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AS IT HAPPENED: Tories on course for majority, SNP storms Scotland ... and Miliband set to quit

Well, that was interesting.
8 May 2015 So, that’s it from TheJournal.ie’s election liveblog. Things are calming down a little across the UK – as Cameron picks out what tie he’ll wear for his date with the Queen, and Miliband and Clegg prepare to make their...

IT’S PROVED TO be an extraordinary night in the UK elections. Our liveblog below and @TJ_Politics will keep you right up to date with events as they happen. 

The main developments so far:

  • The Conservatives will be the largest party and are forecast to win a majority (329, according to the BBC) in the House of Commons if Sinn Féin abstains.
  • It’s been terrible night for Labour which, forecasters say, will take just 233 seats. Party sources are indicating leader Ed Miliband will resign as soon as today. 
  • It’s also looking very bad for the Liberal Democrats who are on course for near-wipeout, taking just 8 seats. Leader Nick Clegg has held his seat, but ministers, including Vince Cable, have lost out. 
  • Stunning news for the SNP with the party taking 56 of the 59 seats in Scotland, hammering Labour whose own Scottish leader, Jim Murphy, lost his seat.
  • UKIP is forecast to win just 2 seats but party leader Nigel Farage may not win election in South Thanet.
  • In Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin lost out in the most marginal constituency in the country, with the Ulster Unionists gaining two seats (up from zero).
  • Here’s a full list of when constituencies are expected to declare results.

Sky News / YouTube

So, that’s it from TheJournal.ie’s election liveblog.

Things are calming down a little across the UK – as Cameron picks out what tie he’ll wear for his date with the Queen, and Miliband and Clegg prepare to make their speeches later today. We’ll keep you updated on all the developments throughout the day over here.

A last look at the projections before we go:

Conservative 329
Labour 235
Liberal Democrats 8
SNP 56
Plaid Cymru 3
UKIP 1
The Greens 1
Others 19

Here’s how it’s looking in the North…

And here’s some analysis from our political editor, who was up all night in the UK…

The BBC’s political editor, Nick Robinson, has been giving his verdict on the result…

Not since the fall of Thatcher or the Blair landslide has there been a political moment quite like this one.

Personal triumphs for the Prime Minister David Cameron and for Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will not just reshape British politics but could perhaps reshape the future of the United Kingdom itself.

Bitter disappointment for Ed Miliband and a political disaster for Nick Clegg may lead to both men quitting, and is sure to lead to months of soul searching for their parties as they mourn the loss of some of their most famous faces – felled by a brutal electoral firing squad.

Read his full analysis over at the Beeb’s website… 

Meanwhile, some slightly more oblique criticism of the forecasters, from elsewhere in the organisation:

Never forget.

balls1

George Galloway gave a typically outspoken speech after losing his seat to Labour in  Bradford West.

“I don’t begrudge the Labour members here their moment of celebration of course,” he said, according to the Independent.

“But there will be others who are already celebrating: the venal, the vile, the racists and the Zionists will all be celebrating. The hyena can bounce on the lion’s grave but it can never be a lion and in any case, I’m not in my grave. As a matter of fact I’m going off now to plan the next campaign.”

Of course – as the BBC noted in its report on the loss of his seat - the Respect MP is well known to many for the infamous ‘cat incident’ on Big Brother.

GallowayArchive / YouTube

Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg could also be making his last address to supporters as party leader this morning, according to UK commentators.

Meanwhile, more details on David Cameron’s plans for the day…

Boris Johnson’s night – in three photos.

General Election 2015 declaration - May 7th Andrew Matthews Andrew Matthews

General Election 2015 declaration - May 7th Andrew Matthews Andrew Matthews

General Election 2015 declaration - May 7th Andrew Matthews Andrew Matthews

Talk about contrasting fortunes – David Cameron is back at Number 10, mulling Cabinet appointments, and planning to see the Queen later on.

Ed Miliband, according to reports, is due back at Labour headquarters later this morning where he’s now ‘almost certain to resign’.

Speaking from the lectern, Ed Balls has congratulated the victor in his constituency, Andea Jenkyns, who won by over 400 votes.

The Labour majority in Morley and Outwood was also eaten away by considerable support for the UKIP candidate, David Dews, who managed almost 8,000.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t quite do enough to do what we did in 2010,” Balls said, in a reflective speech to his supporters.

He spoke of his “sorrow” at the breadth of the Labour defeat across the UK, and particularly in Scotland.

He had concerns about the next five years for the country, he said, in which “questions will arise about the future of our union”.

“I’m confident Labour will be back,” Balls concluded, to cheers from the party’s voters.

balls5

In a repeat of scenes from earlier this morning – fixed grins all round as the Labour ‘big beast’ loses to the Conservatives.

balls

This is massive – Labour’s Ed Balls has lost his seat…

ed

We should find out Ed Balls’ fate in the next fifteen minutes or so, as the result in Morley and Outwood is declared.

Elsewhere, the Greens sole MP of the last five years, Caroline Lucas, has retained Brighton Pavilion for her party. 

Reports across the UK news channels show plenty of ashen-faced Lib Dem and Labour figures…

Case in point:

nick

A quick check-in on the situation in Northern Ireland, where all 18 seats have now been decided.

The DUP will head back to London with eight MPs, Sinn Féin have four, the SDLP three and the Ulster Unionists are back on the map with two seats. Independent unionist Sylvia Hermon has also been elected. 

Reports that David Cameron has just arrived back at his party HQ.

He’s been underlining some of the key messages from his constituency speech earlier this morning, on Twitter…

Let’s hear from some heavyweights…

And the latest on the UK’s game of thrones, from Jon Snow…

Morning – Daragh Brophy taking over from Hugh O’Connell, who’s been updating from the UK all night. He’s off to try and get some sleep (but in all likelihood will be kept awake pondering the future of Ed Balls and Nigel Farage).

In the latest developments, Theresa May, of the Conservatives, has urged ‘caution’ – saying its not clear how many seats her party will get in the final shake-up.

On the subject of shake-ups, Ed Miliband and his team are said to be in ‘shock’ this morning at the scale of the defeat…

This is the new 6am front-page of the Guardian….

guard

Okay, we’ve posted a handy guide to what’s happened overnight if you’re just getting out of bed and saying ‘WTF’ after a surprising result in the UK general election.

I’m going to hand over to Daragh Brophy to take you through the rest of the morning with some key results still to come, including the fate of Ed Balls and Nigel Farage.

This is Hugh O’Connell signing off and going for a long lie down.

One Irish minister’s assessment of events overnight:

BBC has slightly altered its forecast and put the Conservatives on 325 seats, which would be enough to govern alone if we assume Sinn Féin abstains from Westminster. The same forecast puts Labour on 232, the SNP on 56, and the Lib Dems on 12.

This interesting graphic on the BBC shows that UKIP’s share of the vote has increased massively and yet the party will win, at the most, two seats, because of the first-past-the-post system.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 06.01.51

Yet more woe for the Liberal Democrats as the chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, loses his seat in Scotland to… yep, you guessed it, the SNP. Meanwhile, his ministerial colleague, David Laws, has also lost his seat in Yeovil.

