Friday 8th May 2015

[AngryAsWell]

Ed Balls has lost by 400 !

and the Greens had just over 1000 - I hate them, and no, no apology, they are ideological idiots

[pk1]

@ShippersUnbound: I know he divides opinion but Ed Balls is one of the grown ups and a man who cares about politics. This is a loss for the Commons.

@LordNorth: @ShippersUnbound his defeat does give Lab opp to move on from the BrownBallsMili tax and spend perception.

[tinyclanger2]

Ed Balls has lost by 400 !

and the Greens had just over 1000 - I hate them, and no, no apology, they are ideological idiots

I completely understand the feeling. "If only ...." But given the distance between the Tories' interests and the actual population of the country, I would really advocate a coalition of resistance in the future, so that we work together across the non-Tory parties to effect a more substantive change.

[LadyCentauria]

There are four seats in the North-East not due to declare until midday, St. Ives is due at 1pm, and we already know that Thanet South is not due until 10am, I think the same goes for Thanet North. That leaves us with 33 seats long overdue but expected, one or two in recounts.

[pk1]

@PickardJE: Biggest question for Tories now is how to find £20bn for uncosted pledges that they thought they could drop while blaming Lib Dem partners.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Ed Balls has lost by 400 !

and the Greens had just over 1000 - I hate them, and no, no apology, they are ideological idiots

I completely understand the feeling. "If only ...." But given the distance between the Tories' interests and the actual population of the country, I would really advocate a coalition of resistance in the future, so that we work together across the non-Tory parties to effect a more substantive change.

But it doesn't work like that. The Greens will always want to stand everywhere and they are a completely different party so they wouldn't be interested in an accomodation.

[tinyclanger2]

Thanks everyone for contributing here. This was the only way I could have coped with this "event". Am sorry it's so disappointing, and will also try to stop suggesting what to do next. I know it's annoying. It's a bad habit, it's just my way of dealing with it.

[LadyCentauria]

Ed Balls has lost by 400 !

and the Greens had just over 1000 - I hate them, and no, no apology, they are ideological idiots

I'd look more to the over-seven-thousand who voted for UKIP, if you want ideological idiots...

[letsskiptotheleft]

Labour lost the Gower by 27 votes, TUSC got something like 120.

Well done. As for Ed Balls, I give up, I really do.

[pk1]

@theteenspirit: Dear electorate: I am 17, unable to vote, and as the people responsible for my future, you have failed me tonight. Thanks very much.

And with that I'm off to try and get some sleep. My pillow will be wet with tears of despair.

[tinyclanger2]

and the Greens had just over 1000 - I hate them, and no, no apology, they are ideological idiots

I completely understand the feeling. "If only ...." But given the distance between the Tories' interests and the actual population of the country, I would really advocate a coalition of resistance in the future, so that we work together across the non-Tory parties to effect a more substantive change.

But it doesn't work like that. The Greens will always want to stand everywhere and they are a completely different party so they wouldn't be interested in an accomodation.

But we have to change the way we do politics. (At least that's how I see it). I expect I am just trying to avoid sinking into despair.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Blaming the Greens is pointless, tbh.

Their (almost entirely anti-Labour) positioning pre-election was idiotic and opportunistic, but that will hopefully change with a grown up (Lucas) back in charge.

(as will surely happen)

[daydreamer]

Well morning, and what a crap morning it is

I stayed away from here, and the MSM as we drew nearer the election. Nothing wrong with you lovely people, just my building sense of dread and foreboding gave me a serious case of the black dog. It was clear what was going to happen as soon as Lib Dem and Labour activists and canvassers (spelling?) began to report back the dozens and dozens of people who on the doorstep were raising the issue unprompted of the SNP controlling Labour. It cut through and how! But that's because they have the MSM (including the Beeb) onside and also the stories (see my new sig). The left need the stories/narrative to tell a disinterested electorate, not just facts and figures.

TE is right it's the SNP who are the main reason for the result, (plus Lib Dem collapse in South West, of course). The Fucking SNP have delivered a Tory government again, just like they did in 1979. It's the result they wanted, as it gets them what they want, devil take the rest of us. What a deeply unpleasant country we have become.

I'd like to thank all those of you who fought so hard for a Labour victory, I feel gutted for you and for us all.

I went to bed early, but saw the exit poll (316 Con and 239 Labour) and knew then it was all over. Exit polls are usually accurate. I've not been able to sleep and felt sick all night.

I got up early to avoid the news so I wouldn't see the MSM and Tory gloating, (though a small part of you refuses to look so you can keep your denial for a little bit longer).

