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Blair secures historic third term


Talon

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Blair secures historic third term

Tony Blair has won an historic third term in government for Labour but with a drastically reduced majority.

Mr Blair pledged to respond "sensibly and wisely" to the result, which the BBC predicts will see his majority cut from 167 in 2001 to 66.

The Conservatives have mounted a strong challenge but their overall share of the vote will be similar to 2001.

The Lib Dems have made big inroads into Labour majorities and look set to end up with an estimated 60 seats.

Mr Blair said it was clear that "the British people wanted to return a Labour government but with a reduced majority".

He said Labour, which looks set to have won 36% of the vote, had to "focus on the things that matter" such as the NHS, jobs and law and order.

He added: "I know too that Iraq has been a divisive issue in this country but I hope now that we can unite again and look to the future - there and here."

The result writes a new chapter in British political history, with Margaret Thatcher the only other post war prime minister to have won three successive general elections.

Mr Blair is the only Labour leader to have won three elections in a row but his margin of victory is less than half what it was in the Labour landslides of 1997 and 2001 - and he has the lowest share of the vote for a ruling party in modern times.

Conservative leader Michael Howard congratulated Mr Blair on Labour's win but said it was time for him to deliver on his promises.

"I am proud of the campaign we have fought. We have taken a stand on the things that really do matter to the people of this country. We have sent Mr Blair a message," said Mr Howard.

He added the Tories' result was a "significant step towards our recovery".

Decapitation strategy

Provisional figures suggest 22% of those eligible to vote backed Labour - the lowest figure they have received at any post-war election apart from 1983 when the figure was 20.6%.

Turnout is up about 2% thanks to big increases in marginal seats.

The Conservatives did best in the South East, where they had a 2.3% increase in the share of the vote and London, where they regained Putney and Wimbledon and unseated schools minister Stephen Twigg, who famously snatched Enfield Southgate from Michael Portillo in 1997.

The Tories also gained Shipley from Labour, unseating junior minister Christopher Leslie, Welwyn Hatfield from health minister Melanie Johnson and Newbury from the Lib Dems.

The Lib Dems held on to Cheadle, which had been the Conservatives' top target, and unseated Labour ex-minister Barbara Roche on a 14% swing.

But they failed in their "decapitation" strategy to unseat ex-Tory chairman Theresa May and shadow home secretary David Davis and Oliver Letwin, who all retained their seats with increased majorities.

Only one member of the Tories' top team - Education spokesman Tim Collins - was ousted.

Galloway

Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy said voters had ushered in a new era of three-party politics as he was returned as an MP by an overwhelming majority.

"I think it is going to be a very different House of Commons from the one we have had over the past eight years, and I think that is going to be very healthy, whatever people's political views," he added.

In one of the biggest upsets of the night, George Galloway, of the anti-war Respect party, narrowly beat Labour's Oona King, who voted for the Iraq war, in Bethnal Green, one of the most bitter contests in the 2005 election.

Mr Galloway, who based his campaign on opposition to the Gulf war, said: "This is for Iraq."

He told Tony Blair: "All the people you have killed, all the lies you have told have come back to haunt you and the best thing the Labour Party can do is sack you tomorrow morning."

In a further sign of the impact of the Iraq war, there was a significant swing from Labour to Lib Dem in each of the 40 seats with a large Muslim population.

Milburn quits

Mr Galloway's success means that there are more small party and Independent MPs than in any parliament since 1945, with wins for Richard Taylor in Wyre Forest and for Peter Law, who quit Labour in protest at all-women short-lists.

BNP leader Nick Griffin took 9% of the vote in Keighley, where Labour's Anne Cryer was returned as the town's MP.

The Greens gained 22% of the vote in Brighton Pavilion, beating the Lib Dems into fourth place, but their vote was up just 0.4% nationally. UKIP's national share was up 0.8%.

Labour election coordinator Alan Milburn, who quit as health secretary in the last Parliament, said after his re-election that he had told Mr Blair he did not want to serve in the new Cabinet.

In Scotland, Labour lost seats to the SNP, which reached their target of six seats, the Lib Dems and the Conservatives, who still have one MP in the country after winning Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweedale.

In Wales, the Lib Dems and Tories made gains, but Plaid Cymru failed to take its top target seat of Ynys Mon from Labour, and also lost Ceredigion.

Meanwhile, pro-hunting campaigner Otis Ferry, the son of rock star Bryan Ferry, was arrested as he tried to get to Mr Blair as the prime minister and his wife arrived at a post election party.