David Cameron says that tonight has clearly been “a very strong night for the Conservatives” and, with a nod to the SNP situation in Scotland, says “above all I want to bring our UK together”.

I want my party to reclaim a mantle that we should never have lost, one nation, one UK.

Here is the breakdown of Westminster seats in Northern Ireland with Sinn Féin and the DUP losing one seat each and Ulster Unionists gaining two.

The knock-on effect of this is that with Sinn Féin’s abstention, the Tories need 324 seats for an overall majority.

Big upset in Northern Ireland where Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew has lost out to the Ulster Unionist’s Tom Elliot. She won the seat by just four votes in 2010.

screenshot.1431059840.10900 www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

Labour leader Ed Miliband has held his seat in Doncaster North which is no surprise. He tells the count centre crowd:

This has clearly been a very disappointing and difficult night for Labour.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 05.25.25

Miliband notes that in Scotland we’ve seen “a surge of nationalism overwhelm our party” and says the “next government faces the difficult task of keeping country together”.

He concludes by saying he will head to Westminster to await the full results of the count. “As close as possible to a concession speech,” says the BBC’s Andrew Marr.

Miliband wasn’t exactly outlining a determination to stay on as Labour leader.

Another one bites the dust. Former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy has lost his seat to the SNP in the constituency of Ross, Skye and Lochaber. He’d been an MP there since 1983.

While the Greens might not win many seats tonight (exit polls have them taking just two) this is a statistic worth noting:

There is a huge amount of speculation in the last few minutes that Labour’s shadow chancellor Ed Balls could be about to lose his seat in Morley and Outwood. Which begs the most obvious question…

Not all good news for the Conservatives tonight. The Employment Minister and former TV presenter Esther McVey has lost her seat in Wirral West to the Labour Party by just 417 votes.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg holds his seat in Sheffield Hallam. Not that he’s particularly happy about it.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 04.53.11

Another Lib Dem loss, the Business Secretary Vince Cable has lost his seat in Twickenham to the Conservatives.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 04.36.44

Newly-elected Tory MP Boris Johnson says that the UK has “decisively rejected” a return to the 1970s and says it is clear to him that the people want the country to go forward with the “modern, sensible policies” of the Conservative party.

London’s going to need a new mayor as Boris Johnson is elected to the safe Tory seat in Uxbridge and Ruislip South. In his victory speech he notes that today is his wedding anniversary.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 04.32.03

First win of the night for UKIP with incumbent MP Douglas Carswell, who defected from the Conservatives, holding the seat in Clacton.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 04.21.04

Here’s the state of play in the North:

pasted_image_at_2015_05_08_04_19_am ITV ITV

Back in Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin’s Francie Molloy has retained his Westminster seat – which he won’t be taking – in mid-Ulster.

Pollster Peter Kellner outlines the problem Labour has faced tonight: Of the eight seats it has gained so far, six have been from the Liberal Democrats.

If the party had any idea of unseating David Cameron at Number 10 it needed to be taking seats from the Conservatives. Results so far indicate that in key Labour target seats, the Tories have, in some cases, increased their majority.

It’s a dreadful night for the Liberal Democrats. Party leader Nick Clegg arrives at his count in Sheffield where his seat appears too close to call at this stage.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 04.05.22

Meanwhile, his predecessor as Lib Dem leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, has lost his seat in the Scottish seat of Fife Northeast to… well, who else but the SNP.

And in Bermondsey, party veteran Simon Hughes, an MP since 1983, has lost his seat Labour.

It won’t be a clean sweep for the SNP with the result in Orkney and Shetland showing that the Liberal Democrats’ Alistair Carmichael, who is the outgoing Scottish Secretary, has held on. Still, there was a swing of 24 per cent to the Scots Nats.

David Dimbleby tells us we’ve had 186 results out of 650 so far and here’s the breakdown:

Labour 82

Conservative 48

SNP 38

DUP 7

Plaid Cymru 4

Lib Dems 3

Others 8

The Labour leader managed a brief smile as he left his home in Doncaster a short time ago…

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 03.53.11

Bad night for Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who might be in this car. He’ll find out shortly whether he’s retained his seat in Sheffield Hallam.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 03.47.23

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is on the BBC saying it’s not her fault that Labour has tanked:

If Cameron ends up back in Number 10 that’s because Labour has failed to beat the Conservatives in England, it’s not because of what happened in Scotland.

Loud cheering at the count centre in Glasgow cuts short the interview as Sturgeon says she wants to go and join her supporters.

Another big scalp:

Liberal Democrat cabinet minister Ed Davey has lost his seat in the London constituency of Kingston and Surbiton.

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change was defeated by Conservative candidate James Berry.

A major result in the north of England: Controversial Respect Party MP George Galloway has lost his seat in Bradford West.

Britain Election Wild Race AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Ed Miliband’s time as Labour leader appears to be coming to a very swift and unhappy end.

Sources within the party have begun calling for him to stand down as soon as possible, with one telling Sky News he “won’t last until lunchtime tomorrow.”

Another, inside Labour HQ, told the New Statesman Miliband would have to step down as leader by tomorrow.

Sinn Féin’s Paul Maskey has held his seat in Belfast West.

We mentioned earlier the stunning defeat of Douglas Alexander, Labour’s director of elections, to the SNP.

To put it in perspective, you’d have to go back 23 years to find a similar loss, when Chris Patten, who ran the Tories’ 1992 election campaign, lost his own seat in Bath.

patten Andy JS Andy JS

Another HUGE result: Labour’s leader in Scotland, Jim Murphy, has lost his seat to the SNP’s Kirsten Oswald.

murphyjim

Parties lose their £500 deposit when they fail to get at least 5% of the vote.

As this Sky News graphic shows, the Liberal Democrats have lost their deposits in an astonishing 36 constituencies (and counting) tonight.

libdemdeposits

Labour have gained their first seat of the night from the Conservatives – in Ealing Central in London.

This graph from Sky News gives a good picture of some of the the stunning swings towards the SNP that we’re seeing in Scotland tonight:

snpswings

Time to catch your breath and get on overview of the current state of play.
In Northern Ireland:

DUP 5, Sinn Féin 1, SDLP 1, UUP 1, Independent 1

In the rest of the UK:

Labour 21, SNP 14, Conservatives 9, Liberal Democrats, Others 11.

Former SNP leader Alex Salmond is on the BBC now refusing to be drawn on questions about how his party will operate in Westminster if it’s on the opposition benches. He’s more interested in talking up how incredible a result it has been for his successor Nicola Sturgeon.

There is a lion roaring in Scotland tonight, a Scottish lion.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 02.37.28

Look who’s just arrived…

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 02.32.45

Results starting to roll in thick and fast now with Scotland already showing huge gains for SNP and massive swings from Labour. They includes a whopper 34 per cent swing in Dumbartonshire West.

