No real surprises at Lewisham then!

I don't really agree that in the long term this result is bad for the UK, quite the opposite. If it were not for the economy the current hung parliament situation would not be as serious as it is but we can't do much about that now except hope a suitable compromise can be reached. I do think it will have been of some benefit if the Lib Dems run with Labour and there is true electoral reform which will probably put the Tories into permanent opposition . For me there has never in any one election been so much evidence of Tory privilege. Do ordinary people really want their lives run by the likes of Osborne and Zac Goldsmith? What could these people ever bring to this country? They are so divorced from the lives of ordinary people. Gordon Brown may have his many many faults including being a media and marketing disaster but I cannot right now see anyone better qualified and experienced to get us out of this mess. I also do not see how severe and immediate cutbacks which impact more onerously on the lower paid as proposed by the Tories could ever make sense.

Given the degree of frustration at Labour and the catalogue of things going wrong, the electorate had an opportunity to crucify Labour but they chose not to. The ideal solution is therefore surely a Lib Lab coalition, with Gordon as PM for now, but with the agreement that he goes within a year or if and when we are on the road to recovery. A further election is probably on the cards before that in any case with a new Labour Party leader in place competing against Cameron. If PR is in place we will have more of a chance of getting the stable Government we need.

The other positive thing about this election was for me the electorates ability to look beyond the spin, particularly the hysteria on immigration, as evidenced by the maceration of the BNP candidates in areas like Barking and the failure of UKIP to advance their position.