Louisa

Whilst I acknowledge your frustration with our electoral system am, I have to fundamentally disagree with you. The system produces stability, even if it doesn't always produce the results we want. Yes we have to put up with someone most of us in this seat didn't vote for, but there will be a seat a few miles from here where over 50% of the electorate did vote for them. It's just the way it goes. There's always 2020. I'm sure we will survive five years one way or another. Louisa.

It gets worse. Charlotte Church was out protesting in Cardiff this afternoon with a bunch of her friends with homemade placards. When will washed up celebrities learn than mouthing off isn't helpful to the political cause, it's just yet another unwelcome distraction, reinforcing the image of sore loser. Louisa.

Lol Foxy you've made my weekend with that final paragraph. Louisa.

No chance of the lib Dems ever going down the road of teaming up with the right of the Labour Party. Let's not forget, the lib dems are a patch work quilt of politician ideologies. You have elements of red old school socialism sat alongside traditional liberalism. Unless the lib dems break apart after having internal debate, very unlikely. Louisa.

I think you'll find rahrahrah that it's the blindingly obvious you and the London left are yet again refusing to acknowledge. You're blaming it all on the right wing press, the sad fact is that yet again you fail to understand what has happened over the last 48 hours. The majority of the left and centre left electorate OUTSIDE of London does have concerns about immigration, it does fear for the economy, and unfortunantely they will switch to UKIP and the greens on the left and the tories in the centre. Why are you refusing to recognise this? The Labour campaign failed outside of London! Unbelievable blinkers on again. Louisa.

I've been watching back over the night and more especially at the opinions spouted by the Labour elite. They seem to have spent most of the campaign looking in on themselves positively whilst dismissing the bigger picture. In other words, the urban intelligentsia are on a different planet to the rest of us. A very 'London Labour' view of the UK, totally out of line with the larger view. This has to be addressed over this coming parliament. Two important points, firstly, a divided union. Scotland doesn't believe Labour (or Westminster in general) gives them a voice. For many Scots, the translation of this at the ballot box has been to vote SNP. Whether they believe Scotland should be independent or not. The Labour and left leaning Scottish electorate, rightly or wrongly, assume the SNP to be left of Labour. They are not in my opinion, but Sturgeon has run a wonderful and convincing campaign which has supported this assumption. Secondly, in England (and to a lesser extent Wales), the traditional Labour voter outside of London is feeling quite a bit isolated. Across the heartlands a significant enough number is turning to UKIP primarily over fears about immigration and other working class issues that they feel the wealthy Labour elite is failing to recognise or be trusted on, and this is enough to push UKIP into runner up. In the marginals, the centre-left leaning voters are believing Labour will damage the economy and are too far to the left, and so are going over to or staying with the tories as a result. The consequences of all of this are that Labour are seen as too far to the right in Scotland, and too far to the left in England. Labour now has to confront the rise of tribalism as a consequence of the swings on the political spectrum and the makeup of the new parliament. It will be a difficult job for the new leader. Louisa.

*bites top lip until blood is drawn* Louisa.

I feel most sorry for Vince Cable tonight. A great man, a great member of parliament, and a voice of reason. Sad to see him go. Louisa.

Clutching at straws David_Carnell. The ruling party should have a fall in vote share after five years of unpopular coalition, and Labour should more than a shocking 1% ahead of the 2010 popular vote share. Louisa.

The Guardianista urban intelligentsia, Labour's minority who currently dictate policy for the whole party, and who I presume the likes of David_Carnell would loosely be associated? Are blind to the realities of the wider Labour movement. Just over a week ago I was accused of spouting nonsense, just the sort of dismissive unfounded opinion which has allowed the traditional membership to feel isolated and removed from the top table. The core left vote has been fragmenting for some time, and this election has seen more than ever that UKIP and the Greens to a lesser extent are seen as a viable alternative in the traditional heartlands of the north. I called the election, and I will now call the future of the Labour Party. If they do not listen to the membership in the heartlands, the UKIP protest vote will start to take seats off of them, and they will turn into a party that represents the socialist elite of London, and pretty much no-one else. David_Carnell, you got it wrong about the popularity of Miliband and you got it wrong about the direction of the party. Louisa.

If the Labour Party has half a brain between them, they will put Andy Burnham in place sooner rather than later. Yet another campaign I predicted from the very beginning. Not that I'm being smug about it, it pains me to be spot on. But I've seen enough of these campaigns to know that the tories always outperform polls, and the Labour Party should have had a clear 5/6 lead throughout the campaign. I do agree though about the security of a majority this brings, no bargaining at all. The Ulster Unionists gain 2 seats (adding to tory support) and the DUP will more than likely make an informal vote by vote deal at least with the tories to bolster up that majority. Louisa.

