Well, I had intended to start blogging at midnight but we decided top carry on live coverage on 18 Doughty Street so I couldn't do both! However, I do intend to stay up for a couple of hours to do some live commentary, so do stay with me. I'll be adding some comments to this post gradually over the next 30 minutes with my thoughts on the night so far.
First of all, WTF is Andrew Neill doing on Sky?! I know he's freelance but when you are the BBC's main political presenter you just don't broadcast for the opposition. Period. I suspect BBC head honchos will have been spitting into their G & Ts...
Now for the two big stories of the night so far...
CONSERVATIVE/LIBDEM BATTLEGROUNDS
Two words. Torbay and Woking. The Torbay result is massive and will give a huge boost to the PPC Marcus Wood. The LibDems thought they would take Woking and they haven't. One test for Cameron's Conservatives tonight was to beat the LibDems in key battleground seats. They haven't won every one of them but enough to be doing well. In fact the LibDems seem to be just as big losers tonight in terms of the number of councillors as Labour
CONSERVATIVE VOTES IN THE NORTH
Not bad so far. Chester is a massive gain, as is South Ribble. Lorraine Fulbrook will be dancing in the streets of whatever town there is in South Ribble. There are gains in Crewe and Nantwich
Bury (where we the Tories are now the largest party), Barrow (where we the Tories are the largest party), Pendle, Preston, East Riding of York (The Tories won the Labour leader’s seat),
Macclesfield (gained 2 seats, 1 from the Liberal Democrats), Ellesmere Port and Neston (where Tories gained 3 seats off Labour). The Conservatives have gained three seats in Sunderland, including 2 in Washington where they had never had a seat before. The Tories gained a seat from the Liberal Democrat leader of Alnwick council and gained a seat in Wigan. They have gained two seats in Salford, Greater Manchester.
SHARE OF THE VOTE
ConservativeHome is reporting that the national share of the vote is Conservatives 41%, Labour 27% and LibDems on 26%. A massive endorsement of David Cameron.
A very good show tonight, despite sound break-up.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as you are familiar with N America, I was surprised to hear you say, in a triumphant tone (you were tired), that you thought "Mexico" didn't trump LA as furthest from London.
Actually, they are equal (except for Alaska and Hawaii), obviously.
As Mexico is on the continent of N America, like the US and Canada, it goes from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is vast.
I saw you came 4th in the Cunningham South Constituency in Scotland... surprised you had defected to the Lib Dems.
ReplyDelete* RESULT *
Irene Oldfather LAB 10,270
Duncan Ross SNP 8,102
Pat McPhee CON 3,073
Iain Dale LD 1,977
Keep up the good work, Iain.
ReplyDeleteThink it is Eugenides and I liveblogging in Scotland... everyone else has gone to bed.
(reaches for the Tobermory)
RS
Just to add - South Ribble is just that - everything south of Preston. Largest town Leyland (yes, as in trucks, Buses, British Leyland). Very densely populated, lots of motorways, but reasonably rural,
ReplyDeleteA swing state in the general election.
I think Cameron can do it now...
In the North ... yes, there are towns in South Ribble, but I can't be arsed to say what they're called just now ...
ReplyDeleteManchester: One seat changed hands. Won by the Lib Dem who called local people "Bastards" on his mobile from the woman who bankrolled John Leech's campaign by £23,000 ++ before crossing the floor with the Lib Dem knives out for her. They're not very nice. Some others close run. Very strong performance from BNP "wimp" that isn't in Higher Blackley.
Liverpool: Labour half way towards regaining control which has been a long and winding road thanking to the depths of the fall out from Liverpool Labour's erstwhile Irish policy and that man Hatton and his mob. Five or six seats and police called as Mike Storey's sock muppet Warren Bradley assaults Labour candidate in sixth as recount progresses.
Blackburn: Will check the details.
Bit of a Lib Dem meltdown. Tories in tears in Manchester City Centre and very sharp (wide?) last leaflet in Sharston.