Friday 30 June 2017

Glastonbury 2017: A Worthy return

THE TRUE measure of a successful visit to Glastonbury Festival is often in the memories which abide, as much as in the experience itself.

So, in that case, Glastonbury 2017 was and still is a glorious triumph.

Even now, more than a week since it started, little moments fill the vacant boredom of everyday life and the corners of my mouth involuntarily curl up at the edge. My eyes dazzle excitedly and I catch myself smiling.

Right from the start, though, I knew this was going to be a special Glastonbury for me.

It was, after all, my first visit for four years - and so, when I eventually arrived on site, late on Thursday, I immediately collapsed to the turf in the manner of a Wimbledon champion who had just landed a winning forehand on championship point.

Time to explore - although, to be totally honest, Thursday night was a little stop-start for me and my companions as we consistently found ourselves in the unfortunate position of greeting the end of a set.

Perhaps it was inevitable that we would end up down a Rabbit Hole that night.

On Friday, we found better form as Chryssie Hynde and the Pretenders opened the Other Stage before we hot-footed it to West Holts for the Hot 8 Brass Band and a taste of festival-strength Brothers Cider.

Liverpool band Circa Waves then infused a summery burst of indie-pop as I clambered on the shoulders of a mate for their set-closer T-Shirt Weather.

"It's gonna be okay" affirmed lead vocalist Kieran Shudall as the band around him played out. Already, though, I knew it was going to be much better than that...

Next for me came the highly-rated Brighton-based Royal Blood and a first proper visit of the year to the Pyramid. Gladly, it can be reported that it was not a disappointment.

Indeed, there must have been few noisier sets of the weekend as duo Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher celebrated their album How Did We Get So Dark? going to number one by clanging champagne bottles together. The little monsters.

George Ezra did nothing to slow the pace by opening his Other Stage appearance with Cassy O before he strummed his way through a genuinely classy set to Budapest.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor then enticed the Avalon, indulging in a costume change while reminding her audience of her array of hits from the turn of the millennium.

And so, onto the first of the headliners - and Radiohead on Pyramid, 20 years on from the release of OK Computer.

Undoubtedly there was a buzz around the crowd - but, unfortunately for the more casual observer like myself, Thom Yorke had back-filled his set and my thoughts soon began to wander elsewhere.

In the Park, those thoughts found their home, as Wayne Coyne and the Flaming Lips reproduced exactly the sort of bizarre performance which first appealed to me back in 2010.

There is a gentle beauty among all the bizarreness, though - and the cover of David Bowie's Space Oddity was an outstandingly lovely touch before a becalmed crowd faded into the night to the words of Do You Realize??

Saturday already had a lot to live up to meet those opening standards.

Nevertheless, the day got off to a grand start as, on Pyramid, the Bootleg Beatles, marching suits and all, reincarnated Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on its 50th anniversary.

The Brass Funkeys entertainingly opened up the Avalon tent and kept spirits high amid the drizzle with a cover of One Step Beyond and a blast of the Bear Necessities.

And Jools Holland then brought on a whole array of guests during his set on Pyramid including his old mucker Chris Difford of Squeeze for a rendition of Cool For Cats.

Clearly, though, the afternoon belonged to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Drawing one of the biggest audiences of the weekend, Mr Corbyn's 14-minute speech on Pyramid was, in many ways, largely preaching to a converted choir.

However, in a week in which the Conservatives cheered the retention of a 1% cap on public sector wage growth in the House of Commons, Mr Corbyn's words will still have resonated well beyond the most hardcore of his supporters, and so his battle goes on.

Back to the music - and Saturday evening was a tale of two Katys, as KT Tunstall rolled back the years on the Acoustic stage before pop star-extraordinaire Katy Perry lit up the Pyramid.

The Avalanches provided more nostalgia on West Holts ahead of the Foo Fighters taking to the Pyramid stage.

Cruelly denied the top slot in 2015 when injury forced Dave Grohl to pull out, the Foos made up for lost time by starting with Times Like These and All My Life.

My Hero was dedicated to a naked fan in the audience and, as the set drew to its close, it reached its climax when Monkey Wrench and Best of You came in quick succession.

I think it would be fair to say that we did, indeed, see the best of the Foo Fighters who were on top form throughout - and it set me up for a night which felt at the time it as if it would last forever but now feels as if it was gone in a flash.

At least I know the night finished with people in a packed Silent Disco blasting out Bohemian Rhapsody to each other, and then it literally dawned upon me.

