http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog Covering the 2005 General Election as it happens Fri, 06 May 2005 09:00:38 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Michael Howard is apparently to sleep on whether to stand down or not - while over the last decade it’s been tradition for Conservative leaders to quit the day following elections, and although at 63 he’s probably too old to be Prime Minister now, some in the party apparently feel ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=37 The chaps at MySociety have been busy during the night too. Not satisfied with simply having us make our mark in the ballot booth they have created a site to enable voters to let their new MPs know what they expect from them, called I Voted For You Because. Simple. Thanks ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=36 The PDF edition is already up, and we’re putting the finishing touches to the HTML version of this week’s issue. We thought you might appreciate David Simonds’ leader cartoon as a sneak preview of this week’s magazine - and of course, a free gift to all you eagle-eyed blog readers. http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=35 Sitting next to Nick Cohen over breakfast (a choice of cooked or continental) we began comparing notes about our respective evenings. Nick bashing away at his computer, me bashing away at mine inbetween phone calls and production of the online election issue. I invited Nick to make an entry on ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=34 Through the night the office has had three major news sources on constantly. Editorial favoured the BBC1 television coverage; almost everyone was using the BBC election website with its handy arrays of scorecards and maps; and in the online corner, we chose the calmer option of Radio 4. Radio 4 was ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=33 The South Dorset result has just come through and with 20,000 votes or so, Jim Knight, the Labour Party candidate has narrowly scraped past the Tory, Ed Matts; it’s some achievement, in such traditionally, Tory heartland territory. If the Labour Party had decided to remove the candidate in West Dorset, then ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=32 5.45 am and there’s light at the end of the tunnel (and, indeed, out of the window). That light comes in the form of an approaching print deadline, and breakfast. Breakfast in this case is being cooked by our delightful editorial assistant, Rosie, who’s a dab hand in the kitchen, and ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=31 Blair has won what will be termed everywhere as an “historic” third term. I’m actually quite fed up of this word at this stage of the night. Some originality of phraseology would be very much appreciated. Yes, commentators are, like us, tired, but if you’ve been playing the BBC’s election ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=30 A tired, but dedicated, Brighton Blogger has called in with observations from the Hove count. After two re-counts Respect, amongst others, were apparently not respectful of Celia Barlow’s success at winning Hove, booing and barracking her whilst she was on stage. Although the Conservatives ran a clever campaign in Hove, in ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=29 Contrary to the indication of remaining loyal to Jim Knight (Labour) in the election poll that the New Statesman held by e-mail for their readers, I could not, for the first time in a lifetime, vote Labour (although, by voting for the Socialist Labour Party I felt exonerated and relieved ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=28 That’s it. I’m going to have to cheat and take a tactical nap. Will be back in a bit over an hour, I guess, but right now, my productivity best maintained by shut-eye, not caffeine. Have no fear, I’ll be back in a bit; I’m sure Kathryn and the rest ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=27 Labour holds Hove, Dover and Birmingham Northfield - three constituencies that were expected to be tough for reasons that variously included the immigration issue and the collapse of Rover respectively. The loss of Ilford North to the Tories, however, will upset some: my girlfriend, in particular, is likely to be ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=26 You can keep your Paxmen, your Dimblebies and your Snows - it’s Marr for me all the way. I’ve had a soft spot for him ever since I saw him speak at a sixth form politics conference when he was editor of the Independent. The next day, he was editor no ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=25 Simon Wright, the Labour candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green, believes that the massive turn out for Iain Duncan Smith in the constituency is due to both new voters voting for the first time and Conservative voters who didn’t vote in 1997 and 2001. The Tory campaign in this safe ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=24 Results from Hove have just been announced. Labour have managed to scrape through against Tory, Diesel jeans wearing, Nicholas Boles. We’ll bring you a comment from the Brighton Blogger as soon as possible. http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=23 Today my MSN name has been the not-nearly-as-provocative-as-I-had-hoped “Gentleman, place your bets.” Except for those who wanted to know what I was blathering on about, my fellow UK nationals ignored it. Three Americans, however, dropped me a line to predict a Labour victory and, tentatively, express support for Tony Blair. The ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=22 Two slightly disturbing sights in Peterborough. Firstly, an Asian returning officer with an Indian accent announcing the number of votes for the British National Party, who cheered like crazed banshees. Secondly, a 7 percent swing to the Conservatives. This is in line with the 6 percent swing to the party in ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=21 Things are looking far too close for comfort. Jack Straw was very fortunate that the opposition vote split or he would have been in serious trouble. I was about to say that the Lib Dems are holding their own against the Tories and they’ve just lost a seat to them………. http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=20 As the tiredness set in, so does the madness. It’s 1am on Friday and already I’ve poured cold water onto a teabag (before promptly filling up the kettle and boiling it). That was for my second cup of tea in that hour; my total tea-count is currently on 3. It’s not ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=14 I’ve just come off the phone from a former Labour member who lives in the Streatham constituency, to try and sense the mood in south London. The overall feeling, he reports, is one of resignation; that Labour will inevitably win but that only because there were no credible alternatives. ... http://www.newstatesman.co.uk/generalelectionblog/?p=19