

They’ll probably want to win at least one more for PR purposes, I’d guess.
- GuyM
  
  lmfao
  - Laurence
    
    Why’s that? Because 666 is YOUR number, Guy?
    - GuyM
      
      I think there’s a special place in the dark that socialists inhabit…
    - GuyM
      
      I think there’s a special place in the dark that socialists inhabit…
      - treborc1
        
        from today most council offices,
      - GuyM
        
        given my view of local government and the people who work there then you seem to understand me very well
- Brumanuensis
  
  BBC now say +674. So we’re safe from accusations of a Faustian pact.
  - http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
    
    Thank heavens we’ve avoided that – the Blairites would’ve had a field-day.
    - http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
      
      And by the way, Brum, thanks for all your work on here – much appreciated!
      - AlanGiles
        
        Yes – a fantastic job he has done last night and all day today
Brumanuensis

Doncaster votes 62 – 38% to keep its directly elected mayor.
- PaulHalsall
  
  Damn!¬
Marjorie Ross

My daughter sitting in Brussels park -she’s been looking for a job-wants to know how did Bedminster Bristol fare? this seems the only site that seems to realise other places excists other than London
- Brumanuensis
  
  It’s in Zone 1 of the Bristol area, acording to First’s website. Is she a student?
  - Brumanuensis
    
    Apologies, did you mean bus fares or the council results? I think I may have misread your question.
    - Brumanuensis
      
      If the latter, then Bristol hasn’t declared yet. It’ll be Southville or Bedminster ward, for that area.
Brumanuensis

Labour -2 on Midlothian; SNP +2; LD – 2: Green + 1; Others + 1
Brumanuensis

Wakefield votes ‘no’ in its mayoral referendum, by a margin of 62 – 38%.

Tories hold Merton and Wandsworth Assembly seat. 4.5% swing to Labour.
Brumanuensis

As of 15.00, the tallies in Scotland are SNP + 25, Labour + 24.

East Dunbartonshire: NOC Hold: Labour + 2, SNP + 0 – Both Labour gains made from Tories. Labour now level with SNP, with both having 8 councillors.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Falkirk NOC Hold: No changes in seat totals. Labour remain largest Party on 14, SNP have 13.
  - derek
    
    Looks like Chris Cook called it right well over 2 years ago when he said the the SNP and labour would have to work together in many wards.
Brumanuensis

Scottish tally is SNP + 25; Labour + 25

Moray, NOC Hold: SNP + 0 (10), Others – 2 (10), Labour + 1 (3), Tories + 1 (3)

Aberdeen, NOC Hold: Labour + 9 (17), SNP + 0 (15), Lib Dems – 6 (5), Tories 3 (+1), Others 3 (- 4)
Brumanuensis

It gets better.

Scottish tally now Labour + 31, SNP + 27 (15.15)

West Dunbartonshire, Labour Gain from NOC: Labour + 4 (12), SNP – 3 (6), Others – 1 (3)

Argyll and Bute, NOC Hold: Others – 3 (13), SNP + 3 (12)

West Lothian, NOC Hold: Labour + 2 (16), SNP + 2 (15), Tories + 0 (1), Others – 3 (1)
- Brumanuensis
  
  Less good.
  
  North Ayrshire, NOC Hold: Labour – 1 (11), SNP + 4 (12) – SNP overtake Labour to become largest Party.
Brumanuensis

Boris leads Ken by appx. 44 – 40% on 1st preferences atm, according to Adam Bienkov.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Unsurprisingly, the Tories hold Bexley and Bromley. Havering and Redbridge looks like a narrow Tory hold. Labour may win Ealing and Hillingdon off Tories by very narrow margin. Dismore looks certain to gain Barnet and Camden off Coleman.
  - AlanGiles
    
    Havering and Redbridge is my constituency. I have to say – now that voting is over and it can’t influence anything or anybody, there wasn’t as much as a single page leaflet from either the LibDems, Labour, Greens, or any parties except the BNP and UKIP, and also these were the only two parties who did any canvassing in the major shopping centre during the entire campaign.
    
    UKIP sent round an A5 4 page newspaper, and the BNP a glossy 8″x 5″ leaflet.
    
    I am amazed Labour didn’t try harder, because though much of Havering is reasonably well off there are some fairly poor areas in Redbridge and the result for these two boroughs combined is by no means a foregone conclusion.
    - Brumanuensis
      
      Remarkable. What on earth were the local Party doing?
      - AlanGiles
        
        To be honest, very little. I am sorry to say they make little effort. An organisation called “Hope Not Hate” for example (who didn’t field a candidate in this constituency) were out on Monday morning in the pouring rain at Romford Station handing out their leaflet KUIP and the BNP had canvassers out all morning in Romford market place each Saturday morning.
        