Dawn arrived, the sky was no longer dark - and yet I had not been to bed. Forgive me then for my later start on Sunday...

The final day of the festival began at Other as the Boston-based Dropkick Murphys paid testament to their celtic roots, ahead of a much-anticipated appearance by Rag'n'Bone Man.

Rag'n'Bone was clearly nervous during his set and he even admitted as much - but, thankfully, his voice remained as strong as ever, as he picked his way through the hits from his Human album.

Now, up until this point, the weather had been warm. There had been a little rain on Saturday morning but not enough for the ground to break up. However, for much of the time, the skies had been filled with a leaden cloud-cover.

Perhaps then even the weather knew it was party time on Pyramid as Barry Gibb brought some Saturday Night Fever to Sunday afternoon.

He was followed swiftly by Chic feat Nile Rodgers who brought the whole arena to its feet in a set which included all the hits and covers of Daft Punk and, again, Bowie.

It is difficult to put in words just how brilliant those three hours of disco under clear blue skies and a baking hot sun were - but, as the BeeGee sang, words are all I have.

Following all the dancing and singing, it was time to tone it down a bit - though only via another sing-a-long to the Bootleg Beatles' closer Hey Jude on Acoustic - and we made our way to the Circus Fields.

There, in the Big Top, we watched the stupidly entertaining Flying Dutchmen jugglers on unicycles.

And then the Occam's Razor acrobatics quintet dazzled my mind as a performance featuring huge metal poles played with at all sorts of different angles, the weight and timing of each move being key.

By this time, it was Ed Sheeran's turn to headline Pyramid, only six years after his appearance on the BBC Introducing Stage in 2011.

In fairness to Sheeran, we knew pretty much every number he played in his first hour - but, as this was the last night of Glastonbury for over 700 days, we wanted a big party in which to dance.

Mr Bombastic himself Shaggy - at the Gully Stage in the Silver Hayes area - duly obliged as he sailed through his tunes. Remember, though, it wasn't him...

At that point, all that was left was a final wander around the site, taking in the ever-magnificent Arcadia and ambling into the Bimble Inn for the raga-infused celtic sound of Delhi to Dublin.

One last boogie there and another in the Glade at around 3am on Monday morning just about finished us off as we headed back to our tents to put this festival to bed.

It had been an unbelievable few days, a festival which will not be easily forgotten in a long time.

But that period in the sunshine on Sunday afternoon was a particular highlight so, to conclude this write-up, I will lean upon the words of Bowie which featured on the 2016 Glastonbury t-shirts:

Oh, to capture just one drop of all the ecstasy that swept that afternoon
To paint that love upon a white balloon...
The Sun Machine is Coming Down, and We're Gonna Have a Party

Saturday 10 June 2017

Election 2017: Young hearts run free as May clings on


GENERAL ELECTION

OVERALL SUMMARY
CON318 (-13)42.4% (+5.5%)
LAB262 (+30)40.0% (+9.5%)
SNP35 (-21)3.0% (-1.7%)
LD12 (+4)7.4% (-0.5%)
DUP10 (+2)0.9% (+0.3%)
Others136.3%
RESULT CON minority government 
Turnout 68.7% (+2.6%)

THERESA MAY has desperately clung onto her position as Prime Minister following a failed gamble on another dramatic General Election night.

Mrs May's Conservatives won the most votes and most seats in Thursday's poll but they fell short of retaining even the narrow majority which they had previously held.

Consequently, Mrs May has been forced into doing a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party who won 10 seats in Northern Ireland, though it is only a loose arrangement and not a formal coalition.

Certainly, it is not the strong and stable government which Mrs May had set her heart on when she called the election seven weeks ago.

In all, the Tories lost a net total of 23 seats against Labour in England and Wales, and only gains from the Scottish Nationalists provided any solace.

The SNP had won 56 out of the 59 Westminster seats in 2015 but, with their own record in the devolved Holyrood government to defend, they were always likely to go backwards.

Indeed, Nicola Sturgeon's party lost 13% of their previous share of the vote in Scotland, resulting in almost 40% of their MPs being unseated.

The defeated included their former party leader Alec Salmond in Gordon and Angus Robertson, who had been their leader in the House of Commons during the last Parliament.

But the biggest name of the night to lose his seat was former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who finally got his comeuppance as Labour gained Sheffield Hallam from the Liberal Democrats.

