Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Conservatives Crush Labour in UK Landslide (w/ Updates)
Polls in the UK closed at 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET). As results come in from the crucial vote, we’ll keep you posted here. If the exit polls are correct, this will be the worst Labour Party result since 1924.
6:37 p.m. (ET): Only three ridings have reported their votes, all of which have been strong Labour supporters. One of these, Blyth Valley, has switched to the Conservatives. This indicates a surprisingly strong CON showing elsewhere.
7:35 p.m. (ET): Votes coming in very slowly. So far, CON has two seats, LAB has five.
8:34 p.m. (ET): The Scottish National Party gets one on the board. The totals so far…
- CON – 8
- LAB – 11
- SNP – 1
The Tories have so far swung three constituencies from Labour to Conservative. One of those was Workington, a “quintessential safe Labour seat.” The SNP also took a seat from Labour.
9:02 p.m. (ET): Updated totals…
- CON – 20
- LAB – 22
- SNP – 3
Labour has lost five seats to CON and two seats to SNP.
9:30 p.m. (ET): Conservatives tie it up.
- CON – 90
- LAB – 78
- SNP – 16
- SF – 4
- LD – 3
- Other – 4
Labour down eight seats, Conservatives up six.
10:00 p.m. (ET): And Conservatives take the lead.
- CON – 45
- LAB – 45
- SNP – 6
- PC – 1
- Other – 3
Labour down 21 seats, Conservatives up 17.
Our projections now put Tories at slightly smaller majority, but still very solid indeed – 357 seats, Labour on 201
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) December 13, 2019
10:30 p.m. (ET):
- CON – 156
- LAB – 109
- SNP – 21
- LD – 6
- DUP – 5
- Other – 10
BREAKING: Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn is to resign and will not lead the party into a future general election. pic.twitter.com/oJbfBrmjKl
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) December 13, 2019
11:00 p.m. (ET): Conservatives need 326 seats to win, the BBC now projects they will take 365. Here’s where the vote stands now:
- CON – 214 (+32)
- LAB – 143 (-43)
- SNP – 34 (+11)
- LD – 7
- DUP – 5
- Other – 11
The Tories continue to take Labour strongholds, including some constituencies who haven’t voted Conservative for a century.
By our count Lab have now lost at least 15 seats which they have held in all general elections since 1945
— Rob Ford (@robfordmancs) December 13, 2019
11:30 p.m. (ET): Conservatives need 326 seats to win, the BBC now projects they will take 365. Here’s where the vote stands now:
- CON – 265 (+38)
- LAB – 180 (-50)
- SNP – 41 (+12)
- LD – 7 (-)
- DUP – 5 (-2)
- Other – 13
The Tories continue to take Labour strongholds, including some constituencies who haven’t voted Conservative for a century.
Sky News
UPDATED FORECAST:
CON Majority
Con seats 363-369 (midpoint 366).
LAB 193-199 (midpoint 196)
MAJORITY 76-88 (midpoint 82).*Labour would have worst result in seats since 1935.
*Con maj would be bigger than Blair in 2005 and Thatcher's in 1979— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) December 13, 2019
12:10 p.m. (ET): It is official! Conservatives needed 326 seats to control Parliament and they have them. BBC projects that they will win 365 total, but here’s where the vote stands now:
- CON – 331 (+43)
- LAB – 197 (-55)
- SNP – 45 (+12)
- LD – 8 (-)
- DUP – 8 (-2)
- Other – 14
Published in General
Obama’s actually been pretty conventional. He hasn’t inserted himself all that much. He’s not been Carter and god knows he hasn’t been Clinton. Eight years in the White House has been his ticket to vast wealth and he seems to be more concerned about enjoying it than in staying in the fight.
I recognize that it’s possible that all the stories about him sticking his nose into current affairs are just designed to generate outrage.
BJ’s been pretty good too if you focus just on him and ignore his wife. Which is admittedly difficult to do.
That’s what they want you to think.
If one goes back to the W administration, one might find many more examples of Bill inserting himself into the news cycles.
Very good news for the UK!
Surveying the reaction to the election on Twitter has been great fun. It’s quite like Trump 2016 actually. But I’m looking at a tweet (since deleted) by one Kitty Holland, uber-lefty journalist with the ever insufferable Irish Times:
“It’s a great result for Zionism. Monsters are roaring their delight”
That’s just sinister.
Regardless of what DT does or doesn’t do … since Corbyn just resigned his leadership position a few hours ago – and will remain in parliament – you have no idea how Corbyn or will not behave.
And you have no idea how DJT will behave in Jan 2025
Your tourettes-like behavior is getting tiresome
Well, the Independent has just said that Corbin will not resign until next year, validating exactly what I said several comments ago. Why are we still having this discussion?
Per the Evening Standard:
That is not to say, that facing massive pressure to do so (the Independent article cited above says that he is resisting that pressure), he may not jump ship sooner. But why this insistence on pressing a point that has, up to now, no basis in fact? The facts of the matter are easy enough to understand, and they’ve been cogently explained here many times.
Trump breaks the pattern. He’s a man who’s enjoyed the spotlight for years and has had his own tv shows and commercial appearances. I doubt he’s going away.