        The Romford Labour Party office seems almost unused – after the last general election for example, they still hadn’t taken down the posters in August. You rarely see anybody there, or a light on in the dark months. There used to be three constituencies, (Andrew Rosindell Conservative is the MP for the central part of Romford, and until the boundries were redrawn John Cryer was labour MP for Hornchurch in the 1990s even Central Romford had a Labour MP (Maxine Gordon). Perhaps they just feel discouraged because Rosindell is a dreadful self-publicist who strides around with his bulldog and will stoop at nothing to get himself in the local newspaper. But the local party office seems to be the Marie Celeste of the parties.
        
        I am told that Boris Johnson visited Romford a couple of weeks ago one morning and leaflets were distributed by the Conservatives on that occassion (I wasn’t there). I asked my neighbour who saw the procession if any other parties were handing out leaflets, but he said not.
- derek
  
  Jeez! if that’s true it’ll be a lot closer than predicted.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Toby young predicts 51 – 49% Boris win, on twitter. Says it will be a ‘squeaker’.
AlanGiles

It is a shame this news didn’t come out 48 hours ago:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/embattled-minister-faces-donations-probe-125225730.html
- Brumanuensis
  
  I agree. Could be another nail in the beam for Cameron if true.
Brumanuensis

Dumfries and Galloway, NOC Hold: Labour + 0 (15), Tories – 3 (14), SNP + 0 (10), Lib Dems – 2 (1) and Others + 5 (7).

So Labour now largest Party. Shame they couldn’t make gains off Lib Dems or Tories.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Scottish Tally: Labour + 42; SNP + 31
  
  Fife, NOC Hold: Labour + 11 (35), SNP + 4 (26), Lib Dems – 11 (10), Tories – 1 (3), UKIP – 1 (0), Others – 2 (4).
  
  Great result for Labour.
Brumanuensis

With notice to that Bienkov claim, from the London Elects graph (Boris leading 44 – 40% on 1st preferences), I note the areas still with lots of votes remaining to be counted are.

Brent and Harrow (42%) – Ken leads moderately

Enfield and Haringey (41%) – Ken leads moderately

Barnet and Camden (41%) – Boris leads substantially

North East (58%) – Ken leads substantially
Brumanuensis

Newcastle votes ‘no’ in mayoral referendum by 62 – 38%.

Sheffield votes ‘no’ by 65 – 35%.
Brumanuensis

Newcastle votes ‘no’ in mayoral referendum by 62 – 38%.

Sheffield votes ‘no’ by 65 – 35%.
Brumanuensis

Massive result from Scotland.

North Lanarkshire, Labour HOLD – Labour + 1 (41), SNP + 5 (26).

This was the SNP’s second target after Glasgow.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Scottish Tally: Labour + 43, SNP + 36
- Brumanuensis
  
  Scottish Tally: Labour + 43, SNP + 36
  - Brumanuensis
    
    South Lanarkshire is NOC Hold. Labour + 1 (33), SNP + 4 (28)
    
    Scottish Tally is Labour + 44, SNP + 40
- derek
  
  Fantastic result there!!!!!!!!
Brumanuensis

Massive result from Scotland.

North Lanarkshire, Labour HOLD – Labour + 1 (41), SNP + 5 (26).

This was the SNP’s second target after Glasgow.
Brumanuensis

Right, I have to go out. Fingers crossed for Ken and Glasgow.
derek

@Mark, the Glasgow result is amazing what a turn around indeed.
PaulHalsall

I feel so happy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGXOjm95WWo
- derek
  
  Brilliant @Paul, we’re going to celebrate and raise that standard high!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  - PaulHalsall
    
    I doubt the song is ever sung at CLP meetings these days, but after a brief fling with Toryism in 1979, I soon saw that my religious convictions about the need for community cohesion and care for the poor, sick and ill, demanded that I support Labour, I joined Edinburgh Central CLP in 1982.
    
    Because of a boundary change the CLP had to be established anew. I recall one old member demanding that as a final act, the CLP sing the Red Flag!
    Great Song.
PaulHalsall

BBC reporting Glasgow win.

Wowee, Labour!
aracataca

Tory MP Peter Bone “This is the beginning of the end of the Coalition.”
Never thought I’d say it, but nice Peter-nice.
- Laurence
  
  No doubt Mrs Bone will have something to say on this matter in the near future using her husband as a mouthpiece.
aracataca

Overall control of Glasgow just in.
AlanGiles

Birmingham definately says no to a Mayor:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-17961046
jaime taurosangastre candelas

I didn’t vote – a combination of a changed work schedule too late to organise a postal vote, and also not really finding a positive reason to vote for any candidate in my district. They weigh the tory vote anyway around here! It is however notable that UKIP are advancing on the tories on a local level, and I think that is a development that will continue and could assist Labour in all sorts of constituencies in 2015.

