Quote: Gussie Fink Nottle @ 7th May 2015, 11:32 PM BST

A vegetarian.
Well, that's what he says....

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Sunderland has given a 4% swing to Labour and UKIP are plus 15% there. Tories down 3%. So the North East isn't having it but then it wouldn't do at any time. Lord Mandelson is already on Twitter delighting in the fact the exit poll suggests Miliband's blown it. To my mind, he's hardly Labour at all.

Quote: Gussie Fink Nottle @ 7th May 2015, 11:47 PM BST

Vernon Coaker suspected of losing his seat.

Yes! There is a God!

Now there is a lizard I'll be happy to see the back of.

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I mix him up with the bloke who wrote "How To Stop Your Doctor Killing You".

But that was Vernon Coleman. It is available at all good book shops etc now.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1898947147/comedyguide-21/

Inside info tells me a very, very safe Labour seat here is going to SNP. Thought the exit poll prediction of 58 seats was mad. Now not so sure.

Quote: keewik @ 7th May 2015, 11:58 PM BST

Inside info tells me a very, very safe Labour seat here is going to SNP. Thought the exit poll prediction of 58 seats was mad. Now not so sure.

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It must be an exciting night for you. How does it work if the Tories get an overall majority and all of the Scottish seats go to SNP? That works constitutionally but logically it has to lead to an actual war.

Doesn't it?

Surely it would be totally untenable.

Quote: Gussie Fink Nottle @ 7th May 2015, 11:47 PM BST

Vernon Coaker suspected of losing his seat.

Yes! There is a God!

Now there is a lizard I'll be happy to see the back of.

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Gussie, I'm switching the TV on and may dip in and out of the forum. If you are not around, I will see you on the other side. If the lights go out, we can always communicate via the surveillance systems.

Quote: A Horseradish @ 8th May 2015, 12:05 AM BST

It must be an exciting night for you. How does it work if the Tories get an overall majority and all of the Scottish seats go to SNP? That works constitutionally but logically it has to lead to an actual war.

Doesn't it?

Surely it would be totally untenable.

Gussie, I'm switching the TV on and may dip in and out of the forum. If you are not around, I will see you on the other side.

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Nah, lots of folk who voted against independence will be lending their vote to the SNP to represent Scottish interests. Many will see the SNP as the awkward squad best suited to give Westminster a hard time.
So I don't think it really undermines things.
But no doubt will present their victory as a demand for independence.

On a related note, several parties are now demanding a change to the voting system.
If one gives into the demand, that will grant legitimacy to a SNP demand for another referendum.
After all, we only just had a referendum on a voting system.
So if it's possible to repeat that, why not the other?
So I think not.

Quote: Gussie Fink Nottle @ 8th May 2015, 12:10 AM BST

Nah, lots of folk who voted against independence will be lending their vote to the SNP to represent Scottish interests. Many will see the SNP as the awkward squad best suited to give Westminster a hard time.
So I don't think it really undermines things.
But no doubt will present their victory as a demand for independence.

On a related note, several parties are now demanding a change to the voting system.
If one gives into the demand, that will grant legitimacy to a SNP demand for another referendum.
After all, we only just had a referendum on a voting system.
So if it's possible to repeat that, why not the other?
So I think not.

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Harumph. You have a point. I would, though, say the referendum wasn't about PR. We were duped.

I'm just totally bemused here. Can't believe what's going on.

Quote: keewik @ 8th May 2015, 12:16 AM BST

I'm just totally bemused here. Can't believe what's going on.

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Yours is different.

We've just got Jeremy Vine in a theoretical fantasy land.

The biggest mistake Labour made.....not offering an EU referendum.

I'm betting there'll be loads of Labour to UKIP votes by close of play.

Quote: Gussie Fink Nottle @ 7th May 2015, 10:30 PM BST

The downside of this in particular model is that it will empower the barmy right of the Tory party. The last five years, Cameron didn't need them, as the LibDems provided sufficient buffer.
If these figures hold up, then they will command a lot of clout.

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I'm not so sure about that. An even less stable coalition or minority government could subdue them.

Could.

