Anybody any idea who's going to form the next government ?...

exit poll looks to have been pretty accurate ...... cons now predicted to win 307 = +2 from exit poll ..... ld have surprisingly not performed nearly as well as predicted

Cameron at the moment could hope for a coalition with the liberal-democrats or the northern ireland mp's in the event of the former going with labour.....so to me Cameron has to be leader.....Brown still clinging to the railings at number 10....but perhaps not for long...

do you have any idea where the DUP (i think that's the party with all the seats in NI) stands relative to Tory mandate/promises?

At least the Falklands oil cos are performing well today against the general fall in the uk markets.

I thing NC will go with Cameron....the situation with GB would not work out...the rest of them could help but I'm no expert in political affairs, some would go with Cameron others won't.

I think you'll find it's more than a few hundred. Stories say it happened in several cities and certainly we had to queue to vote which has never happened before.

Whether the story runs who knows but I still feel we will have another election soon.

i think you are right and assuredly there will be a massive row about the chester shambles as that is a very close count-call

Why would anybody want to vote for Labour ? never overestirmate the intelligence of the British public .

using some of those on this BB as shining examples of same?

I dont think the markets or the media or the public would like to see a coalition of losers
it would hardly seem to be the honourable thing to do

and if we are to have another election in the autumn, it might be politically savvy for Gordon to stand aside now and wait .

he would then enjoy the 'well, they tried and failed' high ground

He'll hang on to the bitter end like Hitler in his bunker.

Bit late to reply Cynic but DUP got 8 MPs SF 7 SDLP 3 Alliance 1 Ind 1 Dup might support Cons if deal is right SF leans towards labour as does SDLP other 2 both women will do their own thing. Quite interesting here as 3 party leaders have lost their seats

NC will have to go with JC because if he goes with GB : the total does not exceed JC + NI....so to defeat Gordon Brown you have to have : > GB+NC=JC+NI......hopes that makes sense...(:))...(Gordon Brown disposal formula)....or gbdf for short...

Clegg to talk to Cameron first

and cable bounces

cynic

re - i rather forlornly hoped that the peeps who inhabit these boards were rather more educated and thoughtful

We wish you did not have RED all over you and ofcourse including the NOSE

       COFFEE FUN TIME

Election '10 night: scalps, farewells and survivors
Farewell to some familiar faces ...and others who survived the night

SCALPS
Jacqui Smith
Jacqui Smith, the former Home Secretary, who was forced to step down from the government after she used her parliamentary expenses to pay for her husbands adult films, has been emphatically defeated in Redditch. She is the biggest scalp of the election for the Conservatives. Karen Lumley, the partys candidate, won 19,138 votes - 9.2 per cent swing from Labour. Ms Smith, who was deeply embarrassed by the disclosure of her expenses claims, became largely synonymous with the scandal. A doleful-looking Ms Smith looked close to tears at the count.

Peter Robinson

In one of the most astonishing results in the region's history, Peter Robinson, Northern Irelands First Minister, lost East Belfast to Naomi Long of the Alliance Party. Ms Long won 12,839 votes, a majority of 1,533. Mr Robinsons stunning defeat can be attributed to revelations in his private life earlier unearthed earlier this year. His wife Iris was forced to quit politics after she failed to declare a 50,000 loan to her teenage lover. Mr Robinson, who denied any wrong doing in the saga, was initially forced to stand down as First Minister, but later returned. His wife, who tried to commit suicide after her husband discovered her affair, is currently in acute psychiatric care.

Lembit Opik

Lembit Opik, the flamboyant Liberal Democrat, was beaten by the Conservatives in Montgomeryshire. The Conservative candidate Glyn Davies ousted Mr Opik with a swing of 13 per cent, winning 13,976. Mr Opik, who courted attention, was one of the elections biggest surprises. It seems voters were unimpressed with Mr Opiks antics. He courted media attention with his engagement to Cheeky Girl popstar Gabriela Irimia and later with his relationship with weather presenter Sian Lloyd. Mr Opik had been the Lib Dem MP here since 1997. His said to suggestions his private life had influence voters: Its a very sad day for democracy if being characterful means you cant be in parliament.

Charles Clarke

Charles Clarke, the former home secretary and Labour rebel, has lost his seat to the Liberal Democrats. Simon Wright won Norwich South with a 310 majority. Mr Clarke, who was highly critical of Gordon Brown from the backbenches, was reported to be behind attempts to oust the Prime Minister in January. Mr Wright won 13,960 votes - a swing of 4 per cent from the Liberal Democrats.