However, this is an occasion for a celebration for Labour, no doubt at all and I have no difficulty in wishing you all a bit of a celebration tonight. I suspect that Boris will win in London (quite narrowly), which I would welcome, but that is merely a reflection of my distaste for Ken as a person, not the party he represents. I think if David Lammy had stood instead of Ken he’d have been elected. I think David Lammy has got a lot going for him, and hope that he puts himself forward in 2016.
- Laurence
  
  Would you really want somebody – “David Lammy – that only managed to score 13 points on Celebrity Mastermind run the capital?
  - http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
    
    Eddie Izzard has expressed an interest.
    - Bill Lockhart
      
      Kate Hoey would win it by a landslide.
      - AlanGiles
        
        I doubt it. She is not that popular with Labour voters, even though she has worked with Boris Johnson.
      - treborc1
        
        Maybe but she is a person who speaks her mind
      - ovaljason
        
        Not popular with Labour voters? Er…
        
        Ed Mili majority: 10,909
        Ed Balls: 1,101
        Yvette C: 10,979
        
        Kate Hoey : 10,651
        
        So if by “not popular” you mean ‘incredibly popular, up there with the front bench stars’, then I’d agree.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
        
        That’s because she has a very safe Labour seat. She is too out of sync with most Labour party members to get selected, somewhat semi-detached from the party. To an extent so is Ken – and so a section of the party peeled off and wouldn’t support him. Exactly the same would happen with Hoey: it would just be a different section!
      - AlanGiles
        
        Thanks for replying Mike, I have only just seen Mr Johnson’s post.
        
        I am astonished that there are so many fans of fox-hunting and the Countryside Alliance in South London!
        
        Seriously, she is in a similar situation to Frank Field – she is the MP for an area where votes are weighed – neither could be so un-Labour in a more modest constituency.
Dave Postles

So what will happen now about Local Enterprise Partnerships based on cities now that the Tories and LibDems have lost their control? Will the new Labour authorities be penalized? Will we have to return to the days of the ‘dented shield’ in the cities?
AlanGiles

1740 on PM (Radio4) Caroline Quinn reports the Livingstone team saying the final result is “down to the wire”. The Conservatives have lost Hillingdon* and Professor Tony Travers says Labour will have a good result on the London Assembly, regardless of the Mayoral outcome
AlanGiles

Sorry, I managed to type this on the wrong thread just now:

1755 BBC2 Professor John Curtice reports that given the delay in the count (there was a power cut at Alexandra Palace this morning) and that many of the areas more likely to support KL being delayed being counted “it is not impossible that KL could have a slight lead on the first preference votes, and the second preference votes become more critical”
AlanGiles

”
Brian Coleman has lost his London Assembly seat to Labour’s Andrew Dismore (which I’m obviously delightedabout). But seemingly Briqn Coleman won’t be turning up to make a concession speech. What a shame.”

Knowing what an ignorant pig he is, if he did it would probably be interlarded with gutter langauge!.
AlanGiles

”
Brian Coleman has lost his London Assembly seat to Labour’s Andrew Dismore (which I’m obviously delightedabout). But seemingly Briqn Coleman won’t be turning up to make a concession speech. What a shame.”

Knowing what an ignorant pig he is, if he did it would probably be interlarded with gutter langauge!.
AlanGiles

Guy has printed this message where the columns are getting too small to read. To save him frepeating it yet again today here it is:

I begin to feel he is suffering from dementia, since he seems to forget he has said the same thing word for word every day for several weeks:

“I dislike the underclass, all the ill educated, tabloid reading, soap watching, classless scum who churn out kids and sit on benefits.
I also have a deep hatred of socialism and those who support it. They are nothing more than common theives.
I’m also happy to say I take that discrimination over into my professional life. Hire middle class candidates is my general policy.”

“Hatred”….”scum” “theives”…”discrimination”. Like a broken record, and similar to the bile spewed out by William Joyce (Lord Haw haw) as the booze took over the few brain cells he had
This fool has nothing else to say – why on earth is the clown still given space on here
- GuyM
  
  Whereas you comments about Blairites and Tories are all warm and cuddly.
  
  I’d back Blair, Purnell and D Milliband over your brand of left wing politics anyday Alan.
  
  You’re just an unreformed leftist dinosaur, as per your desire for Ed M to put down any dissent from Blairites, despite the fact the membeship and PLP didn’t vote for your Union chum a few months back.
  
  But yep, I don’t like the working class or socialists, are you telling me I should? Why is that exactly?
  - http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
    
    “Why is that exactly?”
    
    Because we’re all in it together.
    - GuyM
      
      The hell we are lol.
      
      I’m not in anything with you or Alan
  - James
    
    “Whereas you comments about Blairites and Tories are all warm and cuddly.”
    