Quote: A Horseradish @ 7th May 2015, 10:38 PM BST

There really is something very wrong with a country when in spite of feelings totally to the contrary for five years, prayers are being said across the land for the re-election of Nick Clegg as an odd sort of saviour.

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The feelings of whom? The actual electorate, or the chattering classes of north London?

Quote: A Horseradish @ 8th May 2015, 12:26 AM BST

The biggest mistake Labour made.....not offering an EU referendum.

I'm betting there'll be loads of Labour to UKIP votes by close of play.

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Nah, the biggest mistake by Labour is their personnel.

First, their leader is rubbish. Seriously.
I've spoken to hardened Labour supporters who can't bear him.

Next, their front bench is literally staffed by the same folks who were there in the Gordon Brown meltdown.
Ed Balls? Harriet Harman? Really?

Their shadow health secretary is the same guy who was health secretary in the run up to Mid-Staffs. Andy Burnham. And they hoped for health to be their trump card!

If you have a team which so screwed up, you need to do some culling.
You cannot simply continue with the same people and expect people to change their mind.

The Tories tried that after 1997. Result: wilderness years - until their staff started changing.

Quote: A Horseradish @ 8th May 2015, 12:05 AM BST

It must be an exciting night for you. How does it work if the Tories get an overall majority and all of the Scottish seats go to SNP? That works constitutionally but logically it has to lead to an actual war.

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That's only if you're treating Scotland as a truly separate country. Which, in Westminster terms, it's not. It's just another collection of seats. I mean, by the same token, what about pretty much the whole of England, which remained Conservative under 13 years of Labour? The Scots never acknowledge the rule of the raj that way around.

Quote: Aaron @ 8th May 2015, 12:44 AM BST

The feelings of whom? The actual electorate, or the chattering classes of north London?

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Well, I think Horseradish is right that folks do hope for a mediating force (whether it be a Labour government or a Tory one).
I don't think that's just the chatterati.

Looking very bad for Labour and catastrophic for Lib Dems.

Clegg may be elected but not survive as leader.

Justine Greening just re-elected.

The best Conservative woman MP by a mile.

Hmph.

Justine Greening just kept her seat for the Tories.
Would have liked to see her go.

She screwed up the West Coast mainline contract bidding process as Transport Secretary.
24 hrs before the screw up was announced Cameron, a personal friend, moved her to overseas aid so she would not need to take responsibility.
She never answered for losing the country 40 million squid.

Think that alone should have been reason to see her go.

Quote: A Horseradish @ 8th May 2015, 12:59 AM BST

Looking very bad for Labour and catastrophic for Lib Dems.

Clegg may be elected but not survive as leader.

Justine Greening just re-elected.

The best Conservative woman MP by a mile.

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The fewer LibDem MPs there are the less options they will have for a new leader.

You must be speaking of a different Justine Greening...

Quote: Gussie Fink Nottle @ 8th May 2015, 12:59 AM BST

Hmph.

Justine Greening just kept her seat for the Tories.
Would have liked to see her go.

She screwed up the West Coast mainline contract bidding process as Transport Secretary.
24 hrs before the screw up was announced Cameron, a personal friend, moved her to overseas aid so she would not need to take responsibility.
She never answered for losing the country 40 million squid.

Think that alone should have been reason to see her go.

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You will find officials apologised to her for the bungling.

That is very rare so I think it is clear who was to blame.

She is sound, highly principled and very hard working.

I don't like the Tories - but I know quality when I see it.

Quote: A Horseradish @ 8th May 2015, 1:03 AM BST

You will find officials apologised to her for the bungling.

That is very rare so I think it is clear who was to blame.

She is sound, highly principled and very hard working.

I don't like the Tories - but I know quality when I see it.

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Yep, it was the officials wot done it.
Not a chance.

I remember a time when there was ministerial responsibility and accountability.

I also remember her successor, the new transport secretary standing on the steps of his ministry taking the flak for something he had nothing to do with.
Wonder why that was, if it was merely the underlings...?

Also I wonder why she ran if she'd done nothing wrong?

So no, it was a very cheap tactic to skedaddle her out of there.
And very cheap from the PM to rescue his chum.