# BritDopers (and nosy foreigners) - The general election 2010 **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 6, 2010, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133 "2010-04-06T11:13:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/501 "2010-05-07T02:50:54Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Good to see the Conservatives winning. Away and have a wank, you stupid childish cunt freak. ---
**Author:** ![JoseArcadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@JoseArcadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseArcadio)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/502 "2010-05-07T02:51:24Z")
It’s not good to see the Conservatives winning. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/503 "2010-05-07T02:52:38Z")
^^^^^ Heh, that’s a bit lonely at the top of the page. 😃 Edit: Oh sorry JoseArcadio, that was meant at the resident idiot savant, not you. Just imagine your post isn’t there. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/504 "2010-05-07T03:02:52Z")
I’m also actually slightly glad the Tories are winning. Labour’s been in for too long, and were way too gung ho on Iraq and on ID cards, and while I like Vince Cable, I just can’t take the Lib Dems seriously, for some reason. But that’s neither here nor there. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/505 "2010-05-07T03:15:18Z")
Well, we’re just over halfway done. 342 seats out of 650 decided. So, how does this end? Because it looks like the Conservatives will have the most seats, but won’t have enough for a majority. So what is Gordon going to do? Is he going to step down as PM, or is he going to try to deal with the Lib-Dems? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/506 "2010-05-07T03:17:42Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I’m also actually slightly glad the Tories are winning. Labour’s been in for too long, and were way too gung ho on Iraq and on ID cards, and while I like Vince Cable, I just can’t take the Lib Dems seriously, for some reason. > > But that’s neither here nor there. The potential Lib Dem vote seems to have collapsed in a way I don’t understand. I’m genuinely puzzled. Was it _all_ a virtual vote? ---
**Author:** ![MJinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@MJinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MJinks)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/507 "2010-05-07T03:19:43Z")
Well as it stands, even with a Lab/Lib pact; the Conservatives still have more seats. I can only see a Conservative minority government. Bugger it all. It might be time to get some sleep. I have to start work in 4 hours… ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/508 "2010-05-07T03:21:38Z")
As of now, the Lib Dems have received 81% of the vote of Labour, but only 19% of the seats. What a lousy system. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/509 "2010-05-07T03:30:44Z")
Evan Harris lost his seat. That’s probably the worst individual MP loss this election. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/510 "2010-05-07T03:37:42Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Heh - the “Swish Family Robinson”: [Latest news & breaking headlines | The Times and The Sunday Times](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7119005.ece) The question, of course, is whether the unnamed teenager was a Graduate. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/511 "2010-05-07T03:53:31Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Away and have a wank, you stupid childish cunt freak. Personal insults aren’t allowed in this forum, **Baron Greenback**. This is a warning not to do this again. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/512 "2010-05-07T03:55:28Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Evan Harris lost his seat. That’s probably the worst individual MP loss this election. In what way? He only lost by about 200 votes, so there are bigger electoral losses by incumbent MPs, and he’s not the most important MP to have lost his seat. That would be Robinson or Jacqui Smith. I’m checking, and Smith lost by about 6000 votes, a 9.2% swing. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/513 "2010-05-07T04:02:53Z")
Any pundits speculating yet on what happened re the LibDems? I’m genuinely surprised too. (Note that [fivethirtyeight.com](http://fivethirtyeight.com), which generally does a good job interpreting polls and predicting elections based on them, saw them getting around 100 seats – they’ll be lucky to hit 60 – which is a strong improvement for them, but still far short of what most people seem to have expected. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/514 "2010-05-07T04:06:38Z")
It’s a hung Parliament. Tories are now at 226, with only 103 seats left to report. They’d need 90 of them to have a paper-thin one-vote majority – not going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/515 "2010-05-07T04:09:49Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > The potential Lib Dem vote seems to have collapsed in a way I don’t understand. I’m genuinely puzzled. Was it _all_ a virtual vote? I think the Lib Dems suffered the problem the Lib Dems usually have. Their support is broad but not deep. By that, I mean, they have a base of support all over the country, but they don’t really have many safe majorities in constituencies. It’s interesting, because if you look so far, almost all of the Lib Dem wins have been in Scotland, Wales, and the Southwest…Devon, Cornwall, Sommerset. Pretty much all the constituencies in Scotland are in, with the exception of two, Orkney and Argyll, and there’s been no swing at all. 0.2% from the SNP to Labour, and there’ve been no party changes. Everyone’s kept their seat. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/516 "2010-05-07T04:13:20Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > It’s a hung Parliament. Tories are now at 226, with only 103 seats left to report. They’d need 90 of them to have a paper-thin one-vote majority – not going to happen. I think your numbers are wrong. Tories are at 230, and there are still 181 seats not decided. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/517 "2010-05-07T04:17:24Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I think your numbers are wrong. Tories are at 230, and there are still 181 seats not decided. And need a total of 326 for an absolute majority. This now seems unlikely, but they could have more than Labour and LibDems combined, which surely makes it untenable for Brown to attempt to stay in power. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/518 "2010-05-07T04:18:34Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > It’s interesting, because if you look so far, almost all of the Lib Dem wins have been in Scotland, Wales, and the Southwest…Devon, Cornwall, Sommerset. And that has been true my entire life – those were the Liberal strongholds back when the Parliamentary Liberal delegation had to invite guests to make up two tables of bridge. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/519 "2010-05-07T04:20:56Z")
I think Brown is going to try to hold on. Labour’s been pooh-poohing the whole “moral right” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/520 "2010-05-07T04:25:18Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > In what way? He only lost by about 200 votes, so there are bigger electoral losses by incumbent MPs, and he’s not the most important MP to have lost his seat. That would be Robinson or Jacqui Smith. I’m checking, and Smith lost by about 6000 votes, a 9.2% swing. Sorry, I should have explained a bit more. He is, well was, one of the desperately few Members of Parliament who has a science background, and is a crusader against all kinds of anti-thought bullshit. Think along the lines of Simon Singh, Ben Goldacre, Phil Plait etc. He’s a real loss to our public life. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133.md?page=27)