Despite this, the Lib Dems at least had a mixed night, rather than a totally disastrous one. 

There were modest gains in Scotland at the expense of the SNP and in London against the Conservatives as former ministers Vince Cable, Ed Davey and Jo Swinson all returned to Parliament.

Overall, though, the party's vote share was down slightly, and there was little sign of a revival in their former heartland in south west England.


Elsewhere, Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas defied a slight decrease in her party's overall vote to retain her Brighton Pavilion seat.

However, the UKIP vote collapsed massively just about everywhere, down from 12.6% to just 1.8%. 


Paul Nuttall was humiliated in the Boston and Skegness constituency, taking only just over 3,000 votes, and he became the only party leader - so far - to resign.

At the time of writing, Mrs May has not followed suit despite this having been a huge personal humiliation for her.

After all, just a few weeks ago, the polls suggested that she was on course for the massive landslide victory which she craved heading into the Brexit negotiations.

In Jeremy Corbyn, she faced a supposed relic of an opponent, a man who had struggled to keep his party united during the course of his leadership.

But, with the launch of the manifestos, the tone of the campaign changed. 

The Conservatives' policy on social care became dubbed the dementia tax and, generally, the discussion moved away from Brexit and towards the provision of services.

Historically stronger ground for Labour, Mr Corbyn was able to point out that - even after seven years of austerity - Mrs May was set to make even more cuts.

Worse still in the eyes of many of the public, the Tories did not even appear to be prepared to defend their policy positions.

For, while Mr Corbyn toured the country holding mass rallies, Mrs May organised small private events with a particularly memorable instance of her hiding away coming in a barn in Aberdeenshire.

Rarely can there ever have been a lazier, more arrogant, more insulting campaign in a General Election in Britain.

Terrorist attacks in Manchester and London, which killed a combined total of 30 people, naturally left a sombre backdrop to the election, and campaigning was briefly suspended twice.

But, on its resumption, Mr Corbyn went straight back on the offensive, criticising Mrs May for cutting police numbers during her six-year tenure as Home Secretary.

Suddenly, it was Mrs May who was having to defend her political past - and there is a certain further irony in her eventual deal with the DUP.

The DUP's past links with loyalist paramilitary groups are more well-founded than anything connecting Mr Corbyn to the IRA - and yet, as it stands, their 10 MPs now hold a significant stake in determining Britain's future.


That, of course, includes the Brexit negotiations. There, a diminished Mrs May, previously a Remainer herself, will head to the table aware that she only retains any sort of power courtesy of MPs from Scotland and Northern Ireland, areas which both voted to stay in the EU.

Already, the lack of authority which Mrs May commands, even within her own party, has been exposed by the resignation today of her two top aides Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill.

But, rather than shoring up Mrs May, their departure undoubtedly makes her weaker still - and, far from delivering her a massive landslide majority, this whole election has turned into a complete mess.

By contrast, things are looking up for Labour. True, the party still finished 56 seats short of the Conservatives - but there has been some excellent progress, especially in the south.

Seats like Peterborough, Enfield Southgate and Reading East - all won in the 1997 landslide under Tony Blair - have returned to the Labour fold after an intervening period of Conservative control.

More astonishingly, Labour gained Canterbury, a seat which had been held by the Tories since its inception in the 1800s.


And then, in the final result to declare, Kensington - the richest constituency in the country - fell to Labour after a third recount.

Overall, Mr Corbyn won over 12 million votes, more than Mr Blair in his "quiet" landslide in 2001 as Labour polled at 40% for only the third time since 1970.

The return of two-party politics has undoubtedly helped - though it has also assisted in keeping the Conservatives in power.

Nevertheless, if there is now going to be a period of binary politics, a strong opposition must now focus on presenting itself as a government-in-waiting. 

That means more support for Mr Corbyn from his own side, less sniping against him and certainly no embarrassingly pointless and diversionary leadership elections.

It seems inconceivable that the Conservatives will not, at some point in the near future, tear themselves apart over Mrs May's continued leadership after her failed gamble. Meanwhile, the arrangement with the DUP is tenuous in the extreme.

This General Election, when it was called, seemed incredibly unnecessary - and yet perhaps the greatest irony of this result is that it has necessitated another. 

Strong and stable times, indeed.