Brief technical glitch on BBC News prompts this hilarious face from David Dimbleby:

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 02.28.58

Stunning result in Paisley where the Labour shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander has lost his seat to the SNP’s 20-year-old candidate Mhairi Black.

“I’d like to thank my mum, my dad, and my brother,” she says in her acceptance speech.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 02.22.57

Here is the story so far in Northern Ireland:

DUP: 3

Sinn Féin: 1

SDLP: 1

UUP: 1

Ind: 1

Alliance: 0

The SNP takes its first seat of the night in Kilmarnock with 30,000 votes, nearly twice as many as Labour in second place – a 26 per cent swing. Expect a lot more of that tonight.

kilmarnock

Glad this has been confirmed…

Woman of the hour Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the SNP, has arrived at a count in Glasgow with her party on course to sweep nearly all the Westminster seats north of the border.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 02.06.31 1

She told the BBC’s Kirsty Wark that she was still hopeful of an “anti-Tory majority” and she seemed to be adopting a wait-and-see approach to the results even though there’s now growing talk the Conservatives could win an outright majority.

BBC News has gone split screen to show David Cameron travelling to his constituency count in Witney. He’ll be “cock-a-hoop” says veteran broadcaster Andrew Marr.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 02.02.38

In line with our last few posts, former Labour Health Secretary David Blunkett is not optimistic, telling Sky News:

My biggest fear now, after the Nuneaton result, is that the Tories will reach the number of 323.

YouGov polling expert Peter Kellner is trying to explain why the opinion polls got it all wrong:

Something clearly went wrong.

Results starting to roll in thick and fast now. In the key marginal of Nuneaton, the Conservative party has held a seat Labour were targeting. It was 38th on the party’s target list but, in fact, the Tories have increased their majority.

The effervescent Jeremy Vine is messing around with some sort of Lib Dem house of cards on BBC to demonstrate the extent to which the party is facing near-wipeout.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 01.48.06

In Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin holds Tyrone West and the SDLP holds Foyle.

More good news for Labour up north as it holds Newcastle Upon Tyne North.

Dan MacGuill has caught Sky News’ Adam Boulton munching away:

Dan MacGuill / Vine

The Conservatives have held Battersea while the DUP has taken its first seat of the night in Lagan Valley.

Polling expert John Curtice, who forgot to comb his hair, reckons Labour is doing slightly worse than the exit poll, which isn’t good for Miliband and co.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 01.21.47

BBC now says George Galloway has been reported to police for possibly breaking campaign rules with a retweet earlier today.

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock is on BBC News now and says Ed Miliband has “done very well”.

Screen Shot 2015-05-08 at 01.16.53

Labour holds the constituency of Tooting in south London.

BBC News says there is NOT a recount in Bradford West but the “gossip” is that George Galloway has lost his seat.

Good news up north for Labour which holds Newcastle Upon Tyne East.

Reliable Green party sources in London tell us they believe the BBC exit poll is wrong, and actually over-estimates Green party performance, predicting two seats for them.

Party sources themselves think their candidate won’t win in Norwich South and that it could possibly be one of several errors in the exit poll.

Labour MP David Lammy had a very testy exchange with Sky’s Kay Burley, writes Dan MacGuill. 

He was asked three times should Ed Miliband resign if the Tories win the most seats and the popular vote. He eventually answered:

NO. And it’s too much to suggest they’ll have the popular vote on the basis of an exit poll.

The Conservatives have held Putney with Justine Greening becoming the first cabinet minister of the night to win re-election. She is the International Development Secretary.

In case you were wondering about that famous firebrand MP and outspoken anti-war campaigner George Galloway:

That Swindon North result is indicative of this not being a good night for Ed Miliband and Labour. Here’s why:

This from Dan MacGuill: Al Murray, the pub landlord (and Westminster candidate) tells Sky News that if Nigel Farage doesn’t win a seat, “we’re all walking with history tonight.”

pasted_image_at_2015_05_08_12_45_am-2

First victory of the night for the Conservative Party, which holds Swindon North. 

The architect of New Labour, Peter Mandelson, is on BBC News spinning hard for his party. He tells Andrew Neill:

All the three main parties have lost this election… we seem to be heading to an outcome in which no party has achieved a majority.

Here’s a GIF of Farage walking away from Sky News:

godhelpus

If you are wondering why there is a bit of a lull in terms of result right now, this is all normal. The counts are continuing and we’re expecting deluge of declarations across the UK between around 1am and 3am.

The Guardian has just posted this video of a pretty unhappy looking Nigel Farage - who rumours suggest WONT win a Westminster seat – arriving to an election night party in Margate.

He walks away from an ITV interview after saying The Sun and The Mail were wrong about UKIP:

The Guardian / YouTube

Our very own Dan MacGuill writes: Along with the pub landlord Al Murray, Nigel Farage is up against a candidate from the Al-Zebabist Nation of OOG, who are at the count centre in South Thanet.

pasted_image_at_2015_05_08_12_12_am

Here’s a reminder of some of the fringe candidates running throughout the UK.

One of the first key marginals expected to report within the next hour is Nuneaton. Labour is looking to take the seat from the Conservatives, but if they don’t it could set the tone for the night ahead.

The Scottish Daily Mail’s Political Editor has a scoop of sorts. It appears that the chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, who is effectively the number two to chancellor George Osborne, may have lost his seat.

Dan MacGuill tells us that Gerry Adams has just been on Sky News confirming Sinn Féin MPs will NOT take their seats, even if it meant having direct influence on a British PM.

We’re United Irelanders, you see.

pasted_image_at_2015_05_07_11_58_pm

BBC News have just doorstepped outgoing London mayor Boris Johnson, who is expected to win the safe Conservative seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip. He was pretty reluctant to talk about what tonight’s predicted success for the Tories does for his leadership ambitions.

FullSizeRender-3

We’re keeping an eye on what our own TDs and Senators are saying about events across the water. Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary is rather relieved:

We’ll be keeping an eye on the fate of deputy PM and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg. A result from his Sheffield Hallam constituency is not expected until 4.30am but here is an early forecast from the BBC’s Emily Maitlis:

She’s operating a six-foot touchscreen in the BBC’s election studio. So, don’t mess with her.

Spencer Livermore, Labour’s General Election Campaign Director, has written this typically positive spin on the exit poll result:

I’ve been involved in a lot of elections and, I have to say, I am sceptical of this BBC exit poll. It looks wrong. Exit polls have been very wrong in the past – indeed, the YouGov poll is very different.

It’s going to be a long night because we will need to see the results to know which of the polls is accurate.

But here’s something that is really important for everyone to keep in mind: the coalition came into this campaign with a majority of 73. Even if the BBC exit poll is right – and it’s a big if – that majority has been all but wiped out.

