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Thing is, can the Tories be this populist at a National election? As what suits someone in Southampton might not suit someone living in Arbroath, or Taunton, or Hackney

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Nick

I think we've let Milliband and Jowell repeat the same old lines about " mid-terms" and "listening to people" enough now.

Why not ask the Labour representatives at that table what they think has caused what looks to be such a HUGE loss of seats for their party.

What do they think of the polls about Brown being such a liability to his party?

Nick,

I know that budget cuts are biting at the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ - but when someone realised that the manufacturer's logo on your laptop needed covering up - couldn't they have found something a bit classier than two bits of grey tape?

They aren't even on straight!!!

Keep up the good work though, I'm hooked to the coverage, despite being desperate for bed.

Can you answer a question? Why do we have to wait until tomorrow for the results of the Mayoral election? Why aren't the votes being counted now?

Hey Nick :)

Now we know your laptop is a Dell (notice the tapes over the cover) we are now having great fun trying to read your serial number on the laptop lid :)...

Just watching Khalid Mahmood on the coverage from Birmingham- Maybe him and his neibouring MP Sion SImon regret that letter last year?

It looks like Labour will 'Gain' Durham - the decision to change the 7 district councils to one unitary one was done in the teeth of local opposition - 75% voted against the plan.

A clear case of Jerrymandering.

Dear me, what planet is Hoon on?!

What is going on in Oxford and Cambridge? The Tories are sweeping all before them in these elections, and yet in Englands two foremost University city they can't even muster one councillor. On e wonders whether academia is having a debilitating effect!!!!

as the night goes on its clear the lib dem vote has collapsed,the labour vote has not turned up,hence the very low turn out,now the southern comfort zone will again raise question on pr,does one part of the uk have the right to decide the out come of a general election?

I think people may have been influenced by the local media emphasising the 'betrayal of loyal voters by Liberal and Labour who jumped into bed with each other' - also the Conservative's proposed budget would have delivered a below inflation council tax rise, this was blocked by the aforementioned lib-lab pact (to join together to run the council to 2010 with a free option to disassociate if either party wanted to, i believe that they will disassociate).

Also, people want change, Southampton has been controlled by the idle councillors of Liberal and Labour for almost 30 years. Nothing happened. The Conservatives were in for a short while and had already agreed a deal for a new indoor ski centre to start construction in 2009 (after 20 years of promises of a replacement for the ice-rink, and this indoor ski centre may also feature an ice rink) and proposed help for OAPs currently unhelped by government schemes (10%discount only for those not on council tax benefit - ie those who have considerable savings) and deliver the lowest council tax increase ever for the unitary authority before being forced out of power at the budget meeting.

All this listening from Labour seems to have gone in one ear and out the other.

Where's the UNDERSTANDING?

Nhoon too impressed with that vox pop...

My final comment tonight, off to bed, I am seriously impressed with the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s website coverage (I'm a web developer, what I would do to work for you guys), the TV coverage is also excellent as always so I feel no need to leave a serious comment when it's all being said. Keep it up, and keep drinking the tea.

Nick


What is causing such apathy from all these Labour voters who haven't bothered to come out and vote?

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Ed Miliband talks at length about how Gordon Brown cares greatly for this country...would that be Scotland or England I'm slightly confused?

Whether he cares for the state of the United Kingdom seems another matter entirely!

Not sure how the Conservatives can promise free countywide bus travel for over-60s when the Government introduced that nationally four weeks ago.

As president of the Southampton University liberal democrat society, we were very disappointed by the results. The two main student wards, Swaythling and Portswood, which were previously staunchly libdem fell to the Tories. We were campaigning all day, and student turnout was abysmally poor. the tories are leading the anti - student drive here in Southampton, I hope we can swing it back in the years to come.

also I might add that the Tories council tax plan is utter rubbish. All it would do is make rich OAPs richer.

re:derekbarker
"does one part of the uk have the right to decide the out come of a general election"

Well, if that one part is Scotlasnd, it seems that NuLiebour think so

Look at the results that have been forced through only with Scottish votes, that won't even affect their constiuents

re: Addicted_Lousia*GG*
"the tories are leading the anti - student drive here in Southampton,"

Does this include 21-year old Vincenzo Capozzoli, the newly elected councillor for Portswood, who has been a student at the University of Southampton for the past four years?

In fact three of the new Tory councillers are members of the University of Southampton. One of the main reason that many students voted Conservative was that the candidates running were their age and were felt to understand their interests.

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I live in the Borough of Eastleigh, just outside Southampton, and we're still Lib Dem. In fact, the only Lib Dem constituency in the entire Area! We were forever being told that the Tories were doing bad things for us, but to see everyone around us go Tory was a bit shameful... I still consider the area I live in to be Southampton, but I feel that we've gotthr worst of it. We're Lib Dem, in a Tory county in a Labour Government! And I think that the faithful Labour voters didn't turn up because they were unsure of their loyalty. Many relatives of mine didn't want to vote for Labour, but didn't want to vote for the others even more. I think we need a General Election as soon as possible. 11 years of the same failing government? I've had enough.

I live in the Portswood ward, and I switched from Lib-Dem to Conservative, with the result that Adrian Vinson (Lib-Dem leader) lost his seat to Vincenzo Capozzoli (Conservative).

What swung it for me was the strongly negative stance by the Lib-Dems with regard to the new Oasis City Academies and to faith schools in general. I strongly support both of these.

I think the Lib-Dems really shot themselves in the foot on that one.

Since the election I've had a very positive exchange of emails with Cllr Capozzoli and have been very impressed by him.

I think the Lib-Dems need to learn lessons from their defeat. If not I shall vote Conservative next time too.

I feel really positive about this change - go Vincenzo!