Nevertheless the results were radical. In Scotland and Wales, the New Labour turkeys appear to have voted for Christmas with the proportional representational system.
Despite these countries being overwhelmingly Labour in the first past the post UK system, and despite the fact that the New Labour government has given them autonomy, Labour failed to win an outright majority in either territory.
In Scotland
Labour won 56 seats SNP 35 Cons 18 Lib Dem 17
In Wales out of 60 seats
Labour won 28 Plaid Cymru 17 Lib Dem 9 Cons 9
The sacrifice by Labour is shown in Wales in that it won 27 out of 40 first past seats and got only one more of the 20 top up seats.
I think the results are good.
They mean there will be a battle about what happens in these two countries. This could create a momentum for further devolution. Although the SNP won no seats in industrial Scotland the surprise was that PC won seats in the industrial south of Wales.
They mean that Labour will have to practice coalition politics and that could become a model for England.
In England the Conservative won 1342 seats which protects Hague from execution but their result was patchy even in what used to be the Conservative heartlands of southern England.
Meanwhile they have something to fight for in Wales and Scotland now thanks to proportional representation.
This will all make the political system equilibrate more closely to peoples wishes.
Chris Burford
London