UK Elections 2015: David Cameron Sweeps to Unexpected Triumph

Nationalists triumph in Scotland, set stage for possible new independence vote

Scottish nationalist leader Nicola Sturgeon on Friday held out the possibility of a new independence referendum - but not immediately - after her party's crushing victory north of the border in a British national election.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) obliterated its opponents, taking 56 of Scotland's 59 seats in the Westminster parliament. The Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats could muster only one seat each.


(Leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon reacts to results at the Glasgow election count at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow on May 8.)

He said there were two broad possible explanations: a strong last-minute swing to the Conservatives, or polling problems.

"There is a track record here. The truth is that at most though not all recent elections, the polls have tended to underestimate the Conservatives and overestimate Labour."

Some pollsters admitted something had gone badly wrong, and they did not yet understand what.

"Election results raise serious issues for all pollsters," said Populus, one of the main polling firms, on Twitter.

Others, such as Survation, ComRes and Ipsos MORI, defended themselves, saying they had been right about the Scottish National Party's surge, the collapse of the Liberal Democrats and a sharp increase in vote share for anti-EU party UKIP.

Andrew Hawkins, chairman of ComRes, said this fragmentation of the political landscape had presented pollsters with "extra headaches" by turning the election into a "patchwork of regional contests" where national trends were less relevant.

The polls had converged to suggest the Conservatives and Labour were tied or within a point or two of each other on about 32 or 33 percent of the vote share apiece. In fact, the Conservatives won about 37 percent to around 31 for Labour.

Such was the disbelief when the exit poll of people who had actually voted came out on Thursday night that Paddy Ashdown, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats, vowed to "publicly eat my hat" on live television if it turned out to be right.

Ashdown will now struggle to live down the comment as the Lib Dems suffered even heavier losses than the exit poll predicted. "Paddy Ashdown's hat" acquired its own Twitter account and jokes have been flourishing online.

John Curtice, a prominent elections expert and president of the British Polling Council, said it would launch an inquiry into what had gone wrong, led by an independent statistician.

Britain's voters have delivered a painful blow not just to the Labour Party but also to the opinion pollsters, who had suggested a very different outcome to Thursday's election.

With votes counted in all 650 constituencies, the Conservatives had won an overall majority of 331 seats in the House of Commons with Labour doomed to languish on the opposition benches with 232 seats.

The result came as a complete shock following months of polls which showed the two big parties running neck-and-neck with neither close to winning an overall majority.

"There's only one opinion poll that counts and that's the one on election day and I'm not sure that's ever been truer than it is today," Prime Minister David Cameron said after winning his own seat, Witney.

US President Barack Obama congratulates Prime Minister David Cameron on election win.

"I look forward to continuing to strengthen the bonds between our countries, as we work together on behalf of global peace, security and prosperity," Barack Obama said in a written statement.


File Photo: US President Barack Obama, right, walks with British Prime Minister David Cameron (AP Photo)

Three party leaders Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg & Nigel Farage all resign within an hour.


(Left to right: Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage)

Sweeping Win for David Cameron in Britain
Prime Minister David Cameron and his Conservative Party won a surprisingly solid victory in the British general election Thursday, with projections and partial results Friday morning showing that the party will at a minimum come close to winning an overall majority in Parliament.

"Britain needs a strong Labour party. Britain needs a Labour party that can rebuild after this defeat so we can have a government that stands up for working people again," Miliband told a party meeting.

"And now it's time for someone else to take forward the leadership of this party, so I'm tendering my resignation, taking effect after this afternoon's commemoration of VE day ..."

He said the party's deputy leader Harriet Harman would take over until a new leader is elected.

Britain's Ed Miliband quit as Labour leader on Friday after his opposition party was decisively beaten at the polls by Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives.

Labour, which had gone into the election expecting to challenge for power, was instead soundly beaten by the Conservative Party, which is now set to govern on its own with an outright parliamentary majority.

This is a country with unrivaled skills, together we can make Great Britain greater still. When I stood here 5 yrs ago our country was in grip of an economic crisis: David Cameron


(File Photo of David Cameron)

No matter where you are from you have an opportunity to make the most of it: David Cameron

I've always believed in governing with respect. That is why we devolved power in Scotland, in this parliament we will implement devolution for Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland: David Cameron

Ed Milliband rang me this morning to wish me luck. The government I led did important work, it laid foundations for a better future: David Cameron

We can make Britain a place where a good life is in reach for everyone: David Cameron

3 million apprenticeships, helping 30 million cope with cost of living, creating millions of more jobs, and yes, we will deliver in our referendum on future in Europe: David Cameron

We must ensure we bring our country together: David Cameron

David Cameron speaks after his party (Conservatives) win the 2015 UK General Elections.

David Cameron-led Conservative Party gain overall majority in the 2015 UK General Elections.