Earlier, we brought you news of that YouGov ‘exit poll’ from, which showed a huge difference from the BBC/Sky polls with the Tories somewhat short of the 316 seats the broadcasters forecast:

However, the polling organisation has clarified to say that it has not done an exit poll today. They’ve called it a ‘re-contact survey’:

The DUP’s Sammy Wilson is on BBC News now (they cut him short earlier) and says there will be a price to pay for Labour or the Tories if they want his party’s support:

We have said that we will be seeking support from either of the two parties at Westminster. We will be seeking some return for the people of Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile Labour hold Washington and Sunderland West. Again, no surprise there.

Labour’s shadow chancellor Ed Balls on BBC News says that the ballot boxes haven’t even arrived at the count centre, downplaying those rumours he’s lost his seat.

“Maybe you should spend less time on Twitter and more time on the reporting of the results when they’re declared,” he tells David Dimbleby. Cheeky.

Another story we’re watching tonight is the fate of UKIP leader Nigel Farage who is targeting a Westminster seat in South Thanet. But the early signs aren’t good for the controversial MEP:

That Ed Balls losing his seat rumour is very much a rumour, according to the BBC’s Political Editor:

Our own Dan MacGuill writes: There’s at least one TD taking an active interest in the Westminster elections.

Here’s Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams at the King’s Hall, where counting for the four Belfast constituencies is taking place:

Second result of the night in from Sunderland Central which Labour holds. No surprise there.

If the exit polls are correct and it’s a big ‘if’ then Labour is on course for a very bad night, in fact it could be the party’s worst result since 1987.

There are even rumours circulating tonight that its shadow chancellor Ed Balls could lose his seat. Here’s the BBC’s economics editor Robert Peston.

One of the big stories of the night is the SNP which is on course to wallop Labour in Scotland and massively increase its House of Commons seats.

Our own Dan MacGuill points out that Nicola Sturgeon’s party currently have 6 seats in Westminster. If the exit poll is right the party will have 58 of 59 available in Scotland – a nearly 900% increase.

There’ll be dozens of newspaper frontpages coming in over the next few hours with several editions expected to be published through the night. This first edition from the Labour-supporting Daily Mirror indicates the paper is NOT happy…

Meanwhile, The Times is slightly more sedate in its early assessment:

So the former Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown’s declaration that he would eat his hat if the broadcaster exit poll is correct – and his party only wins 10 seats – has already drawn its own Twitter account.

Hello and welcome. It’s Hugh O’Connell with you here until the early hours of tomorrow morning as the UK decides.

We’re just back from a brief visit to the count centre for all five Liverpool constituencies in Wavertree. This is the scene. It’s pretty quiet with Labour expected to return five MPs to Westminster.

IMG_5806

We’ll be bringing you the national picture and all the bits and bobs from across the UK over the next few hours.

A BBC News exit poll of thousands of voters puts the Conservatives on 316 seats, Labour on 239, the SNP on 58, the Liberal Democrats on 10, Plaid Cymru on 4, UKIP on 2, the Greens on 2, and the DUP on 8 with other parties (including Sinn Féin) on 11.

The exit poll represents a potentially stunning result for the Scottish Nationalist Party which would win all but one seat in Scotland.

However SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon sounded a note of caution in the first major political reaction to the poll:

Indeed, there have already been calls for caution from many quarters, with former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown suggesting the BBC exit poll couldn’t possibly reflect reality.

A separate YouGov exit poll indicates a far closer result:

The first official result is expected from the north east of England before 11pm with the safe Labour seat of Houghton and Sunderland South famously the first to declare.

All eyes will be on the fortunes of the UK’s deputy prime minister Nick Clegg who is facing a battle to hold onto his Lib Dem seat in Sheffield Hallamshire. A result is expected around 4.30am.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage is hoping to secure a Westminster seat in South Thanet with a result there expected at around 6am.

In Northern Ireland, attention will be focused on Fermanagh-South Tyrone where Sinn Féin‘s Michelle Gildernew will be hoping to hold a seat she won by just four votes in 2010.

In East Belfast, the DUP will be hoping to win back a seat it lost to the Alliance Party five years ago.

Poll: Cameron or Miliband … Who would you like to see in Number 10?

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148 Comments
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    Mute Greg Ward
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    May 7th 2015, 10:10 PM

    Was that worth sending me a notification? Nope.

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    Mute Fergal Kelly
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    May 7th 2015, 10:15 PM

    It’s pretty big news. You don’t agree, turn off notifications.

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    Mute Paddy Reid
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    May 7th 2015, 10:11 PM

    Not surprising. Miliband is nowhere near Prime Minister material. Great night for the SNP.

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    Mute Richarddoherty
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    May 7th 2015, 10:17 PM

    Neither is david Cameron austerity lover like enda kenny

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    Mute James Gorman
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    May 7th 2015, 10:22 PM

    Agreed Paddy, prefer Labour over Tory but Miliband hasn’t got an ounce of leadership in him.

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    Mute stephen kavanagh
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    May 7th 2015, 10:24 PM

    He isn’t as odious as Tony Blair though

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    Mute Paddy Reid
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    May 7th 2015, 10:24 PM

    If only David Miliband were leader, could have been a bit more of a contest!

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    May 7th 2015, 10:35 PM

    Incredible result for SNP. Cameron smashed Milliband and hyped up the SNP threat in the last week. Seems to have made the difference.

    Ironic that the Shinners abstaining will make a Tory government more likely.

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    Mute Ed Westwick
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    May 7th 2015, 11:20 PM

    So happy for the SNPs. Can’t believe many Irish are pro Conservative with there history. Anybody but the Tories is my own view.

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    May 7th 2015, 11:25 PM

    You know where the nickname “Tory” comes from, right?

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    May 7th 2015, 11:32 PM

    The word “Tory” derives from the Irish word tóraidhe; modern Irish tóraí: outlaw, robber or brigand, from the Irish word tóir, meaning “pursuit”, since outlaws were “pursued men”. It was originally used to refer to an Irish outlaw and later applied to Confederates or Royalists in arms. The term was thus originally a term of abuse, “an Irish rebel”, before being adopted as a political label.

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    Mute KevinMunster
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    May 8th 2015, 7:20 AM

    Lots of west Brits on journal

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    Mute Rambotious
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    May 8th 2015, 7:34 AM

    All bark and no bite, no point having 58 seats and fcuk all power.

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    Mute TheLoneHurler
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    May 8th 2015, 9:06 AM

    Great news that the Conservatives are doing so well.

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    Mute Paul McGuigan
    Favourite Paul McGuigan
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    May 8th 2015, 9:26 AM

    Good morning Diarmuid. Remember our wee chat yest??? Ha ha ha ha told you MONKEY. We lost Bobbys seat due to sectarian politics but well get it back how’s that humble pie?

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    May 8th 2015, 11:46 AM

    Hi Paul, celebrating an overall drop in support for your beloved shinners, including the loss of a seat? A bit unusual, though you shinners aren’t the best at maths are you?

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    Mute Mike Rowan
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    May 7th 2015, 10:45 PM

    One thing is clear, being a minority government partner in this part of the world is a death sentence….

