Election exit poll: Tories to be 19 short of majority

[TomClash]

Source: BBC News

David Cameron will fall 19 seats short of a Commons majority, according to a joint BBC/Sky/ITV exit poll.
The Conservatives would have 307 MPs, up 97 on 2005, Labour would have 255, down 94, and the Lib Dems 59, down 4. Nationalists and others would have 29.
That means Labour and the Lib Dems together could not have a majority.
There are reports of long queues of people still waiting to vote in some parts of the country after the most closely fought election in decades.
Polls closed across the country at 2200 BST but in Sutton Coldfield a BBC reporter says there are plans to lock voters inside the Mere Green Polling Station because the queues are currently so long.
The BBC/ ITV/Sky exit poll was conducted at 130 polling stations across the UK by NOP and Mori.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/8666128.stm

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How are the Lib Dems down 4 seats?

Polling wankers.

[Metric System]

1. Yeah, the Lib Dems seat number is shocking considering the pre-election buzz around Clegg, assuming

the exit polling is accurate.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. I HOPE THAT THE TORIES DON'T WIN OVERALL

[Oregone]

5. That ship has sailed

At least they wont have a majority government. Worse has happened

[LeftishBrit]

11. They haven't!

They might still get to be the government (ugh) but at least it would be as a minority without HUGE power.

Could be worse. Could be much better.

[demoleft]

3. bbc reports police at some polling stations

BREAKING NEWS

Police have been called to some polling stations to move on people who wanted to vote but couldn't because they were still queuing outside at 10pm. In the Manchester Withington constituency, about 200 people were turned away. A spokesman for the returning officer for Manchester said: "The law states that the doors to polling stations must be closed at 10pm exactly, and no-one may be issued with a ballot paper after 10pm."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/liveevent/

[karynnj]

4. Can someone explain what happens if neither the Tories or Lib/Labour

can get enough support to form a government? I know this is premature as the polls could be as wrong as they unfortunately were here in 2004.

The Conservatives have 307

and the combined liberal Democrats and Labour have 314

Are there possibly 12 in the NP and other category that would prefer Labour/Liberal Democrats? If not, it is scary that the NP would have the power to be the deciding votes. (I know the undue power the ultra Orthodox in Israel have for this reason, but don't know if Britain is the same.)

Anyone British here who could explain what really happens.

[Oregone]

6. A minority government will probably be formed

Theyll have to struggle to prove they have confidence, which means catering to at least one of the opposition parties on confidence measures.

No biggie

[Prophet 451]

7. In order

First, the sitting PM (Brown) has the chance to try and form a governing coalition. Then Cameron gets the chance to do the same. Then Cameron would be invested as a minority government (which means he's out if they lose a vote of No Confidence but since only the Tories have the money to fight another election so soon, they might be a long time coming).

Note that the first two options are laid out in the Constitution but the Tories are already planning to ignore the Constitution and sieze power anyway (posted to my journal about it).

[karynnj]

8. Thanks - I read your journal

What is scary is how similar it sounds to stuff said the Republicans would do if the 2000 election was close and Bush won the popular vote, but not the electoral college. As it was they prevented a careful investigation of FL, which if done would have led to a President Gore.

[StevieM]

9. I don't think the "other" seats go to the British National Party. I think they go mainly to

the Scottish and Welsh nationalist parties, along with various parties in Northern Ireland (one of whom runs, and then refuses its seats). The Protestant seats in N. Ireland and generally held by people and parties who are likely to join with Conservatives, as they did in 1992 to sustain John Major.

Steve

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. Correct

Of the other seats, 18 are in Northern Ireland; about 9 will be Unionist, Sinn Fein will get about 5, and don't vote in parliament (since you have to take a loyalty oath to do so). The Scottish Nationalists may get about 8 seats; Plaid Cymru about 3 in Wales. There are 2 Independents likely to be re-elected (who are broadly left wing in outlook), and Respect may get up to 2 seats. The Greens look likely to get 1 seat (their first ever). There's a small chance the BNP will get one seat.

[LeftishBrit]

12. No - the other parties are mostly regional parties.

The BNP got no seats (phew!) The 'Others' include Scottish and Welsh Nationalists (mostly relatively left-wing), Irish parties (mostly right-wing, but including a couple of left-of-centre people); and Caroline Lucas, our first Green MP ever .

[karynnj]

14. Thanks

[Darth_Kitten]

13. Wow, this is like Canada.

:D