I must tell you that Yasmin thought Boris's acceptance speech was very good, as did I. David Cameron has just had this to say...
"Three years ago the idea that the Conservatives would win London and build up a 20 point lead across the county would have been literally unthinkable.
"London is one of the most diverse, vibrant, successful and important cities in the world- and in Boris Johnson it is now has a Conservative Mayor.
"Boris ran a serious and energetic campaign and deserves his remarkable victory.
"Britain is crying out for real change and it is the Conservative party - modernised and united - that is winning the battle of ideas.
"We've shown there is an alternative. We must now prove it. But I believe that my party – the Conservative Party – is ready to step up for Britain"
I'll no doubt be accused of brown nosing now, but let's not forget David Cameron's personal role in achieving these magnificent results. He's played an absolute blinder over the last six months and perhaps hasn't achieved the recognition he deserves. The fact is he looks like the leader Gordon Brown can never be.
What a brilliant 48 hours it has been both for the Conservative Party and the blogosphere. I've had an absolute ball and I hope my enthusiasm has shone through my words on the blog and on the media. The ability of the blogosphere to provide people with instant news and analysis has been amply demonstrated over the last few days. The various broadcasters need to learn how to use this new media in the future because it can provide much which tired nd gimmicky broadcasting formats never will.
Anyway, tomorrow I shall have a lie in and then watch West Ham win 5-0 at Old Trafford. Well, that's the plan!
53 comments:
Great speech by Boris, a moving one from Ken and quite a graceless one from Paddick - I don't think he even congratulated Boris, did he?
No accusation of brown nosing from me, I was thinking the same thing... suppose David Davis had won? I fear that GB would be looking good.
Get some well-earned sleep.
Gordo just doesn`t get it does he? I thought he was awful today. Just repeating the same thing,that hes going to listen. But thats what he said when he became PM. he said then that he wanted to listen to what the people had to say. hes still saying it now because he doesn`t know what else to say. Pathetic.
Also he keeps talking about taking the country forward....what the hell does that mean?
Have really enjoyed your commentary over the last 24 or so hours - thanks Iain. Kept your site refreshed throughout last night, and found it the best source of information. And now, get some sleep! Thank you
Great blogging Iain. Have a great sleep, we're all knackered!
Frankly I would say that falling house prices AND the departure of the commensurate politician of our age has more to do with it than Cameroon.
You did extremely well yourself, Iain, and it was no surprise that commenters on the ConHome live chat this evening said you looked tired on Sky (I don't have Sky myself BTW).
I commented there that you and Pickles are both stars (and I added that we should see more of Eric in the public arena).
Now, time to rest on this happy night!
Thanks for providing such good election coverage Iain.
Boris and Cameron have turned the corner!
Fantastic result! It's been a long time coming and richly deserved for the waiting.
For all the crap we've had to endure from Nu Lab, to this. May we go on to re-establish Britain to its former - pre-Nu Lab - glory.
superb blogging Mr Dale. thourghly enjoyable.
still can't believe that cowboy / vine thing.Now if you had the resources of the BBC political department hmm?
Watch as the tories destory London. Jobs will be lost. Crime will rise. The cirty will collpase as an economic powerhouse. Not Boris's fault he is not a mayor. It is men in the shadows, who will be found out. I like Boris but he is not a mayor and the tories he appoints will not be up to the job. They will wreck Lond within months.
London has always been my home, my city - now I have my Mayor.
Thanks for all your work, Iain.
Excellent job Iain! You and Fawkes make politics worth following. Voted for BJ (first preference and vote) and he didn't dissappoint. Go Boris! London and the country has some challenging times ahead.
Have the GLA results been announced. If they have, why is the BBC too lazy to put up the details?
5-0 Not a hope Ian - get ready to have your weekend ruined!!!
Thanks for keeping us up to date.
By the way, your 'out on a limb' prediction that the conservatives would gain more than 100 seats now seems just that - conservative. Who would have thought that they would take 300 AND win the London Mayor election aswell! Even Mr. Portillo must be surprised. (I saw the dig you had at him on the BBC coverage).
Iain, i though you handled that far-left-wing racist Yasmin Alibhai Brown very well indeed, reducing her to what the left and especially the far-left like her should be reduced to.
The Comic relief.
As a Labour Supporter , The only good thing about today was Boris getting in.
2years?Yes, that should be enough time for him to show the rest of the country what "New Tory " really means........
West Ham? oh, come on ! 5-1 ! Tevez deserves a Goal!
I remember sitting at the London Chamber of Commerce with you a few months ago when the room was asked how many people thought Boris would win. You were the only person with faith!
Well done Iain! Well done Boris! Well done the Conservative party!