My denial was slowly punctured by hubby giving me a sympathetic look as he left for work. He didn't say anything, he didn't need to.

Confirmation was forthcoming when I drove my son to his grandma's (she takes him to school). I looked at people's faces, as I drove past. Not many people out, but their expressions were grim.

Mostly people have neutral expressions or happy if they are chatting to friends at bus stop etc. But not today, most looked like someone had just raped and murdered their love ones in front of them. But this is Barnsley, and you only ever truly learn to hate the Tory scum deep, deep in your heart, when you've been screwed over by them. Something the rest of the country's going to have to happen to them, sadly. Clearly, not enough people hate them, or fear them enough yet.

So, I came home and knowing the truth, have come to commiserate with my friends here.

I'm so scared. I'm in despair. Good bye all that we hold dear.

I'm sorry for being so depressing.

@PF, please forgive my awful grammar and spelling. Can't really concentrate today.

I love you all

I'm going to have to leave for a few minutes, as I'm sobbing now. I'm heartbroken.

[letsskiptotheleft]

And why is there is a bulk of people who wouldn't vote Tory if they life depended on it, but quite happily vote UKIP?

[frightful_oik]

@PickardJE: Biggest question for Tories now is how to find £20bn for uncosted pledges that they thought they could drop while blaming Lib Dem partners.

It really isn't. The MSM will cover their backs and most people really won't ask themselves why everything's going tits up. Those that do will find a scapegoat like the EU or immigration provided for them.

[NonOxCol]

I mean we're actually going to do this - hand their first majority in 23 years to THIS PRICK?

[tinyclanger2]

And why is there is a bulk of people who wouldn't vote Tory if they life depended on it, but quite happily vote UKIP?

Am with you on that. Not very edifying.

[LadyCentauria]

@PickardJE: Biggest question for Tories now is how to find £20bn for uncosted pledges that they thought they could drop while blaming Lib Dem partners.

And that's on top of the £30Bn cuts they've either planned/costed – or not, in terms of £12bn of them...

[AnatolyKasparov]

Labour lost the Gower by 27 votes, TUSC got something like 120.

Well done. As for Ed Balls, I give up, I really do.

Balls is partly to blame for what has happened, though. As he may realise himself now.

[PorFavor]

Losing Ed Balls is an enormous blow. Not because I'm a great believer in his abilities\theories but because he is such a totemic figure. It might have been handy not to have had him around before and during this election, but now is not a good time to have lost him for morale reasons.


Edited to remove a full stop. Some things can still be relied upon in a mad world . . . .

[yahyah]

My husband's just brought me back to earth, reminding me that Labour still wouldn't have won regardless of Scottish seats.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Labour lost the Gower by 27 votes, TUSC got something like 120.

Well done. As for Ed Balls, I give up, I really do.

Balls is partly to blame for what has happened, though. As he may realise himself now.

But another question, how do you do politics in the absence of any reliable opinion polling?

[SpinningHugo]

Labour lost the Gower by 27 votes, TUSC got something like 120.

Well done. As for Ed Balls, I give up, I really do.

Balls is partly to blame for what has happened, though. As he may realise himself now.

There is another person with considerably more responsibility.

[AnatolyKasparov]

I mean we're actually going to do this - hand their first majority in 23 years to THIS PRICK?

Tories/SNP - one of the most devastatingly effective "unholy alliances" since the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.

Hopefully things end equally gruesomely for both of them

[tinyclanger2]

Labour lost Ed Balls' seat because Labour voters went to UKIP. Labour's northern base is now in places where UKIP in 2nd. Not a good look.

Agree this is not a good look at all. It's true the left need stories which better explain the facts we're trying to get over. I wish it wasn't the case, but I believe that it is.

[PorFavor]

Good morfternoon.

Apologies for the lapse - but I'm sure you all understand.

[TechnicalEphemera]

I mean we're actually going to do this - hand their first majority in 23 years to THIS PRICK?

Tories/SNP - one of the most devastatingly effective "unholy alliances" since the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.

Hopefully things end equally gruesomely for both of them

They couldn't have been better for each other if they had planned it (which of course they did).

So now what, Indy Ref 2 which the SNP may win but which will destroy the Scottish economy?

Cameron leads a rabble who will go nuts over the Euro referendum.

[daydreamer]

I mean we're actually going to do this - hand their first majority in 23 years to THIS PRICK?

Yes, it seems we are Like I said, what a deeply nasty, ignorant country we have become (everyone on here excepted, of course). But, I suppose that's to be expected when the electorate is dumbed down, the fourth estate is captured by the corporate elites, corruption and seer vileness and lies flourish, and democracy no longer exists in a country (and it really doesn't). It's what 36 years and counting of Neoliberalism brainwashing and scape-goating does for you.