    Guy, the “Blairites” and the “Tories” are all individual public figures who have taken a position and expressed a desire to implement policies that could detrimentally affect the lives of millions of harmless citizens who are simply trying to get on with their lives and make the best of things. Alan Giles attacks individuals who, in his judgement, have done or want to do bad things. He doesn’t blanket-smear multitudes of anonymous men and women in the way you habitually do with the “working class” or “benefit claimants” or “chavs” or whatever. The difference between a member of any of the groups you fritter so much of your energy away “hating” and “disliking” and a member of the “middle class” is an income of £35,000 a year or more! Or the lack of it! A multi-million lottery win would, in your terms, instantly raise the most lowly member of society to a station as high above you as the stars are above the ocean floor because, to you it seems, human worth amounts to noting beyond the material. Similarly, the only real difference between a poorly educated person and well educated person is a lack, or a surfeit, of opportunity.
    
    Your snobbery is juvenile and ridiculous.
    
    For goodness sake buck up and stop being so childish and silly!
    - GuyM
      
      “the only real difference between a poorly educated person and well educated person is a lack, or surfei, of opportunity”
      
      Total bollocks, so we are all the same intellectual level are we? Usual socialist cobblers.
      
      AlanGiles always attacks Blairites, he has been quite specific about them within your party even within this thread. He has often stated he doesn’t think they shold even be in Labour (as have a number of other posters).
      
      So before you rush into defence go and read up a little rather than spin like a typical socialist flunkie.
      
      And I don’t differentiate class by income (though it is often a useful additional marker). Try social habits, education, culture and interests and you might get a little closer.
      
      I hate what the lower classes stand for taste and behaviour wise and I hate socialists for every tiny little thing they stand for. I’d not raise a finger to help a socialist, I’d hope they all ceased to exist.
      - AlanGiles
        
        “Culture”?
        
        If you were cultured you would boast about your (real or imaginary) status in life, your house, your gardener, your income.
        
        People who are used to things don’t go around showing off like a little boy in the playground loudly proclaiming that “my dads car is bigger than yours”.
        
        You come across as a childish, bigoted old fool.
        
        Why do you need to impress people?
        
        Do you think that anybody is interested in your pathetic little life.
        
        Frankly I don’t believe a fraction of what you write: Your problem is you have seen too many episodes of “Keeping Up Appearances”.
        
        FYI some of the Blairites did more harm than good to the poorest and most disadvantaged members of society – especially the ill and disabled. Through some work I have done, I have met people in this position – men like Purnell and Hutton were only interested in lining their own pockets and fiddling their expenses, yet were so “outraged” by benefit claimants. If you got off your arse from time to time and went out into the real world you might be in more of a position to comment. I dislike dishonesty, greed and pretence which is why I don’t like some of the New Labour crowd , some Conservatives – and you, because I think you are just about the most bogus individual I have ever come across.
        
        You think you are intelligent and funny – you are just an arrogant ignoramus.
      - treborc1
        
        You do love giving him the ammunition though, we spent ages on Labour home and to be honest we had the same Tories on the site and they were actually from Tory home, the more you feed them the larger they get so to speak
      - AlanGiles
        
        I don’t have problems with Conservatives posting on this site in general: what I find highly offensive is this idiot, who plainly has personality problems, constantly repeating phrases like “thieving scum” and referring to the “lower classes”.
        
        If he had aired his eccentric and offensive views once or twice that would be different, but every day? several times each day?
        
        If somebody came to your house and started insulting your friends in the most personal terms, you would be within your rights to say this is not acceptable and ask them to leave, and if their own sense of decency did’nt make them leave, you would be entitled to have them removed. That is how I feel about “Guy”.
        
        He will whinge I am trying to stop his freedom of speech – well the fact that he repeats the same insults, the same boasts about his fantasy life every day, and has nothing new to say, suggests to me the floor show is over. He has gone through the card and now all he does is repeat it all, only louder.
        
        He is a misery to himself and burden to the rest of us
      - treborc1
        
        Seems moderation has come in to late.
        
        Yes I will agree through my email of your message about words being used by the Tories thieving or what ever, but for me it’s the same as labour use of work shy, workless, scroungers, you cannot have it both ways, just because somebody uses the same words as labour.
        
        I have an email saying that labour is in meetings with the Tories to have a massive crack down on benefits and DLA and ESA, seems we are the target group to repay the mess we are in. which is not the fault of anyone
      - GuyM
        
        I couldn’t give a damn about whether anyone is impressed or not. I sometimes list some of what I have as an example of what I’ve got through my own graft and that I don’t feel inclined to even things up with others by subsidising them through redistribution.
        
        Your problem and those like you is you are so far up your own arse morally that you believe anyone who disagrees with your views on helping the “poor” (or whichever group is flavour of the day at a given time) is beyond the pale.
        
        What you regard as greed is not some universal truth Alan. If I work for a salary I don’t expect some jumped up little trot b****rd to think he has a moral right to appropriate it to fund some wasters in his core vote.
        
