UK elections: the winners and losers of the ballot – Liberation

Sounders and media had predicted a close election. The outcome of the vote will finally “brutal”. The adjective turning loop Friday morning in the mouths of commentators on news channels.

The conservative party, with 331 seats, mushy Labour while in Scotland the SNP streaked the independence of the board. There were cries and tears, as in the last episode of season Game of Thrones , the heads of the vanquished rolled with the resignation of three party leaders in one morning . Overview of the winners and losers of the UK general election.

They smile (carnivorous)

David Cameron

We said lazy, disinterested, far from the people. He had to literally pull up his sleeves in the final weeks of the campaign, while in his own camp were beginning to whisper the names to his successor at the head of the conservatives. So many reasons that make the blue wave, as undeniable as it is unexpected is “the most delicious of victories” in the words of the re-elected Prime Minister. Unlike 2010, when he had to form the first coalition government in 70 years to take power, he returned to 10 Downing Street alone, a strong majority. He leaves behind a Liberal Democratic Party shattered and disoriented Labour.

Nicola Sturgeon Completely unknown to the general public there are only a few months before she succeeds Alex Salmond at the head of the Scottish National Party, Nicola Sturgeon made a faultless campaign. “The most dangerous woman in the UK,” as preservatives, emerges stronger after the election they would not have dared imagine. Reigning now virtually unchallenged over Scotland with 56 deputies out of 59 districts, the “First minister” of the semi-autonomous Scottish Parliament will have at heart to ensure that David Cameron continue the increased devolution of powers to Scotland, as promised in the referendum on independence in September 2014. (Photo AFP)

They bad

Ed Miliband

The leader of the Labour Party by its fans at the London headquarters of his party, May 8 (AFP Photo)

The British left was convinced that the “geek” awkward stabbed his brother in the back to get to the head of the party had turned into man virile state. “Hard” against the powerful (cf. his famous line “Hell yeah, I’m tough enough” on television) and teen idol on social networks, Miliband was able to convince Russell Brand abstentionist vote and made teenage “Milifans”. In the end, none of this will have been, and highly virulent campaign against right-wing press paid him. The failure of Miliband is compared to the electoral defeat of Labour in 1992 … but worse. The Labour candidate has consistently announced his resignation at lunch time and leaves a Labour Party “stunned” as headlined its an Guardian .

Miliband does not flow by itself: it carries with it Ed Balls , Minister of Economy of the shadow cabinet and the second most important figure of the party. The day before the vote, nobody imagined Balls losing his place in Parliament. Yet in the early morning, commentators, incredulous, saw him holding back tears at concede defeat to a debutante Conservative candidate. In Scotland Douglas Alexander , another central figure of the party, met the same fate at the hands of a student 20 years only policy, representing the SNP.

Nick Clegg (photo AFP) is the other major burned this election, even if he retains his place in Westminster being reelected in Sheffield. Five years of coalition with the Conservatives have annihilated his party to exit polls. The Liberal Democrats have more than 8 members, against 57 in 2010. “catastrophic losses” that resulted in his immediate resignation. Its voters have not forgiven the repeated denials of the former wonder boy centrist, even if it was said proud of its record after the elections. Vince Cable , former Minister Lib-Dem Government Cameron and former number two of the party, meanwhile loses his place in Parliament.

At each extreme of the political spectrum, populism was no recipe. To the right of the right, the anti-European and anti-immigrant Nigel Farage failed to get elected, despite flattering polls for Ukip party. He had promised to resign if it fails: he did in the morning. But still have a possibility of return, by running for his party’s internal elections after the summer.

Figure controversial of. far left, the Scot George Galloway (photo AFP), which had humiliated the Labour largely winning the Bradford West by-election in 2012, lost his parliamentary seat. Historical militant of the Palestinian cause and ex-Labour MP expelled for his virulent opposition to the Anglo-American coalition in the Iraq war, Galloway had staked everything on the community vote to get elected in a riding that has a majority of Muslims. It was not enough this year, after a particularly sordid campaign. After threatening the managers of a pub on Twitter emphasizing how it was risky to sell alcohol in his constituency, the Respect Party tribune had accused the candidate of Labour, Shah Naz (victorious), receive the support of Israel and of lying about his personal history. In an interview, the latter said to have survived a forced marriage at the age of 15 years in Pakistan. Galloway was then dispatched detectives there to find his nikah , its Islamic marriage certificate, he then waved at a public debate to challenge his version. After his defeat, reviled Galloway “The horrible, venal, racists and Zionists celebrate [his] failure. The hyena can jump on the grave of the lion, it will never be a lion “, has he reached in all sobriety.

Russell Brand , as to him, announced that he would move away from the policy. The abstentionist actor had supported in the last minute to Ed Miliband. An about face many thought decisive. In a YouTube video posted after the announcement of final results, he regretted having “been drawn into all this” , who is “a guy with a computer laptop and mouth “. In the end, with a crumb Labour and strong participation, Brand was anything but an oracle.

They do not come out so badly

The failure of Miliband, who proposed an alternative New Labour of Blair and Brown generation will force the Labour Party to reinvent itself once again. For this, we must find a new leader. MP Andy Burnham (left, Photo AFP), 45, Minister ‘ghost’ of Health Miliband, the bookmakers favor. Unless this is the time of Chuka Umunna (right, AFP photograph), who dreams of becoming the “British Obama Barack”. This Métis lawyer of 36 years, elected since 2010 and only Ghost Trade Minister, has shown very at ease in the media and has the support of Tony Blair.

Caroline Lucas , re-elected in Brighton Pavilion, will once again be the only Green MP in Westminster. But the Greens have reasons to smile: they have quadrupled their electorate compared to 2010, reaching the million votes across the country. A historic score for British environmentalists.

Photo Justin Tallis. AFP