UK goes to polls in General Election

[Ishmael]

Party leaders have been casting their votes in the United Kingdom general election.

Polls opened at 07:00 BST at around 50,000 polling stations across the UK, which will remain open until 22:00.

A total of 650 Westminster MPs will be elected, with about 50 million people registered to vote.

As well as the general election, there are more than 9,000 council seats being contested across 279 English local authorities.

Mayors will also be elected in Bedford, Copeland, Leicester, Mansfield, Middlesbrough and Torbay.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Labour leader Ed Miliband, Greens leader Natalie Bennett, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Conservative leader David Cameron, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood have all cast their votes.
Results declared

The weather has been dry and mild across much of the UK, with isolated showers in some parts of the north of England.

The local votes taking place mean that nearly every voter in England - excluding London where there are no local elections - will be given at least two ballot papers when they enter polling stations.

Some votes had been cast before Thursday through postal voting, which accounted for 15% of the total electorate at the 2010 general election, when the overall turnout was 65%.

For the first time, people have been able to register to vote online.

Most polling stations are in schools, community centres and parish halls, but pubs, a launderette and a school bus are also being used.

A handful of seats are expected to be declared by midnight, with the final results expected on Friday afternoon.
Coverage

Polls close at 22:00 BST, but officials say anyone in a polling station queue at this time should be able to cast their vote.

The BBC's main election programme, fronted by David Dimbleby, starts at 21:55 BST, with live coverage from 220 counts.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will have their own overnight programmes but will join Huw Edwards from 07:00 BST on 8 May.

On the radio, a joint overnight broadcast by BBC Radio 4 and 5 live will be hosted by Jim Naughtie and Carolyn Quinn.

Full coverage of the results as they come in will be on the BBC politics online live page and front page scorecard, with all the big breaking stories from around the country and analysis by correspondents.

Source: BBC

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Exit polls zinaonyesha chama cha Waziri Mkuu David Cameron kinaongoza huku kikifuatiwa na chama cha Labor kwa mbali.

Ila inavyoonyesha Conservatives watakuwa na uhaba wa outright majority katika kuunda serikali.

David Cameron says he wants to bring the UK together, claiming the Conservatives appear to have achieved "a very strong night".

As the SNP continue to sweep Labour and the Lib Dems out of Scotland, the prime minister said he wanted to govern "one nation, one United Kingdom".

The BBC suggests Mr Cameron's Tory Party is on course to win 325 seats, enough for a Commons majority.

Employment minister Esther McVey is the biggest Tory loss so far.

But Ms McVey, who lost her Wirral West seat to Labour by 417 seats, went out fighting, adding: "I'm coming back - I want to be an MP."

However, the story of the night has been the party's success.

Speaking at the count in his Witney constituency, Mr Cameron said it was "too early to say exactly what sort of result" would emerge from the election.

But he said: "This is clearly a very strong night for the Conservative Party - I think we've had a positive response to a positive campaign...

"My main aim is simply to govern on the basis of governing for everyone in our United Kingdom."

Former Conservative leadership contender David Davis said was "a reasonable chance" the party would win the election outright.

"It depends exactly on the numbers - I think there's a reasonable chance that we'll actually get above 326 [the figure needed to command a majority]," he said.

Professor John Curtice, who led the exit poll operations, also suggested the Conservatives could achieve an overall majority.

He was speaking after Conservative Marcus Jones held on to the marginal seat of Nuneaton shortly before 02:00 BST.

The exit poll had expected a one point swing to Labour in that seat, when in practice there was a three point swing to the Tories.

By 06:00 BST, the Conservatives had gained 30 seats - and lost eight.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, who won the Uxbridge and Ruislip South seat with a 10,000-vote majority, said: "We're very excited by some of the results that are coming through. Overall, I think it's been an amazing night for the Conservatives."

But he said all parties must take account of the rise of the SNP in Scotland.

"There has to be some sort of federal offer'' in light of the huge increase in SNP MPs, he said.

Conservative Chief Whip Michael Gove described the exit poll figures as "an unprecedented vote of confidence in David Cameron".

'Considerable authority'

Mr Gove said if the exit poll was right, "it means the Conservatives have clearly won this election and Labour has clearly lost".

"We haven't had an incumbent government increase its majority like this since 1983.

"And it would be an unprecedented vote of confidence in David Cameron's leadership and in particular in the message that we have reinforced throughout this campaign, which is that if people wanted to secure our economic security, they've got to make sure that David is in Downing Street."

He said it was too early to talk about potential post-election deals but if the exit poll proved right, "tomorrow the prime minister will outline the basis on which we can go forward with a secure and stable government in the national interest".

Mr Cameron would enjoy "considerable authority", he said, and it would be "by any measure a success" for him.

The prime minister has previously suggested anything short of an overall majority would be a failure.

But Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said she was "puzzled" by the exit poll and urged people to wait for the results before making predictions.

"It doesn't reflect any of the conversations and responses we've had," she said.

Home Secretary Theresa May said a high turnout among voters would suggest people were "captivated by this campaign and the importance of this general election".

'Price' to pay

If the Conservatives do enjoy the success predicted in the exit poll, they could look to the Liberal Democrats - forecast to win 10 seats - to provide some additional support.

DUP member Sammy Wilson said there would be "a price" to pay if his party entered any form of coalition with the Conservatives.

"The emphasis will be on getting the government at Westminster to recognise the economic difficulties we have in Northern Ireland," he told the BBC.

This would include looking at the impact terrorism has had on Northern Ireland's infrastructure and rebuilding the economy to make it less dependent on the public purse, he said.