While I'm by no means a Tory (in fact I'm more like a strangely independent liberal) I do agree that the last forty-eight hours have been fantastic for the blogosphere. Everyone (well, almost everyone) has contributed their own views, analysis and whispers to this, and this election the blogosphere has really come into its own as a source of opinion, fact and rumour.
(My own blog received a significant boost in traffic when I posted a picture of Jeremy Vine making an utter fool of himself with regards to the Lib Dem results, so it must be worth something.)
Congratulations, Iain, on excellent coverage throughout the last 48 hours. Now please, get some sleep.
It's like a dream but now Boris and the Conservatives must wake up and do a good job. No time for feeling smug.
Incidentally, everybody I know or spoke to said they voted Boris, even the teachers.
Sea Shanty Irish here:
Congratulations to Boris, Iain and the rest of Team Blue on an amazing performance.
While Iain is enjoying a well-earned bit of R&R, I will be eating a heaping slice of humble pie.
Because months ago, I made the rash statement (not that it appeared so at the time) that Boris Johnson (think I actually called him "Borish") had as much chance of being elected the next Mayor of London as Dick Whittington's dead cat.
As I remember, this witticism set Newmania off like a roman candle. Of course he's easily provoked. And often wrong. But not on THAT occasion.
Well, he and the rest of yez gets the last laugh this morning.
Here, kitty, kitty . . . fetch me a nice fat crow!
"The various broadcasters need to learn how to use this new media in the future because it can provide much which tired nd [sic] gimmicky broadcasting formats never will."
Didn't switch on the TV once, relied on the net and you were my main source! Congrats Iain, you did a wonderful job! Be proud fine fella!
I never usually agree with the right wing critiques here, about socialist and Marxist Government. I wouldn't usually even brook it when levelled at Livingstone (who is most emphatically not "NuLab" in the terminology of commenters here).
But it is true that Livingstone has tried to put Londoners into little boxes and interest groups just to win favour and votes. It's divided London and we need a uniting Mayor.
What has however worried me is sore loser anti-Tories across London tonight telling me I'm a Tory tosser and giving dismay when I grin and tell them the news. Boris MUST neutralise that visceral hatred if this momentum is going to roll forward.
I think he can do that. But it will take more than the doughnut strategy that's delivered the votes.
Hearty congrats to Boris & Co.
Don't screw it up now.
Two nights in a row celebrating... Hic!
I have to agree Boris's speech was good, but let us not forget it was cameron's speech at conference last year that was the real turning point.
Before that speech we were 10 pts behind in the polls, now we're 20% ahead.
Great job, Iain. I want to know one thing: How did you manage to spend so long cooped up with that ghastly woman without strangling her?
What a horrible specimen she is - patronising, opinionated, smug, ill-mannered, haughty, censorious... and as for her "Boris is not one of us" line, what makes Yasmin Alibhai-Brown such an exemplary Londonder?
Your calm and level-headed approach made her look all the more stupid.
Great blogging coverage, but you really must need sleep by now!
Not a football fan, personally, but let's hope West Ham make it a hat trick of victories!
PS: bit of a surprise about the BNP Assembly seat!
I've been nailed to the 'refresh' button for much of yesterday. Great reporting which shows why blogging can be so powerful.
In all the pleasure given by the election resutls one other interesting issue has been missed which has equally as long term relevance. Stuart Wheeler has won the first part of his case against the Government in asking for a judicial review of their decision not to hold a referendum on the the EU Constitution Treaty. Go to www.stuartwheeler.co.uk for more details. Congratulations to this steadfast supporter of the Conservative Party , now is the time for us to give him suppport.
Winners: DC; BJ; the blogosphere; the public
Losers: GB; KL; BBC
All in all an excellent 48 hours
I thought the men in the shadows had been found out!
The city is collapsing as a financial power house - they are off to Dublin!
Iain,
You're quite right about Cameron - but hopelessly modest about your own contribution.
Bloggers like you, Guido, Fraser , etc have made a massive impact directly to people's laptops and also in influencing the MSM. Kudos.
You have all made politics fun again.
Conservative HQ should draw further on what you have to offer in the run up the the next general election.
Believe me, you'll come to regret this. When crime soars, London's infrastructure crumbles and people turn against the Same Old Tories you won't be gloating.
Boris may be a buffoon, but at least he's not a communist one.
Bloody good news! Praise the Lord! Thank God!
There is hope for Londonistan. What will Red Ken do next?
:)
.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
elect a communist
someone who will work full-time
to destroy your country
.
http://haltterrorism.com
http://lulu.com/uspace
.
Well done and thanks Iain. You've been magnificent-now get into parliament!
Brilliant work over the last 48 hours Iain. Well done!
