I know there will be hard times ahead for Labour and the UK. But for now I want to enjoy the moment where Jacob Rees-Mogg had to accept defeat standing next to a man wearing a baked bean balaclava. So good to see the back of so many poisonous useless Tories.
> And afterwards, if you looked closely, you could see the anger in her robotic eyes.
The reason Truss was fit to be tied is that she lost because the hard-Right vote split in her electorate. The new Labour MP there won with a lot fewer votes than the combined total for Truss and Reform.
She's furious at those thousands of voters who recognised her utter incompetence and abandoned her for Reform. But she's even more furious about having to swallow the blame: she can't vent about Reform publicly, because it's now the only remaining trough that might still make room for her trotters.
There's a TalkTV YT channel with a clip "Former Prime Minister Liz Truss LOSES Her Seat In Shock South West Norfolk Result." Listen to that from about 0:20; former Conservative MP Nick de Bois gives a back story, that'll have you convinced of poetic justice and drowning in schadenfreude.
The split between Truss and Reform caused the bulk of her downfall, no question. Still, she might have survived if not for votes won by independent candidate James Bagge. Many years ago, Truss was imposed on local Tories as their candidate. They - the "Turnip Taliban" - objected, but Big Dave threw his weight around and they had to back down.
The head of the Turnip Taliban then was James Bagge.
Finally someone has written what needed to be written
Labor winning is rare, Labour winning 3 years after the Hartlepool by-election is a miracle but you’d swear from the tone of the electoral coverage that this was only slightly less of a disaster for Labour than it was for the Tory’s
I was genuinely angry at the tone of the coverage last night, Thatcher, Johnson hell even Cameron in 15 were covered as conquering heroes delivered stonking mandates despite none getting 50% of the vote but suddenly a new standard was invented on the fly during the coverage that this was an illegitimate majority
A truly disgraceful performance from the broadcasters who’s desperation to play down Starmers achievement meant they missed the story of the night, only the 3rd Labour leader in history to win a working majority from opposition and doing it 5 years after Corbyn nearly killed the party
I'm going to enjoy it for a day. But it feels very precarious. A huge landslide on 34% of the vote is indefensible. Reform lurking below the surface everywhere. We are nowhere near out of the woods yet. Basically Starmer has five years to prove that sober, technocratic politics can work. I wish him well but the barbarians are at the gates.
I don’t think we should be too frightened by the low share of the vote. There was the most detailed and organized campaign to explain tactical voting that there has ever been. As pleased as I am that the liberal Democrats have so many seats. I do think that some of those are because voters chose to go for whoever would remove the Tories, even if they were actually labour voters. What we need to be looking at is the overall percentage of progressive reasonable MPs. Farage. has been able to motivate a personal following, but if he is a truly dreadful MP, as history would indicate he may well go the way of George Galloway. Let s hope so.
There won't be any analysis, not yet anyway, but through the night ,I got the impression that the Lib Dem vote stood up in Lab/Con marginals more than the Labour one did in the LD/Con ones. Labour voters seemed more inclined to vote tactically than Lib Dems. If true, it makes it even stranger. Labour would have lost more votes to tactical voting but were undoubtedly the bigger beneficiaries.
It’s been indefensible every other time it’s happened too (don’t give me strong & stable after the last decade and a half) but as it almost always suited the other guys we never heard a peep out of them. Well, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Average turn out is just that, average. 70% here for our once-in-a-century opportunity to overturn our local stranglehold, and overturn it we did. If you give people a good reason to turn out, they’ll turn out.
Chware teg to write this so eloquently after being up all night drinking (one would assume) is quite a feat. Not a single Tory seat in Wales mate NOT ONE! Not even Bridgend! Montgomeryshire went lib dem thank goodness and even Monmouth has gone Labour! There is some trepidation high voter percentage to Reform but that's just idiots wanting to kick out the Tories but not chose Labour and that momentum will unravel as fast as one of Fergae's cheap suits. It is a glorious day, we do have a very decent human being at the seat of power again and a sound cabinet no doubt and for now that is one huge beacon of light in a world that has fallen into populist darkness so let us celebrate in memory of all those who have and still are hurting because of this pernicious PM and his ilk because by god we have earned it! Llongyfarchiadau Labour x
Exactly this. It might not be the sexiest or most inspiring thing, but it’s the sheer professional competence of Starmer and Reeves that I’m most looking forward to. Just getting stuff done prioritised over scoring cheap points (or making a quick buck). And I’m sure Starmer will have a copy of HWWAWID on his desk in No. 10 to guide him!