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    Mute Small Retort
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    May 7th 2015, 11:29 PM

    Yes it’s an absolute joke. I never understand why the junior partner feels the brunt of the ire. Just look at this country, PDs and Greens have been wiped out with Labour looking like they will be decimated in the next election.
    Do people expect the junior partner to collapse the government at any sign of conflict? What influence did the Greens half a dozen seats have against FFs 80 or so? Baffling.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
    Favourite Ryan Anth
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    May 7th 2015, 11:37 PM

    The smaller parties tend to be policy based , the big parties parish pump based.

    The ones with polices always get screwed.

    Lib dems being 2 ideas were free college fees and PR, they got neither of those
    Labours were free fees, no water charges and universal healthcare..they got none of those either
    Greens were meant to all be about recycling, alternative energy and public transport – they got into govt and became about carbon taxes and light bulbs

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    Mute Cathal Murphy
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    May 7th 2015, 11:37 PM

    Mainly because the policies which got them elected are drowned out by the larger party. If you go into coalition as a smaller party you have to forego a lot of your policies

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    Mute Emily Elephant
    Favourite Emily Elephant
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    May 7th 2015, 11:40 PM

    The Greens got more done in government with a handful of TDs than Labour have with a bucketload. And they were supposed to be the political naifs.

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    Mute Egg Head
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    May 7th 2015, 11:43 PM

    I must admit, having never voted labour in my life I’m considering them for no. 1 next time based solely on their performance in government. I think people forget how right wing FG really are, and Labour’s achievements haven’t been so much their policies, it’s been their restriction of FG policies. Do you think we’d have €188 a week welfare, and no soup kitchens on o’connell st, if FG had been left to rule alone? That’s all Labour were really put there to do too if you remember the last campaign.

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    Mute johnr
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    May 7th 2015, 11:57 PM

    The Greens got more taxes slapped on us alright.

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    Mute johnr
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    May 8th 2015, 12:09 AM

    Egg Head, Labour should have pulled out months ago and forced a general election, they would have got back some creditability with average Joe. Next election Labour will be in the PD’s & Greens club and SF will dominate the left.

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    Mute Cathal McDonald
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    May 8th 2015, 12:21 AM

    2 posts/updates in 16 minutes. Great LIVE blog. Not. Goodnight

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    Mute Egg Head
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    May 8th 2015, 12:23 AM

    You were in favour of the e voting machines, weren’t you Cathal?

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    Mute Damien Rogers
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    May 8th 2015, 12:26 AM

    This election mirrors 2016 when FG will obtain the overall majority.

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    Mute Damien Rogers
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    May 8th 2015, 12:30 AM

    #awwwyeeah

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    May 8th 2015, 2:38 AM

    Must say, thought there was very little coverage of the elections up North. The Irish Times were about to charge me a euro to keep perusing their site. Might actually be worth it.

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    Mute Rambotious
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    May 8th 2015, 7:44 AM

    Have to agree fg are gonna steam roll the next election, sure there is nothing else.

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    Mute Diarmuid
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    May 8th 2015, 7:49 AM

    Great to see SDLP/UUP make ground on the extremists SF/DUP. Shame Naomi Long didn’t hold her seat, very brave person politician.

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    Mute Le Tigre
    Favourite Le Tigre
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    May 8th 2015, 10:09 AM

    It was that grubby little pact that did for her

    DUP mask slipped during their acceptance speeches

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    Mute Declan Murray
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    May 7th 2015, 10:12 PM

    If this prediction prevails will the UK leave Europe?

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    Mute Fergal Kelly
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    May 7th 2015, 10:16 PM

    Yes

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    Mute Sean J. Troy
    Favourite Sean J. Troy
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    May 7th 2015, 10:17 PM

    No, they’ll have a referendum in 2017. Two years of debating makes it difficult to predict which way they’d go. But it does make it much more likely.

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    Mute Sean J. Troy
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    May 7th 2015, 10:29 PM

    That’s what happens when you don’t have a constitution.

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    Mute Norman Hunter
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    May 7th 2015, 10:43 PM

    Sean they have what is described as an ‘uncodified constitution’.

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    Mute Oliver Moran
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    May 7th 2015, 11:24 PM

    Will Scotland leave the UK if the UK leaves Europe? Will Northern Ireland leave the UK if Scotland leaves the UK and the UK leaves Europe? Will England leave the UK if they are left alone with the Welsh?

    And if Scotland doesn’t leave the UK if the UK leaves Europe, will we re-join the UK?

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    Mute Adrian
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    May 8th 2015, 12:12 AM

    I’d say it’d be pretty hard. They’d need very powerful tugboats and it would be hard to squeeze it out either above or below ireland, and the other option is over ireland and they would need a lot of helicopters for that!

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    Mute Oliver Moran
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    May 8th 2015, 12:22 AM

    Adrian, have you never carried a table through a door? Flip it on its side and bring it out through the Celtic Sea.

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    Mute Dan Smith
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    May 7th 2015, 10:31 PM

    I’m a tad confused about the exit polls. It says that the SNP are gonna wipe the floor in Scottish parliament. Why then did Scotland vote against independence less than a year ago?

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    Mute Niall
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    May 7th 2015, 10:39 PM

    Because the Scots are all mouth and no troosers.

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    Mute Annie Howe
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    May 7th 2015, 10:56 PM

    If Nicola Sturgeon had been running the show back then, it more than likely would have been a YES vote.

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    Mute SUSAN LLOYD
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    May 7th 2015, 11:02 PM

    Just like the irish

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    May 7th 2015, 11:05 PM

    Because the pro-union vote gets split between the the pan U.K. parties, while the independence vote basically all goes to the SNP. If you look at their vote by constituency, it will mostly be 40-45%. They benefit from FPTP because they have critical mass in a select number of seats. UKIP will get more votes but only a few seats.

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    May 7th 2015, 11:11 PM

    *citation needed

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    Mute stephen lane
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    May 8th 2015, 7:41 AM

    First past the post. Its a bit like Ireland in 1918;0

    Sinn Fein picked up 46.9% of the vote but nevertheless picked up 73% of the seats in Ireland.
    The Irish Parliamentary Party picked up 21% of the seats but only won 6% of the seats.

    If the British used Proportional representation, Sinn Fein would simply never have been able to set up the Dail and the history of this country would be very different.

    Clearly the British havent learned their lesson. With 48% of the popular vote in Scotland, the SNP has picked up 95% of the seats there. Watching the BBC and SKY and reading the Guardian and the Telegraph, its clear that they just dont get it. Last night we watched the end of the UK unfurl in front of us.

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    Mute Gus McIntosh
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    May 8th 2015, 9:54 AM

    There will also be some who like the powers that devolution brings, whilst keeping the security that the UK can offer.

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    Mute David O Connor
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    May 7th 2015, 10:11 PM

    If Cameron remains as PM and this referendum goes ahead it seems they will vote to leave the EU which will be a disaster for our economy. This is terrible news.

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    Mute John S
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    May 7th 2015, 10:18 PM

    Alarmist. There is nothing to say they would pass such a referendum.

