May 06, 2005

• lib dems are gaining ~10% in those areas reporting so far. doesn't make any difference though. the united kingdom should embrace proportional representation as an electoral system. discuss. ideally, proportional representation in terms of an stv calculated to second decimal.
• We're liveblogging it over here, if anybody fancies popping along and having a chat...
• I think proportional representation would cause an explosion of new single-issue political parties, a virtual guarantee of perpetual minority governments, and a likelihood of multi-party "coalition" goverments with small niche-minority parties holding power in excess of their popular support. All of that may sound good to you, but consider a Conservative minority in coalition with an ultra-right religious party holding balance of power. I'll stick with "first-past-the-post". It's served resonably well so far. Anyway...on with the results. Go SNP!!!

• Go SNP!!!

  and you disagree with proportional representation? well, i don't know where to begin...
• to an extent it depends how you organise proportional representation ... there are very many different ways ... too drunk to explain right now! However we have already had a several governments elected on a minority of the vote, with extremely large majorities therefore able to push through through their policies without proper scrutiny ...
• boris johnson is on bbc world now. he's such a tosser, omg, no really, he's such a complete tosser. fuck me, he's such a complete wanker it is hard to believe.
• WE LOVE BORIS YOU LEAVE BORIS ALONE BORIS IS GREAT
• he's been on BBC1 and made no sense at all ... but at least provided some amusement. Paxo told him he'd come out with the 'most pathetic argument he'd ever heard' definitely most amusing moment so far ...
• okay, his fringe has convinced me. go boris! he's so drunk on teevee now
• How can they be so DUMB?
• The horrific memory of thatcherism is what won the election for Tony B.Liar.
• Paxman's going mad. He's currently working on a ratio of 13% interviewing, 6% analysis, 81% taking the piss out of the BBC.
• I'm bereft of telly so I'm missing Paxman and relying on you monkeys to keep me updated please...
• That's pretty normal for paxo!
• Watching this shit is more exhausting than the US elections... but their bar graphs are sooo much prettier than CNN...!
• For me, (even though I am a yank) I think Tony Blair is a lying prick, yet the alternatives scare me even more.
• I think we need an interrupting ratio of BBC1 vs ITV. I'm sure the BBC would win
• I just woke up. Went and voted like a good little girl this morning. My opinion of the Conservatives perhaps can best be expressed in the title of this fair page. Site's got a naughty name, but it's SFW. Unless you hit the more naughty fanfics.
• Most terrifying thing I've ever seen: Peter Snow's CGI robot Michael Howard.
• Although the robot Michael Howard turns out to have been modelled on a look-a-like rather than the man himself. I don't know if that makes it better or worse.
• Best of luck to you all. Better than we got, at any rate.
• It's almost getting interesting. Labour's majority could be really very small indeed - predictions are ranging anywhere between 20 and 70 seats. There's no clear national pattern emerging yet - the parties are taking votes from each other every which way, with huge regional variations. And there's a few really big seats that'll declare in the next hour or so...
• Labour just passed the 324 seat mark and are confirmed as the next government. Interested to hear if slimy George galloway will get in in Bethnal Geen and Bow as looks likely. My lad in Oxford East got a respectable (ahem) 800 odd votes for libertarian socialism.
• Galloway's won it in Bethnal Green for a combination of Trotskyism and communalist politics - opportunist tosser.
• Twat twat twat twat twat twat twat twat twat twat.
• Galloway, not Abiezer_Coppe, that is.
• This is depressing. The LibDems look like they're going to get less seats than before. Northern Scotland looks nice in yellow and orange. Maybe I'll move to Scotland.
• Well, I am a bit of a twat too flashboy it has to be said. It was quite amusing to hear Galloway using his acceptance speech to call for the returning officer to resign - makes a change from the usual glib pleasantries. But what a fucked up mess Respect is.
• The LibDems look like they're going to get less seats than before. Fear not - they've already beaten their total from last time, and look likely to get even more. They'll have the largest number of seats for a Liberal party since the First World War... As I type this, they just gained Falmouth from Labour. Near where I used to live. Woo. Also, they're the only party to have consistently made gains across all regions and demographics. They're the big winners of this election (more so, for example, than the actual winners).
• Yay (^_^) This has been an amazingly low-key election. I'm kinda disappointed, but somehow relieved as well. British stoicism can be rather attractive. Too late for bed, too early for class. What's a girl to do after a big night following the General Election?
• flashboy, is that the map in Mofi-T-shirt-brown?
• I wonder what Blair means by the stuff about taking notice of the reduced majority. Most likely nothing. Probably not any significant change of direction. But it might mean a new assault on old Labour, with a view to making Britain safe for centrist social democracy. Perhaps even a gesture to the Liberals? I seem to remember that previously he clearly wanted a kind of coalition, but had such an embarassingly large majority it made no kind of sense.
• anyone remember what the tories got in 87? as this is Labour's equivalent election ... I seem to remember it was a majority of 100+ which puts this in some kind of perspective...
• Sorry, I went to bed early yesterday - did I miss anything interesting?
• Nah. I believe it was in fact 102 in 1987, ddc. Labour had about 30% of the vote on that occasion.
• I see the Labour "dairy" man got back in Alnedra's constituency, btw, though there was a 5% swing to the Tories. The Liberal improved substantially on last time but he was too far behind to have a real chance.
• HA HA! My gypsy friends are again free to roam the land, and we immigrant nogoodniks will take your jobs, benefits and comely women-folk for another four years! Hurrah!
• I object to the racist comments above. I am a gypsy and find that chav's remarks very ironic. Harumph harumph.
• Pfui! I'm moving to Canada anyway...
• I wonder what Pommie Land is like, nowadays? Changed a lot since I went to school there. The only things I miss are curry, hashish & English Pubs. Oh, and proper cider. And proper fish & chips. Nice woods. A few other things.
• It's a lot better now, because I live there. Australia however is teh sux because of that Perth guy and his hay houses and shit.
• I have marijuana and beer. I may post pictures of my hot MILF wife in my profile later to make you seethe. However, I am fat and horrendously ugly.
• So am I. Let us be brothers o'er the waves. Pass the bong, and these people can return to talking about their Ireland erection or whatever.
• Graeme Smith's a young man (only 27!), he's got time to dig himself in. Just glad that there was a 5 percent increase in favour of the LibDems here, which is a way bigger increase (%age wise) for the Conservatives. Can't believe Veritas actually got 1.3% here. *shudder*
• Also, can I just say that I absolutely loathe George Galloway. Jeremy Paxman's interview with him is quite nice, though. Sometimes I really do like Paxman
• Boring boring boring? And here I thought this was going to be about Arsenal.
• Write a caption for this picture. Mine: Now I've really got them by the balls!
• Now I've really got them by the balls! "And it's time to squeeeeeeze them!" /James T. Kirk voice
• Monkey holds Hartlepool
• minda25: "Nice voterses, vote for nice Labour! Give ussss preciousssss majority! It's ours, it is, and we WANTS it!!"
• Gordon Brown is smiling because he has the Ring. Blair shortly to be sent to Morrrrdorrrrrr.
• Now now Mr Languagehat you're some years behind the times with your boring Arsenal comments!