Thanks Ian. This was a much needed antidote to the obvious fragility of the landslide. I'd already convinced myself Farage will be PM in 2029 after a Tory takeover and all those Tories who stayed home (low turnout) swing behind him after Starmer can't fix this collosal mess. But the comparison with Cameron in 2010 made me see it differently.
There's also a scenario where the same thing happens and Labour lose seats to Reform. But the Tories tack to the right means the Lib Dems keep the bulk of their seats meaning a Labour - Lib Dem coalition.
Which is probably the only way the UK will ever get a fair voting system and rejoin the single market, the two things that really would change "the rules of the game" and prevent the Farage takeover that is otherwise likely sooner or later.
But for now, enjoy having an actual government and the "spirit of remainder vengeance" Rafael Behr mentioned in his piece.
And thanks for all the superb writing. You've kept me (and I suspect others) informed and understanding of what's been happening since 2016, and it is very much appreciated.
We should try to stop the over-the-top quasi-violent rhetoric. Now…
Let’s try to get back to a world in which words like Jolly Good Job, Well Done and Hard Luck had a meaning. I know it might be simply too late, but gratuitous insults of people who are down and hopefully out, is simply not cricket. And what’s the next level, violence, burning their house down, … which has already happened in France. Enough… copy Stammer, keep cool and respect others.
Its odd that with this mah-hoo-sive Labour majority, which should have me reaching for the champers, I feel depressed because of just how many people STILL voted Tory & they have over a 100 seats. Ah well, perhaps a cup of tea & a biscuit will help.
To add to that, the big mouth has finally got into Parliament, and will create a completely toxic atmosphere. He will be helped by the right wing press and media. Every effort must be made to shut him and his brown shirts down. Deprive them of the oxygen of publicity.
I know there will be hard times ahead for Labour and the UK. But for now I want to enjoy the moment where Jacob Rees-Mogg had to accept defeat standing next to a man wearing a baked bean balaclava. So good to see the back of so many poisonous useless Tories.
Oh yes! If only the fool had worn his topper and monocle. To see him lose in that getup beside a baked bean balaclava would have been too perfect.
The Photoshop jockeys will be having a field day with these results. Can't wait for the best of them.
Delicious. (Not literally).
> And afterwards, if you looked closely, you could see the anger in her robotic eyes.
The reason Truss was fit to be tied is that she lost because the hard-Right vote split in her electorate. The new Labour MP there won with a lot fewer votes than the combined total for Truss and Reform.
She's furious at those thousands of voters who recognised her utter incompetence and abandoned her for Reform. But she's even more furious about having to swallow the blame: she can't vent about Reform publicly, because it's now the only remaining trough that might still make room for her trotters.
There's a TalkTV YT channel with a clip "Former Prime Minister Liz Truss LOSES Her Seat In Shock South West Norfolk Result." Listen to that from about 0:20; former Conservative MP Nick de Bois gives a back story, that'll have you convinced of poetic justice and drowning in schadenfreude.
The split between Truss and Reform caused the bulk of her downfall, no question. Still, she might have survived if not for votes won by independent candidate James Bagge. Many years ago, Truss was imposed on local Tories as their candidate. They - the "Turnip Taliban" - objected, but Big Dave threw his weight around and they had to back down.
The head of the Turnip Taliban then was James Bagge.
And the Reform candidate was standing right next to her. Brilliant.
Finally someone has written what needed to be written
Labor winning is rare, Labour winning 3 years after the Hartlepool by-election is a miracle but you’d swear from the tone of the electoral coverage that this was only slightly less of a disaster for Labour than it was for the Tory’s
I was genuinely angry at the tone of the coverage last night, Thatcher, Johnson hell even Cameron in 15 were covered as conquering heroes delivered stonking mandates despite none getting 50% of the vote but suddenly a new standard was invented on the fly during the coverage that this was an illegitimate majority
A truly disgraceful performance from the broadcasters who’s desperation to play down Starmers achievement meant they missed the story of the night, only the 3rd Labour leader in history to win a working majority from opposition and doing it 5 years after Corbyn nearly killed the party
“We'll not see its like again” - bless you, you’re a youngster. We said that in ‘97, and this is better!
I'm going to enjoy it for a day. But it feels very precarious. A huge landslide on 34% of the vote is indefensible. Reform lurking below the surface everywhere. We are nowhere near out of the woods yet. Basically Starmer has five years to prove that sober, technocratic politics can work. I wish him well but the barbarians are at the gates.
I don’t think we should be too frightened by the low share of the vote. There was the most detailed and organized campaign to explain tactical voting that there has ever been. As pleased as I am that the liberal Democrats have so many seats. I do think that some of those are because voters chose to go for whoever would remove the Tories, even if they were actually labour voters. What we need to be looking at is the overall percentage of progressive reasonable MPs. Farage. has been able to motivate a personal following, but if he is a truly dreadful MP, as history would indicate he may well go the way of George Galloway. Let s hope so.
