Tactical voting guides

[Suff]

Interesting that the DM and the Sun printed tactical voting guides to ensure that people were able to block Labour wins.

I wonder if they have set a precedent and the press will interfere in all future elections by giving the people all the information they need in order to change the way that they might vote.

Personally I'm all for it.... But many may not be.

[TheOstrich]

A very interesting observation, Suff, but I think it's early doors yet on whether folk have indeed voted tactically. It looks like the vote swings are more regional than tactical.

There seems to be a huge swing from LibDem to Ukip; take Nuneaton, for example which was a prime Tory target for Labour - there was hardly any shift in the Labour and Tory shares at all, the Tories comfortably retained the seat.

That said, I think that there has been tactical voting in Thanet South to ensure Farage hasn't got elected ......

[Suff]

Danny Alexander just got tanked by a 27% swing to SNP. Sounds like SNP have also completely wiped Glasgow. Which is absolutely huge.

What I do wonder is whether the single Scottish Tory MP will be returned.

It's been interesting. The swing to the Tories has been around 2% throughout the south. It's still going and will be a very interesting morning indeed.

I'm still watching. Probably I'm not going to get much sleep tonight and will be late to work tomorrow.

What will interest me most will be whether the key seats for Lib Dems stay with a personal vote. But turnout seems to be higher and that extra turnout is voting for change, not for the parties of the status quo.

[TheOstrich]

I'm still watching. Probably I'm not going to get much sleep tonight and will be late to work tomorrow.

LOL, same here. But no work for me - one of the benefits of being retired, Suff.

I'm not sure from what's happening that the personal support for the LDs is holding up. I shall be very interested to see if David Laws loses in Yeovil, as is being rumoured. We were in that constituency when Paddy Ashdown first won it - it was then one of the first major LD breakthroughs ....

Will be interesting to see if George Galloway has gone as well ....

Also interesting to see Ukip consistently beating Plaid Cymru .....

[Suff]

Interestingly the LD just made a gain, to get to 3 seats.

Also interestingly I've just listened to ITV repeating, almost word for word what I said about the SNP wins in Scotland. That they [Labour] were warned that standing on a podium with the Tories would destroy them.

Apparently the latest name for them is "Red Tories".

They lost Glenrothes, I cheered as it was my seat for 2 decades. They lost Kirkcaldy. I cheered even louder. For anyone who knows the "Lang Toon", to understand how incredibly large that change was, almost unbelievable. It was no mistake that Brown took that seat instead of Dunfermline which was always his seat.

Just heard that LD held Orkney in Scotland....

[TheOstrich]

Nothing on the BBC about a LD gain yet.

Ed Milliband to be gone by Monday?

[Suff]

Possibly, Cable just lost his seat so the LD pain continues.

I only saw the LD gain on the ITV ticker for a few seconds. Didn't recognise the constituency. Just LD and gain...

Certainly Miliband is not smiling....

[TheOstrich]

Tactical voting .... the Tories kept Nick Clegg afloat in Sheffield Hallam, but in his acceptance speech, it looked like he was going to consider his position in the LDs.

Tactical voting .... Tory voters kept Labour in power in 2 (?) east Scottish seats at the expense of the SNP.

Next point of interest - has Ed Balls been defeated?

[Suff]

don't know but my prediction of the Tories holding their Dumfries seat was correct. Also I've just heard Charles Kennedy has lost his seat....

Waiting for Miliband's result.

[Suff]

All I need to know now is where in Scotland to send the Barrel of Whiskey so that Scottish Labour can drown their sorrows. Or just drown.

For me this is absolutely the very best result of the whole thing. I was hoping that they would feel what the Tories felt in 92 and I have been rewarded with my hope.