FAREWELLS

Dr Evan Harris

Dr Evan Harris, a leading Liberal Democrat, known for his independent views and feisty temperament, has lost Oxford West and Abingdon to the Conservatives. Dr Harriss defeat typified a disappointing night for the party. Nicola Blackwood, the Conservative candidate, won by 176 votes, after a recount. Dr Harris, who was elected in 1997, won 23,730 votes.

Mike OBrien

Mike OBrien, a Health Minister, was beaten in Warwickshire North by 54 votes. Mr OBrien had been MP here since 1992. Dan Byles, the Conservative candidate, won 18,993 votes, with a 7.7 per cent swing from Labour.

Shahid Malik

Shahid Malik, the Parliamentary under-Secretary of State in department for Communities and Local Government, has lost in Dewsbury. Mr Malik, who was caught up in the expenses scandal, was beaten by Simon Reevell, the Conservative candidate, by 1,526 votes. Mr Reevell won 18,898 to Mr Maliks 17,372 - a 5.9 per cent swing from Labour to Conservative. Mr Malik had been forced to stand down as a justice minister in May 2009 after it was revealed he had not declared a preferential rent on his main home. He rejoined the government a month later.

Phil Hope

Phil Hope, a Health Minister, has lost his seat to Tory A-list candidate Louise Bageshaw. Ms Bageshaw, the successful chick-lit author, took Corby by 1,951 votes. Mr Hope had held the seats since the Labour landslide in 1997. Ms Bageshaw won 22,886 votes, a swing of 3.4 per cent from Labour.

Bill Rammell

Bill Rammell, the Armed Forces Minister, has been ousted from his Harlow seat by the Conservatives. Mr Rammell, who won the constituency 13 years ago, was beaten by Robert Halfon who polled 19,691 votes to Mr Rammells 14,766.

SURVIVORS

Ed Balls

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, narrowly avoided a "Portillo moment", squeezing home with just over 1,000 votes. Antony Calvert, the Conservative candidate, polled 17,264 votes - a swing of 9.3 per cent.

The Conservatives' mission to castrate the Labour party was heavily funded by Lord Ashcroft, the partys deputy chairman. Mr Balls standing in the Morley and Outwood was one of the most eagerly awaited results of the election. Mr Cameron had urged voters to give Mr Calvert a moment to rival Mr Portillos stunning defeat at Enfield Southgate in 1997. Mr Calvert had told locals that he wanted to cut off Labours Balls. Thanking the electoral staff, Mr Balls said: I am sorry for the cameras that they didnt get the moment they were looking for, although I must say it was quite close.

Oliver Letwin

Oliver Letwin, the Conservative Partys election chief, who drew up the partys election policies, saw off the Liberal Democrats with a 3,923 majority. Mr Letwins Dorset West seat was seen as one of the most vulnerable for senior Tories. Mr Letwin increased his share of the vote by 1.1 per cent to 27,287 votes. Sue Farrant, the Liberal Democrat candidate won 23,364 votes.

Hazel Blears

Hazel Blears, who was criticised by Gordon Brown over her expenses, held Salford despite a concerted local campaign. Ms Blears, who resigned from the Cabinet on the eve of last summers local and European election, won 16,655 votes. Norman Owen, the Liberal Democrat candidate won 10,930 votes and Matthew Sephton, the Conservative candidate came third with 8,497. Ms Blears was heavily criticised by her constituentes for undermining the Labour Party when she wore a Rockin the Boat broach following her resignation.

This constitution is nuts...we still have GB in place and he is going to try to get NC in with him...bloody bonkers this country....this has to be changed in future years....how about JC getting NI and the remaining lot to just outvote GB and NC..in the commons...vote of no confidence ?...

having seen the result and the numbers, i confess i am now in favour of STV (single transferable vote) system, though i'm not sure how that would be implemented.

however, as liam fox rightly said on tv this morning, voters voted for solutions to the real and immediate problems, the party political esoterics being far distant considerations

if DC and NC cannot cobble together something workable between them, that will stand up for at least a notional year, then we are all in for a very dire time indeed, and it will not just be confined to uk

It's not getting any better is it ? and I'm by nature optimistic...

i don't think either of those guys is in any doubt as to the criticality(??) of their talks, so one can only hope that common sense and skilful wording will prevail