Of course it does work the other way too - some of those Labour voters may be LibDems. Like me.
There won't be any analysis, not yet anyway, but through the night ,I got the impression that the Lib Dem vote stood up in Lab/Con marginals more than the Labour one did in the LD/Con ones. Labour voters seemed more inclined to vote tactically than Lib Dems. If true, it makes it even stranger. Labour would have lost more votes to tactical voting but were undoubtedly the bigger beneficiaries.
Then Thank You x
It’s been indefensible every other time it’s happened too (don’t give me strong & stable after the last decade and a half) but as it almost always suited the other guys we never heard a peep out of them. Well, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Average turn out is just that, average. 70% here for our once-in-a-century opportunity to overturn our local stranglehold, and overturn it we did. If you give people a good reason to turn out, they’ll turn out.
Chware teg to write this so eloquently after being up all night drinking (one would assume) is quite a feat. Not a single Tory seat in Wales mate NOT ONE! Not even Bridgend! Montgomeryshire went lib dem thank goodness and even Monmouth has gone Labour! There is some trepidation high voter percentage to Reform but that's just idiots wanting to kick out the Tories but not chose Labour and that momentum will unravel as fast as one of Fergae's cheap suits. It is a glorious day, we do have a very decent human being at the seat of power again and a sound cabinet no doubt and for now that is one huge beacon of light in a world that has fallen into populist darkness so let us celebrate in memory of all those who have and still are hurting because of this pernicious PM and his ilk because by god we have earned it! Llongyfarchiadau Labour x
As a Monmouthshire resident I’m so delighted even though their count came in last. Bendigedig!
Thank you, Ian.
I have long treasured your delightful command of the language.
Your description of Liz Truss, today, as the "paragon of uselessness" should win a prize.
Exactly this. It might not be the sexiest or most inspiring thing, but it’s the sheer professional competence of Starmer and Reeves that I’m most looking forward to. Just getting stuff done prioritised over scoring cheap points (or making a quick buck). And I’m sure Starmer will have a copy of HWWAWID on his desk in No. 10 to guide him!
Thank you for being there, Ian. i've loved reading this!
Bliss in this dawn after the Night of a Dozen Portillos!
Thanks Ian. This was a much needed antidote to the obvious fragility of the landslide. I'd already convinced myself Farage will be PM in 2029 after a Tory takeover and all those Tories who stayed home (low turnout) swing behind him after Starmer can't fix this collosal mess. But the comparison with Cameron in 2010 made me see it differently.
There's also a scenario where the same thing happens and Labour lose seats to Reform. But the Tories tack to the right means the Lib Dems keep the bulk of their seats meaning a Labour - Lib Dem coalition.
Which is probably the only way the UK will ever get a fair voting system and rejoin the single market, the two things that really would change "the rules of the game" and prevent the Farage takeover that is otherwise likely sooner or later.
But for now, enjoy having an actual government and the "spirit of remainder vengeance" Rafael Behr mentioned in his piece.
And thanks for all the superb writing. You've kept me (and I suspect others) informed and understanding of what's been happening since 2016, and it is very much appreciated.
A frabjous morning indeed. Onward into the bright new day.
Great Article Ian.
For myself, I am extremely happy about he total annihilation of the Tory vote in Cornwall. Hardly reported anywhere - its huge for us...
Kernow Bys Vyken !!!!
Agree totally with the comments. But…
We should try to stop the over-the-top quasi-violent rhetoric. Now…
Let’s try to get back to a world in which words like Jolly Good Job, Well Done and Hard Luck had a meaning. I know it might be simply too late, but gratuitous insults of people who are down and hopefully out, is simply not cricket. And what’s the next level, violence, burning their house down, … which has already happened in France. Enough… copy Stammer, keep cool and respect others.
Its odd that with this mah-hoo-sive Labour majority, which should have me reaching for the champers, I feel depressed because of just how many people STILL voted Tory & they have over a 100 seats. Ah well, perhaps a cup of tea & a biscuit will help.
To add to that, the big mouth has finally got into Parliament, and will create a completely toxic atmosphere. He will be helped by the right wing press and media. Every effort must be made to shut him and his brown shirts down. Deprive them of the oxygen of publicity.
However Galloway has gone so that’s a bonus. And frog face will have to rely upon the Speaker to call him which might not be that easy.
If they can ignore Diane Abbott with a legitimate claim to speak 29 times, I’m sure they can manage to ignore Farage.
A beautiful day indeed!!