Yesterday's Elections - Some Initial Thoughts

Some very quick thoughts on the elections, results for which are still coming in:

• Obviously a fantastic day for UKIP. We have truly arrived. Congratulations to all those elected, all those who stood and for all the very hard work and committment. Let us not forget especially the very lonely furrow ploughed by the dogged and determined few who built the party from nothing and "Kept Buggering On" during the wilderness years, often to scorn and derision. Of course more than a few of those are no longer with us. Today, especially, is their day. Let us remember them.
• The Metropolitan Class still don't get it. The quality of analysis from the Establishment media and political classes has on the whole been woeful.
• Strategically, it seems that it is a very good day for the Liberal Democrats. Yes, you read that right. The Liberal Democrats "South Western Strategy", namely mounting a hedgehog defence of "what we have, we hold" in the South West has been vindicated. Lib Dem strategy is to pour all available resources into those areas they currently hold, particularly the South West, with a view to  retaining as many seats as possible after the next General Election. Given Tory travails at the hands of UKIP they may even increase the number of seats they hold there. This will put them in the best possible position if once again there is no overall majority to any one party.
• The truly terrible result for the Lib Dems in South Shields is partly a result of the aforementioned strategy but also shows exactly what happens to parties in large areas of  the post-industrial North who form alliances with the Tories. NO TORY-UKIP PACT!! Otherwise, that's us next time around. 
• Postal Voting needs major reform or a return to the previous system. It seems TWO-THIRDS of votes in South Shields were postal. There is absolutely no excuse for anything like that number. Postal voting overall lacks the anonymity of voting on the day and in areas like South Shields where an almost clan-like loyalty to the Labour Party is still expected that really matters. Many people are simply too scared to admit to any other form of allegiance. It would be very interesting to see the precise breakdown of postal to non-postal votes.  UKIP must press hard for reform of postal voting prior to the 2015 General Election.