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    Mute David O Connor
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    May 7th 2015, 10:31 PM

    Nothing except the most recent polls undertaken by the Times and BBC

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    May 7th 2015, 10:31 PM

    Correct. Tories might have 35% of the vote in a first past the post system. And not all of them would vote to get out.

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    Mute jenni
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    May 7th 2015, 10:50 PM

    But they might.

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    Mute Sergeant Yates
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    May 7th 2015, 10:08 PM

    Sinn fein may throw away another principle in the next few months.. If they want s bigger budget for the north.. They already govern on behalf of the queen why not enter her halls in westminster?

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    Mute IrishGravyTrain
    Favourite IrishGravyTrain
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    May 7th 2015, 10:12 PM

    Do they do ink cartridges over there in Westminister ?

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    May 7th 2015, 10:17 PM

    Ohhh topical. And original too.

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    Mute Drew
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    May 7th 2015, 10:22 PM

    Keep up ink cartridges are soooo 1990′s… These days they’re all about fake invoices paid to shell companies that don’t exist.

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    Mute Le Tigre
    Favourite Le Tigre
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    May 8th 2015, 1:06 AM

    They SHOULD abandon that policy. It served a purpose once but that day is over. They’re doing their voters a disservice

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    Mute Andrew English
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    May 8th 2015, 8:37 AM

    It’s a step too far for SF in entering WM. They had a split in the 80s, although minor, when they decided to end abstention in the north and in the dail with the creation of republican SF. The cessation of violence also split republicanism during the early 90s as some republicans felt that they had stopped the armed campaign without achieving anything. If they enter WM there is no about about it that they would be crown ministers, forcing another split and seriously threatening the balance of the GFA. Currently they are able to gloss over taking seats in the north as the GFA states that a united Ireland’s can be achieved so technically they have only switched tactics in achieving this. However losing 2 seats is not good.

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    Mute Alan McNamara
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    May 7th 2015, 10:12 PM

    Are you thejournal.co.uk now?

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    May 7th 2015, 10:15 PM

    Nope but this election directly affects six of our counties and i directly affects 26 more of them.

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    Mute Jason
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    May 7th 2015, 11:40 PM

    6 of their counties. Not ours.

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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    May 8th 2015, 12:48 AM

    Really Jason. Did Ireland not exist until 1921 then? Was Padraig Pearse a brit? Michael Collins a brit? Wolfe Tone?

    Sorry to break it to you, but we have 32 counties, not 26.

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    May 8th 2015, 1:07 AM

    Jason, 1/5th of the people of Ireland live in the UK

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    Mute Oliver Kenny
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    May 8th 2015, 1:12 AM

    Jason you’re a West Brit bwastard.

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    Mute Colm Odinson
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    May 8th 2015, 12:13 PM

    The UK is Ireland’s closest neighbour, (geographically, economically and socially) so only the most small-minded person would think this wasn’t relevant.

    Plus, a huge number of Irish people live there. Maybe look beyond your little parochial world a little?

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    Mute Ailbhe O'Nolan
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    May 7th 2015, 10:11 PM

    UKIP are failing utterly. Let’s hope nobody needs any loose bodies

    64
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    Mute Le Tigre
    Favourite Le Tigre
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    May 7th 2015, 11:02 PM

    But the DUP will be looking to take their place to the Tories’ right. That’s worse.

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    Mute Keano
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    May 7th 2015, 10:15 PM

    Labour would romp it if they had a leader worth his salt.

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    Mute Le Tigre
    Favourite Le Tigre
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    May 7th 2015, 11:06 PM

    Nah, they’re hobbled by Scotland at the minute. That’s what’s killing them

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    Mute Darren Doheny
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    May 8th 2015, 2:09 AM

    Stupid first past the post system. Preferential voting would paint a different picture.

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    Mute Jim Hartnett
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    May 7th 2015, 10:38 PM

    I’m beginning to lose the will to live. Cameron and his band of austerity loving millionaire cabinet ministers over there not far removed from the equivalent over here getting the reigns of power to continue to shite on the small man and woman. Are people so stupid?

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    Mute Gavin Scott
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    May 7th 2015, 11:00 PM

    Being the small man has never been that salubrious whatever the government stance! Even less when the left wing calculations come out. The British have slightly smarter “small folk” than we do. That is all

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    Mute SUSAN LLOYD
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    May 7th 2015, 11:05 PM

    They fear what they dont know same as the irish.. We need to stand and be counted with whats going on here

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    Mute Martin Hogan
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    May 7th 2015, 10:17 PM

    On those numbers then a Conservative/DUP coalition would nearly have the numbers. Christ.

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    Mute DJ Dave Nice
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    May 7th 2015, 10:25 PM

    Will never happen. The Tories aren’t that crazy.

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    Mute Annie Howe
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    May 7th 2015, 10:49 PM

    I wouldn’t be too sure about that.

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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    May 7th 2015, 10:51 PM

    I don’t know, DUP are big supporters of an EU referendum and it would be an effective response to the Scots Nats.

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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    May 7th 2015, 10:53 PM

    A DUP Northern Secretary anybody?

    16
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    Mute Le Tigre
    Favourite Le Tigre
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    May 7th 2015, 11:07 PM

    They may not have a choice. SNP won’t help, Plaid won’t help, UKIP on 2…

    Peter Robinson will be having his white dress fitted as we speak

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    Mute Oliver Moran
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    May 7th 2015, 11:30 PM

    Nope. Conservatives + LibDems again. The LibDems will follow the PD playbook.

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    May 8th 2015, 1:04 AM

    10 seats might not be enough though. They’ll need a 3rd party

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    Mute Ross O'flaherty
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    May 7th 2015, 10:16 PM

    Surprise ! It seems people are OK with austerity over there as well then

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    Mute Gavin Scott
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    May 8th 2015, 8:07 AM

    Of course. And it needs completing. The same needs to happen here!

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    Mute Dermot Quinn
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    May 7th 2015, 10:15 PM

    Looks like it could be a good night for Cameron.

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    Mute Sean J. Troy
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    May 7th 2015, 10:14 PM

    No surprises with the Lib Dems, UKIP, PC, the Greens or the SNP. But that Tory and Labour figure is absolutely shocking. Nobody thought that would happen.

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    Mute CreditTiger
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    May 7th 2015, 10:24 PM

    Exit polls also predicted Independent Jocks!

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    May 7th 2015, 10:59 PM

    Link?

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    Mute Declan Murray
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    May 7th 2015, 10:19 PM

    The UK leaving the EU could have massive implications for our economy and business partnership’s

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    Mute Conor Murray
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    May 7th 2015, 10:19 PM

    That exit poll is madness. It can’t be right. Tories gaining seats? SNP winning all but one in Scotland? I just can’t see that being accurate.

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    Mute John Brennan
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    May 7th 2015, 10:25 PM

    Remains to be seen. Last BBC exit poll in 2010 was spot on. Looks like it’ll be an interesting night.

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    Mute Bulie Julie
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    May 7th 2015, 10:27 PM

    G’wan the SNP! And to be fair, Cameron is a better statesman than Milliband

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    May 7th 2015, 11:00 PM

    My cat is a better statesman than Miliband.

