From BBN, 16th October 2017
Unionist Party returns with a minority as Democrats surge
Edward Vaizey barely hangs onto not just power but his own seat in the most dramatic election night in living memory
For the Unionist’s it was meant to be their moment of triumph and today was to be their day in the sun. But as the dust settles on the most dramatic election night in living memory and Ed Vaizey clings not just to power, but to his seat, it is clear that his desire to form a “strong majority Government with a clear and decisive mandate” was ignored by the electorate as Britain is faced once more with a hung parliament.
Although the Unionist Party won the most seats and votes, they fell 35 seats short of a majority and saw their overall vote share cut dramatically, with only around 25,000 votes separating them and the Democratic Party on the national stage. Vaizey now faced the unenviable challenge of building a stable government in a fragmented Parliament, one where he won't be able to rely on his former coalition partners, Jim Murphy and the Social Democratic Party, who after high hopes of displacing the Democratic Party and taking the Opposition Despatch, were wiped out by Tavish Scott in Scotland and by Mayor Brian Paddick in London, with Murphy himself defeated in his Glasgow South West Constituency by former Leader of the Glasgow Council, Nicola Sturgeon.
Though the night went poorly for the Unionist Party and Social Democrats, for the Democratic Party it was a night of triumph as they swept 52 of the 59 available Scottish seats, topping the poll with a 20-point lead and pushing out every Social Democrat MP and every Unionist MP bar one in Scotland. A similar story was found in Wales, where the Social Democrats were pushed out of their Valley heartland, out of seats that until last night were considered ‘ultra-safe’ as the Democrats and Plaid Cymru tactically squeezed the Social Democrats. For Tavish Scott, who was rumoured to have been preparing a resignation statement after the now widely reviled BBC Exit Poll, the results are viewed as vindication of his egalitarian principles and his ‘Scottish style’ of campaigning. At the count in Inverness, which came shortly before dawn and as the magnitude of the results were being felt, there was undoubtedly a tone of triumphalism as Scott’s voice as he delivered a fiery and impassioned victory speech, decrying what he saw as betrayal by the Social Democratic Party, and the failure of the Unionists.
However, the most momentous story of the night came from London, where Mayor Brian Paddick led the centrist Municipal Coalition to tremendous results, snatching half the overall vote and 62 of the 73 available seats. In total, Municipal scalped a shocking 23 Cabinet Ministers, mostly Social Democrats, though the Democrats saw loses such as Health Spokesperson Darren Sanders, who was defeated in his Vauxhall Seat despite a promising re-election campaign. Among the major causalities would be the Home Secretary David Cameron (Unionist), who lost his Kensington Constituency to author Jennifar Nadel, Culture Secretary James Purnell (Social Democratic) who lost Islington South to the former London Transport Chairwoman Caroline Pidgeon, and Education Secretary Steve Reed (Social Democratic), who lost Streatham to musician and motoring enthusiast Jonathan Bartley. As he did not stand himself, Paddick is expected to delegate Parliamentary duty to his Westminster Leader Anthony Blair, who was reelected in his Dulwich Constituency after resigning the Democratic Whip last June. Municipal’s tidal wave in London was broken in Chelsea and Fulham, where the Prime Minister narrowly avoided defeat with a 748-vote majority, a dramatic slip from his previous majority of 10,312.
For other smaller Parties, such as Steve Radford’s Progressive Liberals, the evening was bittersweet, with the loss of Liverpool Riverside, Wavertree, Bootle, and Manchester Gorton, however a pick up of Easington, one of the first of many surprises during the night. Plaid Cymru doubled its representation as it broke through into the Valley, Leader Jill Evans winning Llanelli, whilst the Scottish Christian Association held the Western Isle. The SNP lost East Dunbartonshire but held their other seats in a broadly disappointing night, whilst the Irish Nationalist Sinn Féin gained Belfast West. Mebyon Kernow would see an exciting result, their 6 candidates all being election under the Democrats banner, leader Andrew George among them. Former Mayor of Glasgow George Galloway faced humiliation at the count in Dulwich, where he failed to unseat Anthony Blair following a bruising campaign under the Unity banner.
At-a-glance
Ed Vaizey has announced that he has no intention of standing down as Leader of the Unionist Party despite last night’s results, and will form a minority Government seeking supply and confidence from other Party’s in the House.
Tavish Scott has called on a “united front” among the Democrats, Social Democrats, Municipals, and Plaid Cymru to oppose any attempts by the Unionist’s to form a second Government.
Social Democratic Party Leader Jim Murphy resigned at the declaration in Glasgow South West, noting that “in my situation, it would be impossible for me to continue.”
MP for Stoke North, Mark Meredith, has been announced as the acting leader of the Social Democratic Party and declared that he will stand in the Leadership Election. Meredith is the only surviving member of the Social Democrats frontbench.
Anthony Blair has been made Leader of the Municipal Coalition in Parliament, with Leader Brian Paddick announcing that the Party would seek to expand ‘into other Borough Seats’.
Speaker of the House Rosie Winterton announced that she will not seek reelection to the Speakership.
Chancellor David Laws dismissed calls for a snap election at the declaration in South West Surrey.
The Democratic Party’s Agriculture Spokesperson, George Osborne, has announced that he will be seeking the Speakership.
Steve Radford has resigned as Leader of the Progressive Liberals after a disappointing night, stating that “it is time to go”.
Unionist MPs Nigel Farage of Bromley and Jacob Rees-Mogg of The Wrekin have led calls for Ed Vaizey to resign as Prime Minister and Party Leader in the wake of the election. Liam Fox of Aberdeen South, the only Unionist MP in Scotland, has lent his support for the embattled Leader, though admits that his majority makes his position “strenuous, at best”.
SNP Leader and MP for Moray, Andrew Gove, has announced his intention to seek a renewal of his mandate as Leader.