Mr Ferry lunged over a barrier at the rear entrance to the National Portrait Gallery in London and shouted in Mr Blair's face before a plain clothes police officer stepped in.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk_p...age/4519863.stm

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no.gif

I hope know the delivery of his promises will be soon as i have waited 8 years so far and all is not looking rosey where i stay,less talk more action

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Guest Lottie
hope know the delivery of his promises will be soon as i have waited 8 years so far

Its taken that long to clear up the mess made by the Tories.

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Yeh, that is what Blair say's and his other buddies... so how long will it be before they accept responsibility themselves and how long do you think it will take to mop up the mess in Iraq?

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Guest Lottie

Responsibility for what? Cleaning up the Tories mess? grin2.gif

As for the mess in Iraq I do not understand still why people blame the Labour goverment. If the Tories had been in power they would have done exactly the same thing and then people would have been moaning about them. It all swings and roundabouts.

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That is the trouble with political parties they always blame it on the last Governement surely with all the public fund they have they can clear things up a lot quicker, public services, no police on the beat, military cuts etc etc.. Labour came into power with 3 and 5 year plans we are still waiting for results... oh yes the millenium wheel was a great investment.

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hope know the delivery of his promises will be soon as i have waited 8 years so far

Its taken that long to clear up the mess made by the Tories.

607985[/snapback]

Lottie i know like most you hate the torries but dont be like the rest and come out with the same crp as them the torries this the torries that...8 years,remember that is two full terms,if a party cant get things on track after that amount of time (after promising us they would) who `s to say they wont use the same excuse this time after 12 years

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Agrred... and after 8 years Hospital waiting lits are longer??? how does that work then?

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You two are aware right of what the Tories did in those 18 years? Mass umeployment, 16% interest rates, privitisation of nationalial industries (which have cost a fortune since the Government has to bail out to keep them running ever years since their owns insist on taking a few million a year as bonuses) etc etc etc

The Labour party have been miricle workers to turn that around. If you want to moan about the NHS, why don't you look at who turned into a joke to begin and be greatful to Labour for giving it to you in the first place.

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Agrred... and after 8 years Hospital waiting lits are longer??? how does that work then?

608033[/snapback]

Its easy XSAS you blame every thing on the torries tongue.gif you know if i was married to lottie or talon i could go to the pub not come home till morning still p-ssed as a skunk and all i have to say is it is the torries fault,,,,no probs love you go and lie down while i make you some breakfast tongue.gif

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Labour knew the positioon of the country under Tory rule before the inherited what they call a mess, they put together their 3 and 5 year plans based on what they inherit and yet where are we now... education classes with still more than 30 pupils, class room asistants being trained to teach to keep budgets down, god knows haom amny imigrants I am paying for to live in this country.

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Labour knew the positioon of the country under Tory rule before the inherited what they call a mess, they put together their 3 and 5 year plans based on what they inherit and yet where are we now... education classes with still more than 30 pupils, class room asistants being trained to teach to keep budgets down, god knows haom amny imigrants I am paying for to live in this country.

608121[/snapback]

Well for a start Wun the other day was trying to tell the board that in the last two years labour have had a good grip on the imigration problem and is know under control,

dont make me laugh no.gif Tony blair and the home secetary could not even tell Jeromy Paxman how many illegals were hear or legal,but remember that will be the TORRIES fault

You are spot on when you say a 3 to 5 year plan ,they have had 8 will they tell us after another term when they are still i a mess it is the torries fault and they need another term to deal with it angry.gif

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Even then I am sure they will stil blame the Tories.

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Even then I am sure they will stil blame the Tories.

608133[/snapback]

Its the easy way out of a hole

You have so many people out there that will believe all the p-ss the labour machine churn out,i asked about a dozen people the other day in my local who they are going to vote for and some of the replies i got could have knocked me of my cammell

Some were voting labour because their dads and grand-parents are so thats good enough for them

Some were voting labour because their dads told them they are for the working man

Some evensaid they are voting labour because they dont want Maggie thatcher to get elected wacko.gif

I asked them if they knew any of their policys..what are policys wacko.gif

You know see the people who are right behind this Prime minister thumbsup.gif

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LOL i rember a time when Some British people called us americans dumb for re-electing a person who got us in an unjust war..

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You are absolutely correct.. who's the dummies now, I guess we will never learn.

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hope know the delivery of his promises will be soon as i have waited 8 years so far

Its taken that long to clear up the mess made by the Tories.

607985[/snapback]

there is always a so called mess left by the old party. they use it as an excuse quite commonly. just remember politicians rarely do what they promise to do. they are in it for themselves and their friends and families.

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Labour knew the positioon of the country under Tory rule before the inherited what they call a mess, they put together their 3 and 5 year plans based on what they inherit and yet where are we now... education classes with still more than 30 pupils, class room asistants being trained to teach to keep budgets down, god knows haom amny imigrants I am paying for to live in this country.