Right result as well. Happiest I have been in a good few years.
I thought you were better than usual on Sky last night. I could tell you were tired (who would not be after all that blogging) but you seemed calmer and more authoratitive.
When you are recovered it would be nice to see a considered opinion on the results. In particular, I think the results form the North East have been completely misunderstood by Sky and BBC. The win in Tyneside is huge - it is not a leafy suburb as they keep saying (they are confusing it with Tynemouth). It is a deeply traditional working class area where a lot of traditional pensioner Labour voters point blank refused to turn out. That is a key reason why the local election result has bene such a disaster fo rLabour - their core vote stayed at home in protest.
I was out with some of my Ken-voting friends last night. Couldn't keep the grin off my face. After so long in the wilderness, it's not just acceptable to be a Tory, it's fun.
And thanks for the election coverage Iain.
All this is fluff compared to what is about to hit us as the self amending treaty leaves us powerless to rule our own country.
Prediction
Ken Livingstone to become leader of Labour Party and Prime Minister by end 2008.
See my forecast on Guido explaining how events will unfold.
Livingstone knows Gordon Brown is finished, absolutely dead in the water.
Contrast Livingstone's speech last night with Gordon's weakness and equivocation. "Mea Culpa, Mea maxima Culpa". No blaming of wider events or the Labour party malaise for his election loss Notice too his warm embrace of the "Labour Party", how magnificent it had been supporting his campaign. He knows the audience to whom he was appealing- the depressed and desperate Labour activists. It will take very little to persuade them that Livingstone would have romped home for a 3rd term were it not for the electoral backlash against Brown's unpopularity.
At a time when the Labour Party is bereft of leaders with experience, charisma and courage Livingstone stands out. The next step in his journey - stopping the Tory electoral bandwagon in its tracks with an outstanding win at the Nantwich and Crewe by election. What better way to demonstrate he has credentials as a winner with the leadership qualities to re energise and enthuse a demoralised party. Can anyone doubt that he has the ambition and courage to challenge Brown successfully for the leadership?
Livingstone is a fighter with a sense of destiny that one day he would lead his party and be Prime Minister. Events have now unfolded perfectly to enable him grasp those prizes.
Just as Gordon made a grave mistake in putting off His own General Election, he has made the reverse error in calling the Crewe and Nantwich by-election early.
He really really should have waited until today, before deciding the by-election date. For once he hasn't dithered and as a result has been caught short with his trousers down. He needs time to try and repair the damage, yet due to his own actions he has given himself no time.
Great political tactition he is, NOT.
The right result, and the entire election process was a joy to behold, made especially enjoyable by the excellent efforts of the bloggers - I take my hat off to you Iain in particular for your first class contribution.
Guido's rolling comments was SO MUCH fun. Looking forward to PMQ.
You should have a show where the viewers get to interject SNAP questions in interviews.
Perhaps that multiple choice thing could pop up and viewers could choose to push on with questions on change subject to something else.
A kind of Brucie Poker - Stick or Fold.
Iain,
A great bit of blogging but next time if the BBC ask you to be part of their 'coverage' you should refuse.
Asquith said
"Believe me...."
hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hello again, anomymong!
Never mind Asquith
At least you've got a BNP Councillor in Stoke on Trent (sorry Gary Elsby...)
So that should double the average house price to at least £50k
JuliaM said...
"PS: bit of a surprise about the BNP Assembly seat!"
Not really. Exciting though all this has been (and it was fun, not least thanks to Iain) the underlying truths are still there. The current political system is rotten to the core and dying of its own poison. Big change is coming and that means a whole lot more than changing the snout in the trough.
Agree with anon 12:30 reviews of the speeches. But didn't Boris fluff/bottle his joke about Meier/Mayor at the get go?? Never mind. For the next 24 hours London is safe. Then we can start to worry.
Cam is wrong of course. The results in the country are a protest vote based on one particular issue - the 10p tax gaffe - which Brown should have squared off immediately the attacks belatedly began. London has been less moved by that but in the final analysis it was close enough that the stay homes and protests on that did tip the balance.
Ken very gracious to accept responsibility on his own shoulders.
Question: How will a Mayoral election in the run up to London 2012 actually play? Fascinating. Assuming Boris doesn't mess up so badly he is in prison and replaced by then.
Observation: The 2nd preferences did not matter Boris won by 15,000 or so without his. Which thankfully means the BNP can claim no credit.
The celtic oracle is not wrong IMHO.
http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/st-boris-victor.html
"Britain is crying out for real change and it is the Conservative party - modernised and united - that is winning the battle of ideas."
Do go and have a look at the Libertarian Party for some ideas.
"Do go and have a look at the Libertarian Party for some ideas."
No.
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