    29
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    Mute stephen kavanagh
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    May 7th 2015, 10:15 PM

    No!! No staying up if have to look at that smarmy git glorying in it all night!

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    May 7th 2015, 10:13 PM

    If that pans out, Cameron could do a deal with the DUP, provided SF stick to their policy of taking expenses instead of seats. I doubt that’s his preference but it strengthens his hand in negotiating with the Lib Dems.

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    Mute Paul Radburn
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    May 7th 2015, 10:12 PM

    Who gives a fiddlers?

    29
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    Mute Declan Burke
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    May 7th 2015, 10:19 PM

    Hi Hugh with ukip on two. Do you reckon this means no seat for farage??

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    Mute DJ Dave Nice
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    May 7th 2015, 10:26 PM

    Just a stool in his local, one would hope.

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    Mute Baz
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    May 7th 2015, 10:58 PM

    Country is F’ked if the DUP get anywhere near a say in forming a government with the Tories

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    Mute Paul McGuigan
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    May 8th 2015, 9:41 AM

    Holy crap Baz. I actually agree with you on that. Must be a full moon or something

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    Mute Middle Class Cork
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    May 7th 2015, 11:22 PM

    Tories hold power. Cameron sticks to his promise of EU membership referendum. Brits decide they’re out the gap. And hopefully we follow them out shortly after. We go back to the Punt. Both us and the Brits sign an Atlantic trade agreement with the US, Canada & South Africa. Leave the EU to choke itself to death in red tape and bureaucracy, with Germany happy that the northwestern islanders have left them alone to stamp their jackboot all over the continent, while it slowly and quietly sinks into a sauerkraut flavoured quagmire. The change could start tonight.

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    Mute Russell
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    May 7th 2015, 10:19 PM

    Very efficient counting system in place over there, results expected in the next few hours.. It takes days here. could do with implementing that over here

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    Mute John Brennan
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    May 7th 2015, 10:30 PM

    They have a very different voting system to us. It is much faster to determine result for first past the post versus our single transferrable vote system.

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    Mute Khaos Komputing
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    May 7th 2015, 10:35 PM

    It usually takes after polling to get our results. Depending on transfers some can go a bit long but also ensures the fairest result.

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    Mute Khaos Komputing
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    May 7th 2015, 10:35 PM

    A day after***

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    Mute Danny McLaughlin
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    May 7th 2015, 11:40 PM

    Russell, do you honestly not know or understand the difference between the 2 voting systems in the UK and Ireland?
    Give me our system anyday, even if some counts do take a day or so.

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    Mute Russell
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    May 8th 2015, 12:03 AM

    I agree with you completely, I wasn’t thinking of the different way we vote I was merely impressed byhow quickly they get it counted. Well worth the wait with our system

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    Mute Darren Doheny
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    May 8th 2015, 2:18 AM

    It really is some joke of a system! Everyone votes and gets rewarded with a party that 60+% of people didn’t want.

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    Mute Colin
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    May 7th 2015, 10:27 PM

    The YouGov poll posts a completely different picture

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    Mute Chris Bruton
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    May 7th 2015, 10:42 PM

    YouGov clarifies: “YouGov has not done an exit poll. A re-contact survey today simply gave us no reason to change our final numbers from yesterday.”

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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    May 7th 2015, 10:19 PM

    Interesting,. On those figures,. Conservatives can form a government with DUP support if SF don’t take their seats.

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    Mute Andrew Boylan
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    May 7th 2015, 10:25 PM

    I haven’t updated the journal app because it is now asked for my location, now I will blocking the app from my notifications. (woo cyanogen mod) I had no issue when used for meaning for alerts like when people go missing or extreme weather warnings. But for the UK election results…. Really you can feck off!

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    Mute Drew
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    May 7th 2015, 10:40 PM

    How very typically Irish… Doesn’t want to hear about the UK election, oh but if it’s something important like the weather notify right away that it’s raining.

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    May 7th 2015, 11:10 PM

    Yeah, Irish people are known the world over did not wanting push notifications about UK general elections

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    Mute Bill Jones
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    May 7th 2015, 10:19 PM

    Moving to Scotland is looking awfully tempting now..

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    May 7th 2015, 11:08 PM

    Enjoy your Tory government

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    Mute Declan Murray
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    May 7th 2015, 10:43 PM

    Very interesting times and while I normally like the whole too and fro of the proportional representation this time the UK system is very interesting. . . For a change

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    Mute Barry Burke
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    May 7th 2015, 10:33 PM

    if the dup do a deal with tories , like all smaller partys in government they will get political destroyed which would be good for sinn fein , (take that as good or bad idk)

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    Mute Q8K9dOAu
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    May 7th 2015, 10:14 PM

    I honestly don’t give a flying feck. Cheers for the notification spam. Get back to ‘the mainland’ with ye.

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    Mute Barry Burke
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    May 7th 2015, 10:23 PM

    Looks like a referendum on the eu

    Come on the snp

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    Mute Middle Class Cork
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    May 7th 2015, 10:17 PM

    1992 again?
    Go for it Cameron.

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    Mute Paul McGuigan
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    May 8th 2015, 9:31 AM

    Go for it? You fcuk off to Tory land there lad will ya.

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    Mute Irish Druid
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    May 7th 2015, 10:34 PM

    The polls were rubbish like in 2010

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    Mute Alan J. McKenna
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    May 8th 2015, 2:38 AM

    Scotland is a progressive nation. England is not. That was clear in November and it is clearer now. Divorce is inevitable and all power to Scotland.

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    Mute Emily Elephant
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    May 8th 2015, 8:46 AM

    Well if you go by the comments here, SSM is the touchstone. And it was done in England first.

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    May 8th 2015, 10:11 AM

    Why would anyone go by the comments here?? Half the commenters write “should of”

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    Mute Annie Howe
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    May 8th 2015, 1:18 AM

    Looks like Nigel’s in trouble. He did say he’d step down as leader of UKIP if he didn’t win his seat…don’t let the door hit you on the way out lad.

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    Mute Billy Cotter
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    May 8th 2015, 1:31 AM

    He made a great difference to uk politics

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    May 7th 2015, 10:48 PM

    You pulling the late shift tonight Hugh? Commiserations I’m off to bed soon as I don’t really worry about what the UK is up to more worried about our lot of jobs worth to be honest.

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    Mute were not jamming
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    May 7th 2015, 11:41 PM

    Yet you care to comment. Another idiotic comment from you.

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    May 8th 2015, 2:16 AM

    Ooh, bad news for the DUP in South Antrim and North Down.

    That’s good news for people who don’t want evangelical sharia.

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    May 8th 2015, 1:10 AM

    Look at the % each party is getting and a left-right, Scotland-England divide is very apparent

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    Mute Maoist Dong
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    May 7th 2015, 11:17 PM

    All that is needed now is for Farage to get South Thanet.