        If your darling working class and underclass want a similar standard of living or even to close the wealth gap with others above them then they can get off their bloody arses and do it themselves, not sit and wait for numpties like you to pontificate on the moral need to forcibly redistribute other people’s earnings.
        
        Or to put the above quite simply, socialists can get their grubby little thieving fingers off others peoples earned incomes.
        
        And you can take your moral certainty and shove it firmly back up where you seem to emerge from each morning.
      - AlanGiles
        
        Guy. I am sure a psychiatrist would be fascinated by your case – the constant repitition of words like “theives” and “scum”, “underclass”, The constant rehearsal of your alleged high status in life.
        
        Even on this thread yesterday afternoon you suddenly had to start wittering on about some mobile phone you are going to buy. Like the day you bored us rigid with consulting Jaime about some medical problem you have.
        
        You are so self-obsessed you can’t see what a complete idiot you make of yourself.
        
        One assumes your attention seeking is part of your illness but the fact is this site is NOT ab0ut you.
        
        I think many of us think you are either a liar or a wind-up merchant. Anyway, you have far too much time on your hands. You are a bore, and have a very limited repitioire. We have had all your insults, complete with the aggresive use of langauge.
        
        It is time you either left of your own accord or was banned from this site. As we are all theives, or scum or defenders of the “underclass”, I can’t imagine why you want to associate with jus. But I suppose that is part of your illness
- Chris Cook
  
  @AlanGiles:disqus
  
  Guy M is our very own political litmus paper: the more of a kicking the Tories are getting, the bluer he gets.
  
  Bless his cotton socks. I think we should formally adopt him as the LL mascot.
  - GuyM
    
    The tories can get whatever kicking they like, I’ve often not voted for them and I suspect I’ll often not vote for them again.
    
    If UKIP had a hope of election I’d likely be voting for them.
    
    The reason I vote Tory when I do Chris, is they don’t ideologically believe they ought to reduce my income, tax me more nor force me into “mixed communities” with the lower classes. They largely believe in letting people minding their own business without state meddling.
    
    But I find your attacks amusing mr chicken little, if there was an online equivalent of a sandwich board with “the end of the world is nigh” message then I’d buy it for you.
- Mike Murray
  
  I agree. If Guy were trying to post on Lib Dem Voice the stooges website they would ban him for being offensive and being off thread. The people who moderate this website in terms of the comments policy should remove his offensive comments.Why are they so spineless?
  - Mike Homfray
    
    There appears to be very little moderation to speak of. Conservative Home is much better run in that regard, and Lib Dem Voice don’t allow any Non LD’s to post
    - Mike Murray
      
      Actually, Mike, my experience is that Lib Dem Voice does allow non Lib Dems to post on that part of their site which is open to all. However they rigorously maintain standards of civilized discourse and remove the comments of anyone who goes beyond those limits. Lib Dem voice does, however, have a part of its site accessible only to Lib Dem members, presumably by the means of inputting a membership number or the production of other I.D. Being a non Lib Dem I have never posted on that part of Lib Dem Voice of course. Perhaps a part of this site could be reserved for debates between party members only. However, I personally believe that it is important to engage in debate on here with people of all political persuasions and they should always be allowed access. But some of the comments made about socialists and Labour party people on here are incredibly abusive. They put off people who wish to engage which is a shame because the Labour Party needs to tap in to all its talented members and supporters. That’s why I think that the debates on this excellent site would benefit if much more rigorously moderated.
- Mike Murray
  
  I agree. If Guy were trying to post on Lib Dem Voice the stooges website they would ban him for being offensive and being off thread. The people who moderate this website in terms of the comments policy should remove his offensive comments.Why are they so spineless?
- Dave Postles
  
  Here’s the deal, if you wish. Every time the posts refer to scum, chavs, thieves, hatred, etc, just flag them for the attention of the moderator. The moderator can then decide whether to delete the entire post. Most of us are not chavs – we are council-house-and-pacificist (not violent).
  - AlanGiles
    
    I don’t like the idea of reporting anyone – but perhaps he needs to be saved from himself – he speaks out of ignorance. After all by his own admission he has no dealings with the working class and anyone under 25, so he can’t know what they are like. I can honestly say having been responsible for employing many young people since the late 70s, any one of them was worth a dozen of him. Not a snob amongst them. It is sad he can regard them en masse as worthless when they are worth a great deal more than himself.
    
    I think at the very least if he were to be placed in pre-moderation it might make him think more carefully before he writes what he does
    - GuyM
      
      Your opinion and nothing more, personally I’d not (and do not) recruit a single one of them.
      