What a shit hole this country has become.

[yahyah]

Labour lost the Gower by 27 votes, TUSC got something like 120.

Well done. As for Ed Balls, I give up, I really do.

I hope they are happy with their days work.

[daydreamer]

Ed Balls has lost by 400 !

and the Greens had just over 1000 - I hate them, and no, no apology, they are ideological idiots

I'd look more to the over-seven-thousand who voted for UKIP, if you want ideological idiots...

Both of them.

[yahyah]

Losing Ed Balls is an enormous blow. Not because I'm a great believer in his abilities\theories but because he is such a totemic figure. It might have been handy not to have had him around before and during this election, but now is not a good time to have lost him for morale reasons.


Edited to remove a full stop. Some things can still be relied upon in a mad world . . . .

Hi PF. Have you brought a cat with you, miss my old girl at times like this.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Labour lost the Gower by 27 votes, TUSC got something like 120.

Well done. As for Ed Balls, I give up, I really do.

Balls is partly to blame for what has happened, though. As he may realise himself now.

There is another person with considerably more responsibility.

Really? So how would your alternative Labour fantasy have handled the SNP effect, the media backing for the Tories and the total collapse of the Lib Dems in their heartlands. Plus the rise of UKIP.

Because I don't think any of the Blairite tendency have a clue.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Labour lost the Gower by 27 votes, TUSC got something like 120.

Well done. As for Ed Balls, I give up, I really do.

Balls is partly to blame for what has happened, though. As he may realise himself now.

There is another person with considerably more responsibility.

Well, unsurprisingly that may be an area where we do not entirely agree......

I will just point out for now that Miliband had his best moments when he was true to his own instincts, and his worst problems were often through taking the advice of his largely clueless "image makers" or bending over backwards to satisfy Blairites who would never accept the legitimacy of his leadership.

Anyway, he's gone - quite possibly today. Labour needs people untainted by the last government, especially the interminable draining and ultimately destructive Blair/Brown wars. Dan Jarvis/Stella Creasy "dream ticket", anyone?

[daydreamer]

Labour lost the Gower by 27 votes, TUSC got something like 120.

Well done. As for Ed Balls, I give up, I really do.

When are the left going to ever learn to (stop being yanked around by the Tory press and) stop splitting the left vote? When??

[SpinningHugo]

What is the average age of Tory MPs. Any oldsters in marginals?

Byelections may become interesting.

[tinyclanger2]

I mean we're actually going to do this - hand their first majority in 23 years to THIS PRICK?

Tories/SNP - one of the most devastatingly effective "unholy alliances" since the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.

Hopefully things end equally gruesomely for both of them

They couldn't have been better for each other if they had planned it (which of course they did).

So now what, Indy Ref 2 which the SNP may win but which will destroy the Scottish economy?

Cameron leads a rabble who will go nuts over the Euro referendum.

And who will bail them out because England sure as hell won't have anything in the bank once the Tories have finished with it.
Anyone would think we liked having thieving scum ruling our sorry English asses (which reminds me that after Cartimandua - of handing Caratacus to the Romans fame - came Vortigern who invited in the Saxons ....). And now we have xenophobes and nationalists (English, Welsh and Scottish) handing the English to the Tories, and opening the path to division and our final demise into the tiny, skint, irrelevant country whose workforce the Tories will then be able to deploy to undercut, say, China.

[daydreamer]

Ed Balls has lost by 400 !

and the Greens had just over 1000 - I hate them, and no, no apology, they are ideological idiots

Yep, AAW, hard to disagree. Also SNP and UKIP and F*ckwits like Excatherdia (or whatever they are called on the Guardian), slagging Labour off at every opportunity and telling us to vote for the bloody TUSC.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Balls is partly to blame for what has happened, though. As he may realise himself now.

There is another person with considerably more responsibility.

Well, unsurprisingly that may be an area where we do not entirely agree......

I will just point out for now that Miliband had his best moments when he was true to his own instincts, and his worst problems were often through taking the advice of his largely clueless "image makers" or bending over backwards to satisfy Blairites who would never accept the legitimacy of his leadership.

Anyway, he's gone - quite possibly today. Labour needs people untainted by the last government, especially the interminable draining and ultimately destructive Blair/Brown wars. Dan Jarvis/Stella Creasy "dream ticket", anyone?

If Jarvis has a clue maybe, but he hasn't got any track record. I think that it was a mistake not to promote him. Creasy maybe, because she is fairly effective.

