Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

What happened?

SNP took Scotland because of the national distrust, one could even say loathing, of Westminster
Labour didn't do enough to convince voters that they were the party of government
LibDems were tainted by their association with the Conservatives and their seats were shared out willy-nilly
UKIP became the third party in England on their share of the vote but not their share of the seats

What's your take?

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on May 9, 2015 at 7:56

Not so sure that the allure of UKIP is over Billy. Over 10 million votes and 1 MP is going to increase the feeling that the first past the post system is dead. Also, with Farage gone, I think there will be a much slicker leader (their spokesperson from Merseyside came over as a consummate professional politician), a culling of the most overt lunatics and a rebranding in the way that the French National Front did after they got rid of M. Le Pen. If some Conservatives go over they could cross to the opposition benches and not resign, so no by-election. That gives three or four years to press for a new electoral system before the next scheduled election, unless the government falls before that.

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Permalink Reply by EMC2 on May 9, 2015 at 12:19

While you may be right that the NI nationalists are not known for their love of Westminster (Sinn Fein won't take their seats) I think you'll find the DUP are Unionists. And they make UKIP seem quite moderate...

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Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on May 9, 2015 at 13:31

Michael, like Eugene I must protest politely at your labelling of the DUP as "NI nationalists". Even geographically speaking, they don't even qualify as Ulster provincialists. As a NI Nationalist-cum-Republican, we tend to have a somewhat different hue and orientation. When Cameron, willy-nilly, has unhitched his "one nation" (with Wales reluctantly in tow) from Europe, perhaps the DUP/UUP rump will reorient itself to the reality of its island home. Time to revise colonialist errors of Acts of 1707, 1801 and 1920. A little extra austerity within Europe will do Scotland and Ireland no harm at all. I'm sure that's what young Nicola meant by "the tectonic plates shifted yesterday".

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on May 9, 2015 at 16:03

Sorry Eugene and OAE. What I was trying to get at was a term for non- republican parties and used the wrong one. Apologies

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Permalink Reply by EMC2 on May 9, 2015 at 16:42

Scundered!

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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on May 9, 2015 at 16:57

The word Unionist was in my head but Nationalist came out of the keyboard for some reason

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Permalink Reply by Narendra Makanji on May 9, 2015 at 7:18

Why am I not surprised that Labour failed in the General Election.

A Party that promised an austerity-lite spending plans, timid policy on taxation, emulated right-wing schools and education initiatives and, most of all, pandered to the Kippers on immigration and xenophobia and glorified this by producing the "Immigration Control" mugs could hardly be seeking to enthuse progressive or centre-left voters.

And I haven't even got onto mentioning the threadbare NHS policy nor the replacement of UK's own WMD the Trident.

At least Labour's candidates in Haringey sought to distance themselves.

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Permalink Reply by John D on May 9, 2015 at 12:29

And finally .....

I imagine that after losing his seat to the SNP’s Mhairi Black - and the 16,000 majority which came with it - this must be how Douglas Alexander feels too.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on May 9, 2015 at 12:52

I was wondering if and when we'd hear from a few of the sacked MPs about their experiences at the local Job Centre. Then the air might turn even more blue.