      And no surprise that you go in for censorship, always the way of the left when they get confronted with views they don’t like, just a bit more no platform eh Alan?
    - James
      
      The odd thing is that GuyM doesn’t actually sound as if he is a member of the set of people he identifies himself with: he really doesn’t come across as a comfortably off, well educated, and successful person. To me he sounds more like an ignorant beery jeering football hooligan than anything else. To be honest I feel a little worried for him and about him.
derek

In the meantime a little bit of quality sound!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9BtLRWbkmA&feature=fvst
- Dave Postles
  
  Post-Peter Green, mate; not for me.
  - derek
    
    No probs mate, still great lyrics though!!!!!!!
    - Dave Postles
      
      Enjoy!
- Peter Barnard
  
  This is better (well, I think it is …. ), Derek : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8arvEzHsA8
  
  Given the ructions that FMac have experienced over the last fifty years or so, I guess that they could be called rock’n'roll’s equivalent of the Labour Party … sheer genius by Mick Fleetwood to think of adding the USC Trojans Marching Band when they made Tusk – I think I’ll send a proposal to the Conference Arrangements Committee that they invite the USC band to Conference for The Red Flag
AlanGiles

2150 John Sopel on BBC News 24 says that Brent are having to count votes by hand, so there is still no final result. He suggested the result might not be known until 2330
Bill Lockhart

The London Elects site is showing the number of “scanned, verified” votes from Brent is going *DOWN*.. wtf?
- Bill Lockhart
  
  This count is degenerating into a stereotypical British-bureaucracy farce.
  - Dave Postles
    
    Ah, a nice bit of Hesperian XXI or Rodrigo (even as Miles’s Sketches of Spain) might help.
GuyM

Love the Sky News comment that the update from Brent resembled something from David Brent.
ovaljason

For those of you dispairring at Ken’s loss I ask you to consider the following:

Imagine Boris woke up tomorrow and invited to this country a preacher who wanted to execute you for the colour of your hair. Somebody who wanted to execute you for the colour of your skin. Somebody who wanted to execute you because of the name you were given.

This is what life-long, gay Labour voters like me have had to consider.

Whatever his record in this past, Ken personally invited to this country somebody who wanted to execute me because I was born gay.

That’s why it was very easy for me for the first time in my life not to vote Labour.

Good riddance, shame on those who supported him.
- PaulHalsall
  
  This is ludicrous. Ken Livingstone was taking pro-LGBT stances long before any other politician of his stature in this country.
  
  I am gay too, and I am ashamed of the gay people who responded to Tory dog whistles and voted against Ken.
GuyM

A famous day.

I remember being very young in London in the 1980s and watching Ken’s endless loony left crap until the GLC was abolished.

I’m happy now 30 years on to have played a tiny part (my vote) in ending his career and ensuring London is now rid of him for ever more.

So a big “all wave bye bye to Red Ken” from the outer boroughs……. good riddance.

Plus in this London centric year with Jubilee and Olympics we get Boris as the figurehead not bloody Red Ken.

Joyous, totally joyous.
- GuyM
  
  Further bit of good news, the Tories managed to get 9 London Assembly seats thus getting over the 1/3rd of seats needed to ensure Boris’ budgets can’t be blocked.
  
  He has a clear run for 4 more years, perfect.
- derek
  
  I don’t think you’ll be surprised here but it wont last 4 years, the mayor role is a defunct position and an expense to far.The general thought train goes against the grain of mayors.Far better for local government to become the norm and I can think of no-one better than Ken to be head of Greater London Council.
Brumanuensis

My thanks to Alan and Dave for their kind words of praise.

With the exception of the London mayoral election, this has been an excellent set of results for us. Superb performances across England, Wales and crucially in Scotland, where the SNP bandwagon has hit the buffers. Final tally is Labour + 58, SNP + 57. Both we and the SNP have gained two councils, taking our totals to 4 and 2 respectively, but we have held Glasgow and North Lanarkshire and now are the largest Party in Edinburgh.

Obviously a good local election result does not automatically translate into a GE victory, and the low turnout is a symptom of the decline both in trust in politicians, interest in politics and civic sentiment. However, the new councillors will, in addition to supplying valuable foot soldiers, enable us to articulate our values in local government and mitigate the regressive effects of the current government’s fiscal policies. A big opportunity and one to be grasped with both hands. We now have voices in places where we previously had little say. That’s all part of the long hard road to political recovery.
- Dave Postles
  
  A valuable reflection.
- jaime taurosangastre candelas
  
  Another part of the road to political recovery is also of course national policies, which do not exist. Part of that will be saying something (anything) positive on the economy, apart from the now cliché of “too deep, too fast”, particularly when there is empirical evidence from the USA that deeper and faster is actually producing growth. The two economies differ in important areas of detail, but to have nothing to say at all on this risks the surface comparison that makes Labour look like a spoiled child.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
    