Contrary to what you might beleive, a government can't change policy overnight, or make great change overnight. The Civil Service has more control over the country that I think you give it credit, and its not likely to spend 18 years implementing Tory policy only to willing undo it all again for Labour.

LOL i rember a time when Some British people called us americans dumb for re-electing a person who got us in an unjust war..

No, unlike Bush, Blair at least knows how to run the economy. tongue.gif

You are absolutely correct.. who's the dummies now, I guess we will never learn.

I did, I voted SNP. cool.gif

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Labour knew the positioon of the country under Tory rule before the inherited what they call a mess, they put together their 3 and 5 year plans based on what they inherit and yet where are we now... education classes with still more than 30 pupils, class room asistants being trained to teach to keep budgets down, god knows haom amny imigrants I am paying for to live in this country.

Contrary to what you might beleive, a government can't change policy overnight, or make great change overnight. The Civil Service has more control over the country that I think you give it credit, and its not likely to spend 18 years implementing Tory policy only to willing undo it all again for Labour.

LOL i rember a time when Some British people called us americans dumb for re-electing a person who got us in an unjust war..

No, unlike Bush, Blair at least knows how to run the economy. tongue.gif

You are absolutely correct.. who's the dummies now, I guess we will never learn.

I did, I voted SNP. cool.gif

608241[/snapback]

Talon stop going back to the bad old days as you call them,labour have had 8 so far ,how many more do you think they need before they them selfs stop useing the old days as an excuse and get on with turning this country into the proud nation it used to be,,,,and try and answer it with out useing the same sh-t about the tories again and again no.gif

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get on with turning this country into the proud nation it used to be

whos lookin back to the old days now?

we have the fourth strongest economy on earth , we are a TINY island. I think from economic diasaster under the toies to that position is just one of the many great things labour have done.

Lowest unemployment in Scotland and Britain as a whole for nearly a century.

Controlable interest rates

NHS finally beggining to work efficiently (helped by immigrant doctors and nusres).

What days were better ?

under the tories we get massive interest rates an repossession

privatisation (disasterous t the public services)

Mass unemployement of 3 Million (higher than any other time in the modern era)

A few rich laughing at the working classes and urban areas whilst tehir pockets are lined.

Poll Tax

Economic Collapse. (black...what day was that again)

Proud days warden.

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I was terrified the tories would get it.

angry.gif

Well, I'm glad Labour got what they deserved.

The British Independance Party didn't get a SINGLE seat. thumbsup.gif

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What a good job Blair has done for education - produced a generation of people stupid enough to vote for him.

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LOL i rember a time when Some British people called us americans dumb for re-electing a person who got us in an unjust war..

608149[/snapback]

Bush is a stupid religious fanatic and bases some of his policies on his religious belief. Yeah you shouldnt of re-elected him. Although very good for going into iraq, I supported that. thumbsup.gif

Although Blair is a good priminister and has done well overall is several issues and I support the war in Iraq.

LD were a choice for me, but I went with Labour.

Tories, All they did throughout the campaign was call blair a liar, stupid move and people calling others liars don't belong in politics.

Edited by whoa182
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David Blunkett has returned to the cabinet I see. The man was forced to resign through blatant misuse of his office and now he is back again as if nothing had happened. Top Tories have been sent to jail for less, he actually came to Bradford to asses the damage after the Riots, what the hell did we waste tax payers money for, he is blind for gods sake how can he make an assesment... I suppose that is the tories fault also.

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get on with turning this country into the proud nation it used to be

whos lookin back to the old days now?

we have the fourth strongest economy on earth , we are a TINY island. I think from economic diasaster under the toies to that position is just one of the many great things labour have done.

Lowest unemployment in Scotland and Britain as a whole for nearly a century.

Controlable interest rates

NHS finally beggining to work efficiently (helped by immigrant doctors and nusres).

What days were better ?

under the tories we get massive interest rates an repossession

privatisation (disasterous t the public services)

Mass unemployement of 3 Million (higher than any other time in the modern era)

A few rich laughing at the working classes and urban areas whilst tehir pockets are lined.

Poll Tax

Economic Collapse. (black...what day was that again)

Proud days warden.

610082[/snapback]

The NHS is that efficient that waiting lists are longer, you have to book a week in advance to see a Doctor, hopital hygene is out of control, the rate of infection has increased. Shortage of professional nurses.

Education standrad dropped.

Classroom assistants taking on extra responsibility to assist teachers due to budgets cuts.

Larger class sizes and labour promised less than 30 to a class.

Defocit budgets in Schools.

Lowest number of Police on the beat, crime increase the list is endless.. but agian this is probably the fault of the tories.

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