What's depressing Blah Blah? Turnout is good, the people spoke, this is their decision. The smug faces of the Labour hierarchy earlier tonight discounting the exit poll "because it wasnt what we were experiencing on the ground" - ermm more like, "wasn't the result we wanted". Embarrassment all round. Louisa.

Labour lost its core vote a long time ago, and the mocking from the urban intelligentsia of the working class core vote was enough to send many traditional labour voters off in search of an alternative. I know I have for some time now. You reap what you sow. Louisa.

Danny Alexander rumoured to be in trouble north of the border. Louisa.

Be dubious of exit polls people. Remember 1992? But if correct, doesn't surprise me. England always turns right when they fear the bogeyman, in this case the SNP. Louisa.

BrandNewGuy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Louisa Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > BrandNewGuy Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > Louisa Wrote: > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > ----- > > > > I agree no one cares about electoral reform > > > other > > > > than the lib dems and other minor parties. > If > > > it > > > > ain't broke why fix it? > > > > > > > > Louisa. > > > > > > LOL - cos it's broken. > > > > You may think so, the lib dems may think so, > but > > the vast majority of the electorate couldn't > give > > a damn either way. > > > > Louisa. > > So the system works because the vast majority > don't give a damn? Interesting view of democracy. The system works because we wouldn't be here today in a stable democracy which has produced stable majority government for most of the last century. The fact there isn't appetite amongst the populus for electoral reform speaks volumes too. I can understand why it would upset supporters of a minor party, but I think that's a good price to pay for stable Government (most of the time). Louisa.

BrandNewGuy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Louisa Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I agree no one cares about electoral reform > other > > than the lib dems and other minor parties. If > it > > ain't broke why fix it? > > > > Louisa. > > LOL - cos it's broken. You may think so, the lib dems may think so, but the vast majority of the electorate couldn't give a damn either way. Louisa.

Despite what the polls say, the bookmakers seem to be predicting a slightly different outcome. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/who-win-general-election-2015-9201178 This article sums it up. Labour edging ahead in popular vote and marginals, just. Bookies saying Tories largest party, Cameron favourite to remain PM, just. We will find out later. Louisa.

Are we allowed to talk about this stuff today? I'm not so sure we can. Louisa.

But that's how plurality works miga, it's not about party A and B jointly having more votes than party C, it's about one single party winning the most votes in a seat, however small that victory may be. It creates long term stability. I would personally rather have electoral stability long term (even if it's deemed slightly undemocratic), than long term chaos with lots of parties arguing over coalitions forever and a day. JohnL I agree the campaign is heading the way of Labour, but not everywhere. The 40 odd marginals where they need to be pumping resources remain too close to call. The likes of Steel always come out the woodwork at the late stage of a campaign to ensure the ground work for coalition building is in place for tomorrow morning. Louisa.

I agree no one cares about electoral reform other than the lib dems and other minor parties. If it ain't broke why fix it? Louisa.

Blah Blah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thank you for correcting Louisa's poor version of > electoral history brandnewguy. I also tend to > think that first past the post and democracy are a > contradiction in terms. A truly democratic system > would reflect voting proportions surely? If you > want to lead with a majority, shouldn't you be > there because the majority of those who voted, > voted for you? Seems ridiculous to me that any > party should be in power with just 33% of the > popular vote. Sounds like a disgruntled lib dem to me. What do you suggest as more democratic then? A system whereby we elect a handful of parties who have to agree to coalitions forever, similar to Italy, which hasn't had a stable government in decades. Be careful what you wish for. Louisa.

First past the post has kept our democracy stable for a long time. Yes, it has its flaws, most electoral systems do surely? But it's provided sure fire majorities for almost all general elections over the last century, far more than any none-plural system could ever do. Seems funny how the media and minor parties hype up the end to plurality in its current form and the rise of the proportional system. It isn't going to happen, simple as that. It's political suicide for both main parties. The only reason we are where we are now is because the Tories failed to win a majority last time around and went into collation with a party who normally would be considered the natural protest vote. With both parties taking a bit of a thumping this time around, plus the perfect storm situation in Scotland, The main parties find themselves in this position. People have short memories, it will all correct itself over the next five years and we will be back to stable plural government. Louisa.

For goodness sakes robbin, there really is no need to be so hateful towards someone just because they are successful in the social media world. Could you attract 20k worth of views on a YouTube video? Answer me this crucial question please. I've messaged Cherylyn directly to request she opens up an account on here to put her case forward for why she is so popular down under. She has reinvigorated a dying knack to engage an audience and I applaud her for that. She really is a giggle, the opening jingle set to her saying "ah ya jokin'" is enough to get a belly laugh out of me. Louisa.

Foxy we are ships in the night. I drink regularly in the EDT so we must have bumped into each other at some stage. Back on topic Cherylyn has some videos with 20k views on them, so don't underestimate her ability to pull in a crowd. Louisa.