Antipathy is spreading through the Lib Dem ranks, and the reasons behind it are foreboding for the Liberal Democrats. If they swing to Labour they’ll keep their core, but any swing will crucify them for propping up an unelected government. But the core are feeling betrayed by what was seen as an an anti Tory vote, and the thought of having to leave behind all their principles, including giving up on Proportional Representation, the heart of their election promise.

Throughout the past week every member of the Labour Party from Mandelson to Miliband has been pushing the idea that ‘First Past The Post is on its last legs’ due to the hung parliament in which it’s resulted. Several members of the Liberal Democrats have also joined this rallying call, but it’s a call which Clegg seems not to hear, unless he is in the midst of some well planned trick, whereby he can fulfil his promise to offer the Conservatives a chance at power and at the same time stick to his principles.

Last night in Liberal Democrat HQ, a secret meeting was conducted between Clegg and his party, whilst he spent the rest of the night in conversation with the Tories. Will his party go with him into unmarked territory despite many of its members including the Energy spokesman having lost faith in such a deal? Cameron’s head will be just as worried about this deal, as there are already clear divides within the Conservative Party, on key issues like Europe, Green Issues and the NHS which will worsen as they swing further left.

On a side note, if your principle is Proportional Representation, sign this petition :

“I  just signed a petition to Take Back Parliament. We can see from the results that the system isn’t fair – and that Parliament doesn’t represent us. The only way we can change this is the same way that we got the vote in the first place – by coming together and fighting for change.”

Saturday’s Protest Video :

Hung Parliament. The poll puts the Conservatives on 307 seats, Labour on 255, the Liberal Democrats on 59 and others on 29.
Can this poll be trusted?
Lib Dems into negative numbers, and a hung parliament. Unlikely scenario I think. Down to the results now.
Still queues in the polling stations, and people will now be unable to vote!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/liveevent/

Ronald Reagan Chopping Wood

The final 35 minutes are about to start. In all likelihood most votes have already been cast, and signs from around the country, particularly in Barking, show that there have been high turnouts. Twitter is reporting huge queues for polling in the Newington area, and general signs are good. The Anti-BNP voters have turned out in force, accompanied by police.

There are two new rumors spreading. One is of a 39% Conservative, with Labour and Liberal Democrats fighting for second. The other is Conservatives 37%, and Labour and the Lib Dems on 26% each. It’s important to note that these are only rumors, and that exit polls are notoriously unreliable, though it’s not quite clear whether these are exit polls. Also, between 12% and a quarter of all votes were cast by post before Cleggmania happened.

10.45 is the official timing of  Sunderland Central, and the rest of Sunderland should soon follow. It’s a safe labour seat, notionally so the initial results will seemed skewed towards Labour, but overall impressions are heading the opposite way.

Latest News : Gordon sleeping after Lamb stew, Dave chopping wood.

1. Three-horse Race

Before the leaders’ debates, most assumed it was a foregone conclusion. Brown would falter, Cameron would triumph and Clegg would provide comic relief. This was not the case. Clegg, addressing the camera directly, appeared to hold common ground with many voters, and days later polls showed the Lib Dems to be second or even first, leaving Labour and the Conservatives trailing. Though he was to fare worse with the other debates, following Cameron essentially adopting his combative debating style, Clegg’s performance proved the Lib Dems could still pose a threat, one viewed seriously enough to warrant plans for a  possible coalition.

2. The Posters

David Cameron’s first election posters provoked ridicule and parody throughout parliament and the internet. At last, thought Labour supporters, Cameron is coming across for what he is; airbrushed, vague and phony. Tony Blair mocked the ‘Vote for Change’ slogan. Posters were defaced. Labour was gaining the upper hand. At least, until they released their own posters, portraying ‘Dave’ as the fictional 1980s detective Gene Hunt, known for his non-PC attitude. Evidently, no-one at Labour HQ realised Hunt’s popularity. Cameron retaliated immediately, expressing his admiration for the comparison, while the Tories rattled off their own version. Labour’s campaign was not working.

3. Bigotgate

The worst was yet to come. Gillian Duffy, a widowed pensioner, confronted the PM over immigration, expressing her concern about uncontrolled Eastern European immigration. While he maintained a calm composure publicly, calling her a ‘good woman’, Brown revealed his true colours when he was heard calling her a ‘bigoted woman’, thanks to a Sky News lapel microphone. The ensuing furore ensured this was the moment the re-election campaign finally collapsed. Brown’s efforts to apologise were futile. Offering to invite Duffy to 10 Downing Street, she responded, saying how she didn’t think he would be there much longer. The scandal revealed to many Labour’s supposed dislike for its own regular voters, along with furthering the immigration debate.