Source: BBC

 

[palalisote]

hizi exit polls ni changa la macho.

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

hizi exit polls ni changa la macho.

Ila kama ni kweli basi Conservatives wameua aisee.

Yaani ukijumlisha viti vya Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrats, na UKIP bado havifikii idadi ya viti vya Conservatives.

Wow...just wow.

Sasa tusubiri tuone kama kama hizi exit polls zinaakisi uhalisia.

 

[palalisote]

Ila kama ni kweli basi Conservatives wameua aisee.

Yaani ukijumlisha viti vya Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrats, na UKIP bado havifikii idadi ya viti vya Conservatives.

Wow...just wow.

Sasa tusubiri tuone kama kama hizi exit polls zinaakisi uhalisia.

ziskutishe sana maana hizo zimefanywa na BBC. Kwa mfano BBC wanasema democrat wana siti 10 wakati UK gov nao wamefanya exit polls zinaonyesha democrat wana siti 31. kule scotland SNP wameshasema wana viti vingi zaidi. Kama ulivyosema tusubiri maana matokeo yanweza yakaja tofauti kabisa na ikawa kilio. exit polls imehusisha watu 20,000 tu na imefanyika asubuhi sana ambapo wadau wengi wakereketwa wa vyama wamapiga kura baadaye sana.

 

[Mtimti]

Labour washachukua kiti kimoja cha Sunderland. ....lkn mi sio mpenzi wa hii style ya mwenye viti vingi ndio anaunda serikali na sio mwenye kura nyingi, maana kama Sunderland MP wa labour kashinda kwa zaidi ya kura 21000 dhidi ya 7000 za conservative lkn hapo wakija kwenye kumpata waziri mkuu basi inahesabika kama Ed kapata kura moja na cameroon hajapata kitu mpk sasa

 

[palalisote]

labour washachukua kiti kimoja cha sunderland. ....lkn mi sio mpenzi wa hii style ya mwenye viti vingi ndio anaunda serikali na sio mwenye kura nyingi, maana kama sunderland mp wa labour kashinda kwa zaidi ya kura 21000 dhidi ya 7000 za conservative lkn hapo wakija kwenye kumpata waziri mkuu basi inahesabika kama ed kapata kura moja na cameroon hajapata kitu mpk sasa

tetetetetet naona ukip wamefanya yao. Paka sasa conservative hawaamini ukipi kupanfa kwa 19%

 

[BAK]

Dah! Mie prediction yangu ilikuwa minority government Labour. Opinion polls zilikuwa zinaonyesha a tie between Conservative & Labour.

 

[BAK]

Hivi vyama vyenye chuki za kutisha dhidi ya wahamiaji vinapata umaarufu mkubwa EU, si muda mrefu ujao moja ya vyama hivi EU kitaunda Serikali.

tetetetetet naona ukip wamefanya yao. Paka sasa conservative hawaamini ukipi kupanfa kwa 19%

 

[palalisote]

hivi vyama vyenye chuki za kutisha dhidi ya wahamiaji vinapata umaarufu mkubwa eu, si muda mrefu ujao moja ya vyama hivi eu kitaunda serikali.

ni kweli kabisa huku sasa watu wanaongelea zaidi utaifa. Ukip ingawa hawatashnda lakini wanapata kura nyingi sana. Ya afrika kusini ndiyo yanayoanza kuonekana huku.

 

[Cynic]

Hivi vyama vyenye chuki za kutisha dhidi ya wahamiaji vinapata umaarufu mkubwa EU, si muda mrefu ujao moja ya vyama hivi EU kitaunda Serikali.

Naona huyo wa UK wanamtabiria viti viwili (2). Halafu naona rangi zao ni kama za Zitto (ACT-Wazalendo), sasa sijui wana commonalities zozote?

 

[Paul S.S]

So far soo good for Cameron

 

[johnthebaptist]

Matokeo yaliyokwishatangazwa kupitia BBC yanaonyesha Conservative imeshashinda uchaguzi na inategemewa hadi mwisho itapata viti 329 na kuwa majority winner kwa viti 22 zaidi na Labour watapata viti 234. Cameron ataonana na Queen saa 6.30 kwa saa za UK

 

[Nyani Ngabu]

Dah! Mie prediction yangu ilikuwa minority government Labour. Opinion polls zilikuwa zinaonyesha a tie between Conservative & Labour.

Opinion polls are just that: opinion polls.

They don't count on election day.

Ndo maana nawashangaa wanaofurahia opinion polls zinazomwonyesha Hillary eti akiongoza huku uchaguzi bado una zaidi ya siku 500 hadi kufanyika.

Anybody with half a brain would know not to put their whole trust in them!

Sasa kumbe ushindi wa David Cameron ni mkubwa kuliko hata ulivyotabiriwa na exit polls.

 

[Ishmael]

[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD][h=1]UK General Election: Ed Miliband quits as Labour leader[/h]



Source: BBC

Ed Miliband has stepped down as Labour leader after his party's disappointing general election showing.

Labour suffered heavy losses at the hands of the SNP, with the Tories forecast to achieve a majority.

In a speech in London, Mr Miliband said it was "time for someone else" to take over the leadership and confirmed deputy leader Harriet Harman would be interim leader.

Earlier the Labour leader, who took charge of the party in 2010, said it had been a "very disappointing and difficult night" for his party, which is forecast to win 234 seats, compared with 258 in 2010.

Read more: Labour election results: Ed Miliband resigns as leader - BBC News
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]