So, those election results

[andrewducker]

Good news: Hung parliament!
Bad news: Conservatives + DUP coalition is the only one that can get a majority
Even worse news: DUP are, frankly, worse than the Conservatives, being the party who have been blocking marriage equality in Northern Ireland
Sad News: If it wasn't for Unionists in Scotland voting Conservative to "send the SNP a message*" we'd have the possibility of a Lab+SNP+LibDem+PC+Green alliance.

As it is, Theresa May wins this year's award for "Conservative MP holding a vote to get her party into line, and throwing the country into chaos when it goes wrong".

Chances of another election this year: High
Chances of more people voting tactically at the next one, and getting the numbers to push the Conservatives out: Who the fuck knows.
Chances of any negotiation of Article 50, which continues to count down, getting underway: Slim

Just to note:
Purely vote-wise, Lab+SNP+LibDem is over 50%. Fuck FPTP.

*A completely pointless one, as it's the Scottish Government who pushes for Independence, and this election doesn't change that.

Comments

[doug]

Broadly agree, although I'm not sure the message from Unionists in Scotland who voted tactically for the Conservatives against the SNP was completely pointless: the dramatically reduced number of seats for the SNP at Westminster does make a second IndyRef look less likely. And the outcome of this election is evidence in favour of the idea that it's perhaps better to avoid votes you don't really want, even if the opinion polling says you will win them.

The DUP are terrible in many ways but they definitely do not want a hard border with the Republic, which makes a hard Brexit less obviously the UK Government position. On the other hand, I'm not sure the EU is prepared to offer much other than a hard Brexit unless we keep freedom of movement and European court jurisdictions, which would be almost impossible for the Tories to accept for fear of losing even more ex-UKIP support to Labour.

I'm sure there'll be some sort of Tory-DUP deal but it's going to be knife-edge stuff in Parliament for anything controversial - all but the safest of Tory MPs are going to be ultrasensitive about pissing off their constituents. Brexit, of course, doesn't require much any more by way of votes in Parliament ...

This is a complete dog's breakfast of a situation to be in.

[splodgenoodles]

FPTP is such a bad idea! Especially when people want to "send a message".

[kerkevik_2014]

If not for 2015 this would be called an SNP triumph.

What is has demonstrated is, rather like the Tories, in seeking to end a question once and for all; all they've succeeded in doing is dividing a nation almost beyond repair.

Even at the height of the electoral power the SNP could not command a majority for independence; yet they went ahead with a referendum anyway.

Now they've let the Tories in wih, more dangerously, the only truly effective party leader north of the border.

I doubt I'll live to see the changes the new generation of Lib Dems; not borne of the Liberal Party or the SDP, will make, but they are the future for us.

We'll see how much of a deal has been struck, but the DUP 'may' come to rue this day if 'tis true.

Sinn Fein may have achieved success but, if you look at the picture over the whole island they are looking increasingly as isolated as the DUP is in UK terms.

[cmcmck]

Even if she can form a govt, I give it six months before we're back here again.

Oh joy! :o(

[danieldwilliam]

I am laughing *so* hard right now.