[Swarthlander]

It's a bad result, I'm torn between rage and weeping. My country has proved itself to be selfish and IMO ignorant of the future. The electorate gets what it deserves, etc, etc.

I think there are some positives:
The Tories now have to clean up their own mess and they can't blame it on anyone else.
The LibDems have been destroyed. I look forward to watching P Ashdown eat his hat.
McVile has gone.
Unfortunately Ed Balls has gone but he was, at times, a bit of a millstone.
I think the SNP supporters are in for a shock. The Nats could destroy Scotland. They will try to force the break-up of the UK and that will not be goo for Scotland.
The facists have not done as well as they hoped.
The polling organisations were useless and need to look at themselves.

Now Labour has to regroup, find out what's happened and why, plan well for the next campaign, retire the Blairites and for god's sake drop the 'working people/families' crap.


The sun is shining here (for now), so I'm going to tend to my fruit trees and live by my father's old addage - "life's a shit, deal with it."


Good morning.

[yahyah]

Please can we hold back on ditching Ed talk until later in the day.

It just feels too raw just now.

[daydreamer]

@ShippersUnbound: I know he divides opinion but Ed Balls is one of the grown ups and a man who cares about politics. This is a loss for the Commons.

@LordNorth: @ShippersUnbound his defeat does give Lab opp to move on from the BrownBallsMili tax and spend perception.

Hi PK,

But, excuse my ignorance, but isn't tax and spend the Keynes (usual way an economy is run) way of doing things, i.e. government raises taxes for the benefit of spending on the things the country needs, to the benefit of us all?

[LadyCentauria]

Dunno about ages, Hugo; but I mentioned the threat to them of by-elections, earlier. Especially, if they do only end up with a small working majority.

[AngryAsWell]

Blaming the Greens is pointless, tbh.

Their (almost entirely anti-Labour) positioning pre-election was idiotic and opportunistic, but that will hopefully change with a grown up (Lucas) back in charge.

(as will surely happen)

It was Lucas loudly singing the lie "Labour signed to 30 billion of cuts" that swung a lot, not to greens, but to the general "they are all the same" line.- how is that grown up?

[AngryAsWell]

Please can we hold back on ditching Ed talk until later in the day.

It just feels too raw just now.

Agree, I don't want a different leader.

[tinyclanger2]

Please can we hold back on ditching Ed talk until later in the day.

It just feels too raw just now.

Agree, I don't want a different leader.

Me neither. I want a five-year plan to change this bullshit situation we have now.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Blaming the Greens is pointless, tbh.

Their (almost entirely anti-Labour) positioning pre-election was idiotic and opportunistic, but that will hopefully change with a grown up (Lucas) back in charge.

(as will surely happen)

It was Lucas loudly singing the lie "Labour signed to 30 billion of cuts" that swung a lot, not to greens, but to the general "they are all the same" line.- how is that grown up?

She was doing what Bennett told her. And can now use the relative Green failure as evidence that it was wrong headed.

[frightful_oik]

Please can we hold back on ditching Ed talk until later in the day.

It just feels too raw just now.

Agree, I don't want a different leader.

I suspect he'll resign.

[PorFavor]

@yahyah

Hello.

Constance isn't in the room with me at the moment but she did (really) sigh very deeply and came to bed with me. It was an, "Oh, God. I suppose I'd better rise to what is obviously a distressing occasion for the human" sort of sigh. She then put a lot of wellie into purring long and loud, which was soothing. She's certainly got a lot more nous than most of the electorate.

[SpinningHugo]

Balls is partly to blame for what has happened, though. As he may realise himself now.

There is another person with considerably more responsibility.

Well, unsurprisingly that may be an area where we do not entirely agree......

I will just point out for now that Miliband had his best moments when he was true to his own instincts, and his worst problems were often through taking the advice of his largely clueless "image makers" or bending over backwards to satisfy Blairites who would never accept the legitimacy of his leadership.

Anyway, he's gone - quite possibly today. Labour needs people untainted by the last government, especially the interminable draining and ultimately destructive Blair/Brown wars. Dan Jarvis/Stella Creasy "dream ticket", anyone?

5 years of drift couldn't be corrected in a few weeks.

We need to make sure we don't repeat the mistake of the 2010 election.

I agree that we don't want someone of the earlier era. No Burnham.

[SpinningHugo]

Please can we hold back on ditching Ed talk until later in the day.

It just feels too raw just now.

Agree, I don't want a different leader.

I do. I think even Miliband will now accept that that is what we need.