Let me summarise my mood.
I fear that Labour's plans for this country are truly terrible.
The Tories may get just too many seats to be wiped out - but have more than enough to split.
If the LibDems win my constituency I will be pleased, but how do they make a difference? I don't know.
Reform as the fourth party is a disaster. And Labour will do nothing to arrest their progress.
I worry for Scotland. Labour treats it with contempt.
And I have fingers crossed for at least four Greens, because that would make a big difference , but may not happen.
So, how do I feel? Despondent. Despairing. Angry at Labour. Taking little comfort from Tory losses, and worried that those with real convictions have not made headway.
I am going to sleep now.
At 5 I will reappraise things.
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
There are links to this blog's glossary in the above post that explain technical terms used in it. Follow them for more explanations.
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
Buy me a coffee!
I find these results pretty depressing too Richard. . Reform on 13, and the Greens on only two.
However, John Curtice has just pointed out these are not necessarily how things will turn out.
And it’s been pointed out that labour’s number of seats is not a reflection of its support in the country.
So I’ll be up later to hopefully see more Green MPs, fewer reform ones and plenty of utter tory arseholes losing.
Let’s see. Off to bed myself.
The fight back starts tomorrow.
I can’t say that I feel excited by the exit poll simply because I don’t see Labour doing what is necessary to improve this country – rebuild public services, seriously deal with climate change, remove or at least severely reduce division etc. Simply make things better. I hope I’m wrong but I just don’t think I will be.
I’m hoping to see the likes of Gullis, 30p Lee, Rees-Mogg along with others responsible for the horror show of the last 14 years who are still standing get booted out such as Patel, Braverman etc. Also, I hope that the former MP for where I live, who didn’t have the guts to fight the seat at this election because he was very likely to lose and went off to be the Tory candidate in a seat in the south, fail to win that seat.
Craig
OK. I’ll fess up. We cheated. Sue us. Bottle no 1 opened when Grant Schapps went. Bottle no 2 Penny Mordaunt. Both drunk. Bottle no 3 for Rees Mogg. Probably won’t finish that one – there’s only two of us! Richard, I share your view that this incarnation of Labour won’t do enough by a long stretch – but I’m afraid that despite that, I have to hope that they will somehow, someway, be better for the country. Fingers crossed.
Bubbly optimism from you I think
I have only done coffee….
A landslide. Terrible. Better than the tories, but like you say Richard.
To sum up so far; good points:
1) Tories have lost loads of seats, including JRM.
2) Greens gained 2 so far, despite FPTP.
3) Tories wiped out in Wales.
Bad points:
1) Tories still got over 20% of the vote, after 14 years of disaster!
2) Tories still the official opposition
3) Reform doing well. John Curtice said 2/3 labour gains enabled by Reform taking Tory vote
4) Labour have massive majority but only slightly gain in % of the vote. FPTP strikes again.
So yes the Tory turds have gone, but…..
Glad to see Reform did much worse and the Greens did significantly better than the exit poll suggested. Rather than the fourth party, Reform are (currently) sixth behind Sinn Fein and the SNP.
One thing that is painfully apparent is that the Conservatives have been destroyed by first past the post.
What now for both the right and the left? Are they meaningful concepts now?
No, they’re not
From The Grauniad
2023 (latest figures): 410 seats, 33.9% vote share
2019: 202 seats, 32.1% vote share
2017: 262 seats, 40.0% vote share
2015: 232 seats, 30.4% vote share
2010: 258 seats, 29.0% vote share
So they have a massive majority on a lower share of the votes than they got in 2017
Indeed…..
Labour got 20% of those registered to vote. 9.65m votes out of 48.2m registered. Don’t know how many eligible voters are not registered.
It has been an interesting night. I decided not to watch, although the temptation of all the “Portillo” moments was strong. Instead, I retired early and got up early, went for a walk, and then had a look at the results. Even though the Tories took a pasting, it was a very mixed night.
1) In my constituency, the Tory held on, winning by around 4%. I’m annoyed with the LibDems and Greens, who between them got 12%. They had no chance of winning the seat, and the tactical vote didn’t work here. Reform took several thousand Tory votes, but it is what it is. FPTP.
2) Labour, 33.8% of the vote? The polls that regularly gave them over 40% were way off. Labour should be embarrassed. It shows the absurdity of FPTP.
3) Unfortunately, the Tories are still the official opposition. There were not enough Portillo moments, with the likes of Sunak, Cleverley, Badenough, Braverman and other extremists surviving. Despite their defeat, they live to fight another day, and with Farage now an MP, if he does fancy his chances as Tory leader, all he needs to do is walk across the floor of the house. Or do a deal with the Tories where Reform and the Tories join together, on the understanding that Farage is anointed leader. The Tory membership would support that.
4) The grifter Farage finally won a seat. I think I will cross Clacton off any holiday destination list. I really hope that Labour are serious about addressing issues of what should be expected from MP’s. Perhaps stopping them treating being an MP as a side hustle job, should be a start. Ban them from being TV and media hosts. Farage will hate that. Also, make sure that they have to spend time in their constituency every week (outside of a holiday, but surely Clacton is a holiday destination? Farage is a lucky man.)
5) The Greens have four seats, including the two leaders. Good for them.
6) 6 independents won. I think they mainly won in seats that Lab would have hoped to win.
Labour may have won a landslide, but they owe it to the absurdity of FPTP.
Interesting times ahead.