LIVE THREAD: UK Election Results (Update - Early Exit Polls Show Tory Upset)

BBC ^ | May 5, 2005 | anonymous

[tellw]

The Vote is under way!

[GiveEmDubya]

I've never been there, so I can't truthfully attest, but there might just have to be another "Winter of Discontent" for them to buy a clue. Super-socialist Gordon Brown as PM should do the trick. I'm not ROOTING for it, but jeez...

[GiveEmDubya]

WOW...thanks for catching that! I've been distracted lately...left the room for the first time since about 8PM and lemme tell ya, I ache...oh how I ache...

[Windcatcher]

"The differences between the Tories and Labour is more about class/social status than it is about actual real world positions."

That's something the Tories need to change post-haste. People tend to fear change and they generally won't vote for a different party without a compelling reason. The Tories must come to understand this: they won't win people over to Conservative ideas and principles unless they can translate them into specifically how people will live better lives. Whether the issue is crime, retirement, wages, taxes, or whatever, the central point must be "we are Conservatives, this is what makes us Conservative, and this is why our ideas are better (for you and everyone else)". Social status is nice, but it always opens you up to century-old class warfare tactics. Our ideas are better because they promote freedom, security, and the ability to live better lives ("life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"). It is incumbent upon Conservatives to impress these points upon people and win them over.

[Qwinn]

Ya know, the 200 is still possible, especially if you count that 1 seat that'll be decided in another election and will probably flip to the Tories.

Trending 197 now, 198 with the one described above. 6 Labour seats still not called, and 3 LD seats still for the taking. Tories pick up just 2 of those, and we hit the 200 (eventually).

Qwinn

[GiveEmDubya]

Possible? Yes. Likely? I don't know, my brain is most definitely fried.

[flitton]

After 4 recounts in Croydon Central, Conservatives take
seat from Labour

[GiveEmDubya]

Tories gain Croydon Central

[GiveEmDubya]

Wow, the scoreboard is REALLY slow now...everyone at BBC must have fallen asleep ;)

[Windcatcher]

Woot! Has anyone been to DU? Is a suicide watch in order?

[Qwinn]

Sweeeeet... Just need 1 more!

Majority 66 now.

Qwinn

[GiveEmDubya]

Good God...only took them 7 hours in Croydon!

(As a personal rule, I don't go to DU...my eyes are devirginized enough, thank you ;))

[GiveEmDubya]

Is the forecast 199 now? It could be 198...I don't know anymore...I have long outstayed my mental welcome so forgive me if responses are terse or I decide to slink off to sleep.

[Qwinn]

It's 198... but I'm adding in that 1 that's probably going to go conservative in the byelection.

Qwinn

[SevenofNine]

Register in Chicago that too funny ROFL

Who got them register Chicago Crime families aka Mafia LOL!

[GiveEmDubya]

Tories came up just short of picking off Selby

[SevenofNine]

Yeah soccer hooligan they make Raider fans look like angels

That true even Raider fans don't act the way that soccer hooligan LOL!

[Canard]

"I find it hysterical the polling firms are wrong again. Time to bury the polsters for good."

Worst analysis ever! No, wait, Rush Limburgh's was worse...

Pretty amazing actually, considering the nature of the electoral system and the local and regional variations that have been seen, that the exit poll is looking pretty much bang on the money in terms of both vote share and the majority (exit poll said Labour majority of 66, current trends indicate 64).

If anything it slightly underestimated the Lib Dem vote share and overestimated the Conservatives seats. But only by a whisker.

[Qwinn]

As it stands now (3:30 AM Eastern), there's 3 seats from each party still not accounted for.

Labour 353 (predicted 356)
Tories 195 (predicted 198)
LibDems 59 (predicted 62)

Not sure which 9 seats these are, or why they haven't been called yet.

Qwinn

[lentulusgracchus]

Margaret Thatcher won back to back to back majorities on being nothing less than a hard-core conservative and would have undoubtedly kept going if those Euro-loving boobs didn't revolt against her.

I read somewhere that Thatcher came to grief because she broke with the Bilderbergers and told them to stuff it on currency union. They then told the other Conservatives to unseat her and get someone more responsible in charge of the Tory party, and bring the UK back into camp -- anything to that?

[lentulusgracchus]

Pretty amazing actually, considering the nature of the electoral system and the local and regional variations that have been seen, that the exit poll is looking pretty much bang on the money in terms of both vote share and the majority (exit poll said Labour majority of 66, current trends indicate 64).

The old majority was what, up to 160 seats? That according to the Telegraph article quoted at the top of the thread, about post #30. But now it appears they only had about a 66-seat majority, and are going to be down about 10, is that right?

Nothing for Labour to toss Tony Blair out over, considering Britain just fought a war. And won.