General election

Allowing for Sinn Fein not taking up its seats in Westminster, the Tories might be able to form a single party government with as few as 316 seats - depending on how many Sinn Fein seats are won

Oh goody. Looks like we'll get another term of that gammon-faced buffoon and his smirking sidekick.

Think I'll book a holiday.

On an up note, at least my local guy, Sadiq Khan, a good hardworking constituency MP, got in.

Expect to see lots of bloodletting among the Labour and Lib Dem upper ranks (assuming there are any of the latter left, that is).

But Millband and Balls didn't make it. 

The NHS was apparently the most important topic for voters.

We are about to have another Cons government, possibly in majority.

I'm confused. I am also holding my breath. The last time they launched a huge upheaval without a whisper in the pre-election manifesto. I have no idea what they will do now, and neither does anyone else.

Bruce

Well the City and the stock market will be pleased. Expect to see a surge in the FSTE100 today......until we get to that in/out EU referendum.

Ho ho.

But Cameron does look like a sweaty ham, and Milliband looks like, well, Wallace. Osborne has a highly punchable face, Balls looks shifty.

The SNP swings in Scotland were astonishing.

Balls looks like losing...recount at his constituency. Might wipe the grin of his face. He can stay at home whilst his wife becomes leader maybe?

Bruce

So the Scots voted for the most Scottish Party and the English, faced with a wide choice, actually narrowed the option and voted for the perceived most 'English' party, in a united defence against the Scots perhaps?

What's the betting Cameron and Sturgeon work 'together' so as to bring greater Seperation between the two?

Well, Balls is gone. Biggest scalp of the night.

Nick Robinson paid quite a touching tribute to him just now on the BBC.

Good to see the loathsome Galloway thrown out by the people of Bradford BTW.

Jamie, don't you think that the break up of the Union would strike fear and despair into the heart of every good Tory? As he returns to No.10, I would imagine "the Scottish problem" will be uppermost in Cameron's mind. And it will be causing him real concern.

Agreed  - I hope Cameron sees this as an opportunity rather than a problem & that he takes this most significant change in UK dynamics as the catalyst to move towards a federal UK, boundary reform & PR.   

Tories voting for PR would surely be Turkeys voting for Xmas?

In the past you could have argued that Cameron facilitating Scottish independence was good for the Tories electorally (if not ideologically) as it cut off a chunk of labour seats. Not any more.

Bruce

  Agreed Bruce,  however our system has always disadvantaged smaller parties, but the tables are turning & its now becoming a growing problem for the "big two" to get a significant majority,  especially so now the Scottish fox has got into the turkey farm.

Its time the tories realised that Christmas is on the calendar,  the status quo is changing, more party diversity with larger & stronger other parties & the growth in UK devolution, the tory turkey needs to heads up & not do an ostrich.

When asked by journalists how he would be celebrating the Tories' surprise majority in the General Election, David Cameron replied "I intend to go out and get absolutely Cleggless"

Brilliant!

g

But George, we don't have a democracy.

At best we have a representative democracy, but even that is usurped by the party whip system.

Thats Clegg and Farage resigned, Milliband next?

Based on results so far (12:30)  I've been playing with numbers & worked out the variations of how many votes it takes to win a seat in this FPTP voting system.  

NB:  the column is ranked by total votes - UKIP came 3rd & SNP 2nd last  

Makes me feel sorry for UKIP - well almost sorry

Although always feeling that PR has an essential 'fairness' in terms of every vote counting equally and seats reflecting percentage support I think we would lose a great deal if we did not have local constituency MPs .A great deal of work is done in localities by most MPs, and local accountability is important too. we also see local factors causing individuals to be rejected against national trends at elections.

Most PR systems significantly dilute the idea of local representation; I think that would be a loss.

Bruce

What the UK needs is to replace the current second house with one based on the PR system.

What the UK needs to keep doing is to evolve without radical change.

It is strange that in a European and Russian political structure, the UK has avoided revolutions, extreme governments, and poverty.

The system is not codified in the way of straight-jacketing "written constitution," and is flexible enough to evolve as necessary. PR was rejected, and so was Scottish Independence. 

Yet change does occur, but slowly enough for the results to be seen before more change ...

Steady as she goes is the way. 

ATB from George

Well, the deal is done. A five year term with the Conservatives.

Let's hope Cameron is true to his word of working for the benefit of all in a United Kingdom.

I imagine very little will be wrung in his discussions for a new deal with Europe - but that's basically because the rest of Europe is a bunch of sour grapes and the European Commission will hang on to its lucrative bureaucracy like the leach it is. Any way, any referendum will be fought with Cameron leading 60% of the Conservative Party to vote to stay in Europe and most of the Opposition parties (UKIP excepted) persuading their members likewise or risk being called hypocrites !

As for the NHS.................probably best to start looking around for private health insurance ?

Er?