Contrary to some rumours Nick Clegg held on to his seat, but with a reduced majority.
The biggest shock of the hour was Vince Cable’s result in Twickenham where he was beaten by the Conservatives.
But there were more staggering losses of wonderful campaigning Liberal Democrats. Simon Hughes was beaten in Bermondsey and Lynne Featherstone in Hornsey and Wood Green, both by Labour. Adrian Sanders (Torbay), Stephen Lloyd (Eastbourne) and Paul Burstow (Sutton and Cheam) all succumbed to the Tories. And in Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine Robert Smith lost to the SNP.
Steve Bradley was unsuccessful in Bath, following Don Foster’s retirement.
But it was heartening to see Tom Brake back in Carshalton & Wallington and John Pugh in Southport. That makes a total of 6 MPs so far.
We are trying to keep tabs on all the seats we held, but it’s moving fast at present so do let us know of any we have missed.
You can catch live updates on our election night blog here.
* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
In which my great great grandmother's brother stuffs a ptarmigan
Replacement?
Reform inadvertently lose their majority
Reform own goals
Peter Martin
Roland
Tristan Ward
Nonconformistradical
15 Comments
Nick Clegg being safe is not a plus.
By making the Conservatives almost indistinct from the Tories in the minds of voters, he has destroyed the party
Nick Clegg being safe is not a plus; he more than anyone deserved to lose his seat and was the architect of this disaster
By making the Conservatives almost indistinct from the Tories in the minds of voters, he has destroyed the party
I am heartbroken at the loss of our great Lib-Dem MPs tonight, but heartened that Nick Clegg has been re-elected. This country is divided. We (led bravely by Nick) courageously entered the coalition at the risk of our party and the personal fortunes of those MPs because out country is bigger than our party; running the country is not a game.
Our country,divided as it is and with the surge of the SNP and UKIP needs us to be united in fairness and liberalism, not rip into ourselves; yes, reflect, but to find the resolve to continue to work in the interests of the country.
I was almost wrong!
I predicted one seat for the LD’s in Scotland – we almost took the Orkney/Shetland seat….next time!
The only reasons to stay a member now Cheltenham has gone is to support the local council members and to elect anyone but Nick as a leader. If Nick wins my national direct debit will be cancelled and the money will go to the local party. We need to go back to the old liberal ethos.
Its very upbeat to say at least Clegg won, but he did so with the support of conservative voters, not liberal ones. They preferred him to labour. Clegg was the architect of this utter disaster for the liberal party. It was unfortunate that he misunderstood the nature of liberal support, and eliminated its most vital electoral draw, its independence. Libs failed to make a material change to conservative policy in government, instead allowed them to do more than they probably could have done as a struggling minority government. The result of the last election should have been the result we have now. Though, right now, Cameron is already seeking to play the same trick on the SNP as he played on the libs, by enticing them into partnership. After winning a comeback on the threat of labour making just such a deal with the SNP.
Danny, sadly I agree, but the SNP know who votes for them and they won’t bite. They’ll fight for another independence vote and they will win this time.
You will recall I and others have been saying for months we would be fortunate to get 15 seats. We were decried and not listened to. This is the result. 30 years hard work to build up a party destroyed in 4. Absolutely terrible. Three huge mistakes, Tuition fees, failure to change the leader and image and not leaving the coalition in November 2014. There must be immediate changes. I am going to say this openly I just do not know how the party could have been so blind. Mr Ashdown must retire and there should be a leadership contest with a new leader in place at the party conference. Perhaps we should change the rules to enable someone outside the Commons to be the leader, We now have to go through two years of cleansing and hope the Greens do not take our place..
Many will be disappointed that Nick Clegg got back in. I understand that he sucked in large numbers of Lib Dem resources from elsewhere which could probably have been better used to save some of the longer-established Lib Dem MPs.
The fact is Clegg is really a Tory wet. Mind you Huhne would have been worse given what happened, personally as an atheist not overkeen on Farron as leader, but at least he’s a man of conviction. The election results show us to be a now impotent political party. Which hurts me as a lifelong Liberal (albeit one who has lived in Australia for almost 20 years). My dad will be turning in his grave. Brent Central, Southwark and Betmondsey, gone for my lifetime and I suppose the UK will get the government it deserves given our childish electoral system .
Danny
The deal is with the DUP not the SNP . I’m sad to see Naomi Long losing East Belfast. The Alliance Party is the only party that can take NI forward.
Theakes, you deserve an apology from me at least — I remember last year baiting you on your predictions being so consistently low. I think so far we’re below your lowest.
Matt: yes indeed. We must now have a clear out of the party top brass, all the Lords and ladies must retire gracefully and a new younger generation take over the party from President downwards.
Manfarang, one deal may be with the DUP but Cameron wants a decent majority because he does have a lot of problems still. He has his own party rebels to worry about, and they will be knocking on his door tomorrow. This campaign has done a lot more damage to Scots relationship to the Uk than Cameron had already done. His electoral reforms are set to do more. A referendum vote to leave the EU would do yet more, and even if voting to stay in, is bound to highlight differences further. So unless he does make a deal to buy off the Scots, he can expect another referendum for Scots independence this parliament. My money had been on SNP being good buddies in a left coalition for one parliament, and then in the next conservative parliament having a new independence vote. This may well bring it forward.
What a shame Clegg hung on. He has no useful role to play. He can’t be a party spokesperson, he can’t be the wise elder statesman.
Like Theakes I have been denounced time and again. We need to start getting back to politics and a vision for the country that gives people a reason to vote for us.