    But you really aren’t going to be happy with our stance because you support the approach of the coalition. And clearly we have to reflect the views of those who disagree with them. Labour really cannot go down the monetarist road. I don’t honestly think there’s much chance of you supporting us in the forseeable future
  - Laurence
    
    Evidence that deep cuts produce growth? Can you reference this extraordinary claim with urls to articles or data that back up this statement? I’d really be interested in such counter-intuitive information. Thank you.
  - Brumanuensis
    
    I am at a loss to understand how any of the countries you mention prove that contractionary fiscal expansion is anything other than ‘voodoo economics’, to use George H W Bush’s line. The US has done most of its post 2009 stimulus through the tax system, using payroll tax cuts, and given its weak recovery – even if stronger than Europe’s – and the diabolical recent employment data, I don’t understand how anyone can claim that the mildly-contractionary budget profile during 2011 has led to sustained growth. If anything the contractionary policies in place from late 2010 onwards exacerbated the weakness of the 2011 GDP and employment figures. I’d say Ireland, Spain and Greece all strongly suggest that EFC is indeed an ‘oxymoron’, as Laurence Summers put it. Brazil has been pursuing expansionary fiscal policies for over a decade (for example, the PAC initiative). Canada is an unsuitable model for the UK, as it’s mid-90s consolidation was undertaken during an export boom and strong global growth, neither factors holding true for the UK during the time-being. The social consequences were dire as well. Australia has only avoided recession through a dose of Dutch Disease that is crippling its manufacturers.
    
    I mean just look at the charts: http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2012/05/in-the-words-of-christina-romer-we-are-so-scrd-labor-force-participation-and-structural-unemployment-blogging.html
    
    There is one European country, incidentally, that has avoided sharp austerity measures. That country is Germany, where real government consumption during 2011 increased by just under 2%.
    
    Slower austerity is a viable alternative, whatever the commentariat say.
    - Brumanuensis
      
      Canada, like the coalition, relied on an expansionary monetary policy to offset fiscal contraction. The UK’s resort to QE and low interest rates are the only things that have kept our heads above the water.
Daniel Speight

Thanks to everyone who kept those of us that are not in the country up-to-date with the results as they came in.
AlanGiles

Now it is all over, it is worth pointing out that the Greens took third place, and the LibDems came fourth (I imagine it will be Brian Paddick’s last election too). The Greens managed to win 11 new seats throughout the country, so, who knows perhaps they will become the third party?. Hopefully no Labour supporter will grudge them that. Luckilly the BNP came last, with a thankfully very small part of the vote, which suggests that their vile tub-thumping now has very limited appeal. Long may it stay so.

In 2016 it looks as if there will be three entirely new candidates for all three main parties (according to yesterday’s Independent, Boris Johnson will be back in Westminster on the road to becoming Prime Minister by then).

Though this was a disappointing result for Labour, at least we can see a real improvement on the Labour vote, albeit on a small turnout, and the London Assembly has been rid of it’s most obnoxious member – Brian Coleman, a man who is to good manners and courtesy what Simon Cowell is to oxy-acetylene welding. Labour has also performed well in so many areas of the country

I know I won’t be the only one who wants to offer congratulations and thanks to both Mark Ferguson and Brumanuensis for a truly heroic performance throughout the whole of the proceedings – how they managed it, I don’t know
- derek
  
  You kinda get the feeling that the Greens could easily replace the lib/dem as the third party of choice.
  
  I watched a bit of that dreadful sky news after the declaration, Jowel lass, talking about the end of Ken and summed up when asked if Boris would be a good mayor by saying yes? I thought, Jeez! did the campaign manager really look at Ken’s manifesto?
  
  Don’t forget about Laura………xxxx Laura.
  - Dave Postles
    
    Yes, she’s another star. Well said, my friend.
  - AlanGiles
    
    Sorry Derek, where are my manners? I meant to include Laura in my message. All three did a fantastic job.
    
    One point about Ms Jowell: Many people have painted KL as the bad guy and now certain sections will use him as the full guy – but Ms Jowell, the very model of respectability…… I’d just mention “colourful” David Mills and remortgaging applications. I personally wouldn’t have chosen her, but there you go.
    
    I think it highly likely the Greens will become the third party: They have some very sound ideas, but the problem – or at least – my problem, is that they have some very dour solutions, while sensible, would not be palatable to a wide part of the electorate. We cannot expect people to walk everywhere or give up appliances now regarded as “essential”. It’s like telling a very obese person they can only live on unsweetened lemon juice and carrots. It would be too austere for most. There has to be a way of making people more responsible for the enviroment, but this will be a very long and complicated process. I rather hope Caroline Lucas can retain her seat in Brighton in 2015, and I would be quite happy to see her joined by another or more Green MPs
    
    Of course, Johnson as Mayor for another 4 years will not affect Ms Jowell any more than it will affect me personally, but she should spare a thought for the very poor in London who have little value or interest to Johnson, while he bumbles his way through the City
    - derek
      
      LoL Alan, if her in doors catches me, I’ll get a clip round the lug.
      