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    Mute Paul Boland
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    May 7th 2015, 10:27 PM

    I would not go by exit polls they have shown in the past to be hit and miss with elections

    Until the real results come in who has the most seats is what counts
    There has always been shock results that exit polls miss
    When all results are known then those who care or even are bothered to want to know the result will see who wins

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    Mute OneTrueVoice
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    May 8th 2015, 8:03 AM

    20% loss of seats by Sinn Fein. That’s going to hurt the party coffers.

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    Mute Barry Barrison
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    May 8th 2015, 8:44 AM

    Ed milliband is a clown. Imagine struggling to eat a bacon sarnie! but Cameron is just as bad. His poshness irritates me! Then there’s our lot! Obama seems like a bit of a buzzer but he doesn’t do much. Putin is the only 1 who comes across as a real leader..regardless of his politics you can tell he’s in charge! If he was here he’d have no trouble telling the Germans to fcuk off!!

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    Mute Lorraine Kinsella
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    May 8th 2015, 9:27 AM

    Do the irish elections get this much coverage in the UK? I doubt it.

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    Mute Paul Mooney
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    May 8th 2015, 10:02 AM

    No. Because we are mickey mouse and they are not.
    The UK is the second/third largest economy in Europe and the fifth/sixth/seventh largest economy in the World. They are a permanent member of the UN security council and have nuclear weapons. The UK is still our largest trading partner and the Irish are one of the larger ethnic groups within the UK.
    Depending on your politics you believe we merely share a land border with the UK or believe that part of our country is occupied by the UK.
    Is that enough for ya?

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    Mute Le Tigre
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    May 8th 2015, 10:12 AM

    I’m sure if we governed 6 English counties they’d be all ears

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    Mute Paul Mooney
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    May 8th 2015, 10:27 AM

    To govern six English counties we would need to invade them and hold them.
    As I said we are mickey mouse and not in any position to do this?

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    Mute Rodger 5
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    May 8th 2015, 12:51 PM

    Didn’t Jack Lynch threaten to invade the North? Well the FCA were a fearsome force at the time, ask the sheep down in the Glen

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    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
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    May 8th 2015, 10:21 AM

    At least what it might do is let the British people realise that they don’t live in a democracy. It would appear that UKIP got more votes than the SNP and no power as a result. As for the SNP, that goes to show that Scots learned the hard way too. All those politicians on their knees to get them to vote No to Independence with promises of the sun, moon and stars next week only to break them days after the result. It would appear that the Russian system is more democratic than the UK’s. With the same old elite school products running the country then British people might have got the politicians it deserved.

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    Mute Tim Kearney
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    May 7th 2015, 10:41 PM

    So !!

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    Mute Rodger 5
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    May 8th 2015, 12:49 PM

    Any chance of FG/Labour relinquishing their icy death grip on the throats of the natives?

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    Mute Paul Mooney
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    May 8th 2015, 9:53 AM

    When the Marxists won the Greek election the web was full Trot keyboard warriors demanding respect for the democratic mandate given to the Greek government.
    Well look at the Brits now.What do you make of dem apples?

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    Mute Clare Stagg
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    May 8th 2015, 12:29 PM

    C

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    Mute Ewan Scott-Douglas
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    May 8th 2015, 8:20 AM

    Well that was unexpected…

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    Mute Joey Gee
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    May 8th 2015, 11:52 AM

    Losers and winners last night, big loss for DUP who, despite regaining a seat where they and Alliance have seen enormous job loss under their stewardship, however with a good win for the Tories they now have lost the prospective influence they were predicted to hold. If you’re on low income in Belfast East, expect things to get worse again.
    OUP win, not only a seat where they had a pact with DUP but they take Antrim South from a hypocritical DUP incumbent so a good night for Mike Nesbitt.
    Big, big win for SDLP in Belfast South, I honestly expected the Unionist pact to unseat him here, there again, how many employment opportunities have been created in this Irish constituency since SDLP first took the seat so one must wonder why the good Doctor retained this seat?
    Fermanagh and South Tyrone not a surprising result, OUP/DUP pact have clearly done good ground work to get aging Unionist voters out to the polling stations yet it has often been said there that Gildernew worked very hard on behalf of all constituents so no reward for this from the Unionist bloc.
    Belfast North, big blow to Gerry Kelly and again, great vote management from the OUP/DUP pact, I wonder does this sound a death knell for old Provies like Kelly, and the never a Provie Adams to make way for new, untainted, faces? (an aside, Mary-Lou did come across very well on BBC last night, much as it pains me to say this)
    Alliance lose seat in Belfast East but overall share of vote is up, unfortunate I think, since they are still ultra Unionist party so a good result here for David Ford and, despite running Winston Churchill in Belfast South, they see a good rise in their percentage vote in this constituency.
    Massive result for both Tories and SNP, after the last brit General Election I stated the winners were their labour party, as they had not taken the hammering they perhaps deserved, given poor management of that economy and other unpopular policy measures. Now the Tories go from coalition to majority, perhaps simply a reflection of the rejection of PR by the people of britain four years ago, brits, whether blue rinse or other, like strong government, not coalition. As above, the losers will be those in the middle and bottom whose tax bill will increase while potential state benefit entitlement will sharply reduce.
    The Scot’s are effectively another country this morning having voted for independence, a huge win for their new leader Ms. Sturgeon, expect another referendum within this political generation, the oil’s running out so the brit’s will not want to spend their time subsidising the rebellious Scot’s, you can put submarines in the port of Derry, closer to the Atlantic.
    Farage has just lost Thanet, however, in the six counties, they have done sufficiently to perhaps take seats in the Dundonald administration next time out, 1900 votes in Belfast South for a recently OUP member is quite some vote.and, across unionist constituencies the story is similar, we need be aware what message this sends out on how the six counties may vote in the forthcoming ‘in/out’ referendum which will be taken in this part of Ireland and britain.
    Lib-Dems are hammered, after the rise in student fees in britain it’s hardly a surprise, I spoke to many of my children’s friends, who all were at universities in southern england, who were all anti-LibDem as their wee siblings all had higher fees to pay so, ILP like, expect no support from this portion of the electorate, or their parents, due to very broken promises.
    Cameron, unlike Major ’92-’97 is unlikely to loose Deputies to other parties, or death so will probably build on this small majority next time out, is the defeat of Miliband a sign that, Michael Foot like, the brit’ s don’t like socialism and prefer the middle ground of Blairist Labour, once offered by David Miliband?
    So, blue rinse Tory win, some success to the UKIP party but insufficient to have influence in their Parliament, though perhaps in the Dundonald assembly next time out, and in Wales too, which might reflect in 2017.
    An excellent win for SDLP in Derry, where a very decent incumbent held his seat, while South Down might swing to Sinn Féin in five years so a poor showing for Richie there with here too a strong UKIP showing.perhaps reflects DUP disaffection where OUP increase their vote.
    The big losers are the middle earners of britain who will pay substantially more in taxes, as we do too here in Ireland, while the rebellious scot’s are now the real party of opposition in the british parliament.

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