4. The Wives

What better way to see the election than through the leaders’ wives? At least, if you were a newspaper editor. There was never a dull news day with exciting stories about which wife was winning the fashion battle, or the mothering melée. There was Sarah Brown, the Twitter Tsarina, well known for her charity work. Her opposition, Samantha Cameron, or SamCam, was already popular among voters, due to her down-to-earth approach and political ingenuity, engaging with the electorate through her own video logs. After announcing her pregnancy, it seemed there was nothing to stop her becoming the next ‘first lady’. Enter Miriam Clegg. Decidedly withrawn compared to the other two, Mrs Clegg was content with the occasional appearance. Her Spanish nationality struck a chord with the new, Europhile voters attracted to the Lib Dems after the leaders’ debates. Evidently, voting for someone due to their wife is a flimsy reason to vote, but nonetheless these three women were there to show their spouses’ human features, with varying success.

5. The Other Parties

The anti-Europe party UKIP gained the initiative when their outspoken leader, Nigel Farage, quit to challenge the speaker John Bercow’s Buckingham constituency. Though Bercow was gifted with a sizeable majority, the main parties had agreed not to stand agaisnt him, because his position was essentially non-political. Thanks to their absence, and barring any more plane crashes, Farage is likely to beat Bercow, since many conservative voters believe Bercow is closer to Labour than the Tories. Farage’s victory would give UKIP their first-ever MP. Meanwhile, the Green Party leader Caroline Lucas is the favourite to win the Brighton Pavilion seat. Perhaps these small movements show how democracy is not dead, with only a few parties able to gain power, and how, despite the fact it is only one single vote, your vote counts.

We’ll have more later when the results come. Let us know what you think. Leave a comment below.

NEW UPDATE : Latest Predictions say that 12% swing to the Tories would result in an extra 89 seats for the Conservatives, rising to 116 if SNP and LD seats also fall which could result in their share of the vote being anything from 299-326.

The Latest Polls average to 36 % Conservative, 28 % Labour, 27 % Liberal Democrats.  On the current seat predictions the conservatives resulting in 297 seats. But other polls have shown that in Marginal seats there has been a 12% swing to the tories, on the basis of which, an extra 10-15 seats could come his way, not sufficient to allow him to form a majority governments but with the help of Northern Ireland, sufficient to form a government. All hopes of Lib-Lab Coalition would then be ruined, even with the support of Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party.

Latest Election Updates :
Nigel Farage’s plane crashes
£40,000,000 bet on outcome
Vote For Carlos Tevez!
BNP candidate kicks Asian Voter

If you want to comment on the election go over to UK Polling Report, or to keep abreast of things as they happen tonight visit the BBC, who as always are offering instant feedback on everything as soon as it happens.

Any comments, breaking gaffes or news from the election, post below!

Brown sat alone, as the sun shone through his window. His hands, white with tension, gripped the mahogany desk, while he tried to spin his chair around. It was impossible. The hands were preventing a full rotation.

‘Gordon? Are you there?’ Shrilled a voice behind the door. Miliband. But which one? Brown shrugged to himself and set about trying to spin his chair. A knock. Then the door groaned open.

‘What is it, Ed?’ he asked, pulling his chair closer.

‘David, actually’ he mumbled. ‘President Obama sends his congratulations.’

‘Can I speak with him?’

‘He’s gone. Said he was rushed, had to go and play golf.’

‘Obama. He’s a good person.’ Brown checked his lapels with faux-nostalgia,before adding ‘he’d better not send me some more DVDs.’

Miliband laughed, and Brown reciprocated with a smile. Today had gone well. The Tories would be unelectable for decades. Their spending cuts had crippled Britain, and they had sought to undo all Labour’s good work. Today, Cameron packed up Downing Street, returning to opposition. He resigned, deciding to spend more time with his family. George Osborne had filled the void, but Boris Johnson was indicating his interest, next year perhaps.

‘You know, David, I think I’m getting old.’ Miliband perked up.

‘Oh, no, Gordon. You aren’t a day over forty.’ This was it. He was about to ask him to lead. All these years.

‘I just think, seeing how good it is to communicate with the British youth, would you tweet me?’

‘I beg your pardon?’ said Miliband, disappointedly.

‘Tweet me?’ He stared at Miliband, puppy-dog eye expectant.

Miliband clenched his fist. The man was never going to give up power. He stopped the Lib Dem coalition because Clegg wanted to lead. He prevented the Mandelson take over. He’d clung on for such a long time, yet nobody wanted him. And besides, nobody used Twitter anymore!

‘Yes, Prime Minister. I will ‘tweet’ you.’

‘Thank you.’ Miliband left. Brown revolved, having relinquished his grip. He was here to stay.