      I thought that was the way Jowel’s mentality was pointing.
      
      I think the Greens have a very positive case to put forward, I’m rapidly becoming a fan.Usually I’m a one shirt type of person but with all this STV and second preference stuff going on I need to catch up and always give one of my votes to the Greens.Seems to have gone quiet on the funding front of politics and state funding capped could well help the Greens along?
      
      Jowell and co seem to think no one on the left can win in the South, seems to me there will be a big pool for the Greens to attract from.
- Daniel Speight
  
  Listening to a podcast over at the Guardian someone suggested that the Liberals would return to their pre-SDP merger roots, and rather than claim to be of the left will return to a Tory-lite party of the west country and of the Scottish highlands and islands. Where this will leave any of those attracted into the party as supposed social democrats I have no idea.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
    
    That wouldn’t work in the Highlands – the Lib appeal here has always been a radical one, opposing the Tory landowners
    
    Charles Kennedy may have enough personal vote to hang on but the rest are probably toast
Dave Postles

Meanwhile in Edinburgh …

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/may/04/penguin-more-votes-lib-dems
- derek
  
  Sheer class! showing the dems the way to the go, lets hope their frozen out for good and the Greens waddle on.
GuyM

As I wrote last night, a great morning to wake up and realise Ken is finally gone from London and never coming back.

I remember listening to all the loony left stuff from the GLC on the radio with Tarrant on Capital before going to school back in the 80s, so to have helped remove Livingstone from London for good is fantastic.
Dave Postles

Does LL also have a responsibility to conform to the The Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006? Some comments may be sailing close to the wind.
RedactorOfTheMad

I’m sick of this GuyM character preaching hate on this site and getting away with it and so I’m going to flag every single one of his comments in future, wherever and whenever I see them, and force the moderator to decide which ones see the light of day. GuyM has put himself beyond the pale because of his his bile and vitriol-slinging and so every single time I see a comment by him in future, whatever he writes, good or bad, I’m going to flag it for moderation on principle and let Mark Ferguson filter the insane rants from acceptable opinions. No doubt this anonymous bully will bleat about “censorship” and aout we “socialists” curtailing his “free speech” but in future I would advise EVERYBODY to flag his comments for moderation whenever they appear as a matter of course so that only his occasional sane and sensible remarks can be made public on this forum.
Poo

This does not help at all

Latest

Comment
Why Labour is fighting for the legalisation of Humanist marriages today

By Glenys Thornton

Monday saw the first day of Committee on the Same Sex Marriage Bill, where it became clear after a three hour debate on how to distinguish Same Sex Marriage from so called “traditional” marriage that opposition to this bill has not gone away. Despite a huge defeat on Second Reading, opponents reheated and repeated their earlier speeches, in part because their arguments rely on belief and prejudice not evidence or fact. So we sat until 11pm debating conscience clauses, Registrars [...]
Read more →
Comment
Sometimes what is unsaid at PMQs is the most important thing of all…

By Mark Ferguson

Well that was a bad PMQs for Ed Miliband – the second in a row. Perhaps he hasn’t gotten back into his stride after such a long period without the weekly Wednesday joust, but whatever it is, Miliband isn’t hitting his marks at PMQs. Meanwhile Cameron – who has been jousting with world leaders this week – seemed far more o top of his game than we’ve been used to seeing him lately. Alas the problem for Miliband was that [...]
Read more →
Video
Cameron refuses to answer question on secret government plans to hike interest on student loans

Last week it was revealed that the government discussed secret plans to hike interest on pre-existing student loans, meaning that anyone with a student loan will be expected to pay far more than expected. Today, the Prime Minister was asked about this – he spoke for nearly a minute but wouldn’t answer the question. What does he have to hide? How much more does he expect graduates to pay?
Read more →
Comment
Who benefits? Delivering on energy and infrastructure

By John Woodcock

Across the industrial north, it is striking how old pit villages and industrial towns are proving far less willing to embrace renewable energy than the noisier, more polluting fossil fuels and industries which shaped their identity. Energy companies are getting a nasty shock after mistakenly believing that these communities would not bat an eyelid at a few wind turbines on the surrounding hills because they had been content to make huge slag heaps part of the landscape in decades past. [...]
Read more →
News
Put reckless bankers in jail – Media roundup: June 19th, 2013

Subscribers to our morning email get the best of LabourList – including the Media and blog round up – every weekday morning. If you were a subscriber you would have already received this (and much more) in your inbox. You can sign up here. Put reckless bankers in jail Britain’s banking bosses should face jail if their decisions force fresh bailouts, the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards says today. The commission’s hotly anticipated report urges the Chancellor, George Osborne, to oversee the [...]
Read more →