Thursday 8 June 2017

Election 2017: the full results


GENERAL ELECTION

OVERALL SUMMARY
CON318 (-13)42.4% (+5.5%)
LAB262 (+30)40.0% (+9.5%)
SNP35 (-21)3.0% (-1.7%)
LD12 (+4)7.4% (-0.5%)
DUP10 (+2)0.9% (+0.3%)
UKIP0 (-1)1.8% (-10.8%)
GRN1 (-)1.6% (-2.1%)
PC4 (+1)0.5% (-0.1%)
Others8 (-10)2.4%
RESULT CON minority government 
Turnout 68.7% (+2.6%)

EXIT POLL CON short of a majority.
CON 314 LAB 266 SNP 34 LD 14 PC 3 UKIP GRN OTH 18


REGION-BY-REGION
NORTH EAST ENGLAND
Conservative
Berwick-upon-Tweed - Hexham - Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland
Labour
Bishop Auckland - Blaydon - Blyth Valley - Darlington - City of Durham - North Durham - North West Durham - Easington - Gateshead - Hartlepool - Houghton & Sunderland South - Jarrow - Middlesbrough - Newcastle upon Tyne Central - Newcastle upon Tyne East - Newcastle upon Tyne North - Sedgefield - South Shields - Stockton North - Stockton South - Sunderland Central - Tynemouth - North Tyneside - Redcar - Wansbeck - Washington & Sunderland West

NORTH WEST ENGLAND
Conservative
Altrincham & Sale West - Blackpool North & Cleveleys - Bolton West - Carlisle - Cheadle - Congleton - Copeland - Eddisbury - Fylde - Hazel Grove - Macclesfield - Morecambe & Lunesdale - Pendle - Penrith & The Border - Ribble Valley - Rossendale & Darwen - South Ribble - Southport - Tatton - Wyre & Preston North
Labour
Ashton Under Lyne - Barrow & Furness - Birkenhead - Blackburn - Blackley & Broughton - Blackpool South - Bolton North East - Bolton South East - Bootle - Burnley - Bury South - Bury North - City of Chester - Chorley - Crewe & Nantwich - Denton & Reddish - Ellesmere Port & Neston - Garston & Halewood - Halton - Heywood & Middleton - Hyndburn - Knowsley - Lancashire West - Lancaster & Fleetwood - Leigh - Liverpool Riverside - Liverpool Walton - Liverpool Wavertree - Liverpool West Derby - Makerfield - Manchester Central - Manchester Gorton - Manchester Withington - Oldham East & Saddleworth - Oldham West & Royton - Preston - Rochdale - St Helens North - St Helens South & Whiston - Salford & Eccles - Sefton Central - Stalybridge & Hyde - Stockport - Stretford & Urmston - Wallasey - Warrington North - Warrington South - Weaver Vale - Wigan - Wirral South - Wirral West - Workington - Worsley & Eccles South - Wythenshawe & Sale East
Liberal Democrats
Westmorland & Lonsdale

YORKSHIRE & HUMBER
Conservative
Beverley & Holderness - Brigg & Goole - Calder Valley - Cleethorpes - Elmet & Rothwell - Haltemprice & Howden - Harrogate & Knaresborough -  - Morley & Outwood - Pudsey - Richmond - Scarborough & Whitby - Selby & Ainsty - Shipley - Skipton & Ripon - Thirsk & Malton - York Outer - East Yorkshire
Labour
Barnsley Central - Barnsley East - Batley & Spen - Bradford East - Bradford South - Bradford West - Colne Valley - Dewsbury - Don Valley - Doncaster Central - Doncaster North - Great Grimsby - Halifax - Hemsworth - Huddersfield - Keighley - Kingston-upon-Hull East - Kingston-upon-Hull North - Kingston-upon-Hull West & Hessle - Leeds Central - Leeds East - Leeds North East - Leeds North West - Leeds West - Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford - Penistone & Stocksbrige - Rother Valley - Rotherham - Scunthorpe - Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough - Sheffield Central - Sheffield Hallam - Sheffield Heeley - Sheffield South East - Wakefield - Wentworth & Dearne - York Central

EAST MIDLANDS
Conservative
Amber Valley - Boston & Skegness - Bosworth - Broxtowe - Charnwood - Corby - Daventry - Derbyshire Dales - Mid Derbyshire - North East Derbyshire - South Derbyshire - Erewash - Gainsborough - Grantham & Stamford - Harborough - Kettering - North West Leicestershire - South Leicestershire - Loughborough - Louth & Horncastle - Mansfield - Newark - Northampton North - Northampton South - South Northamptonshire - Rushcliffe - Rutland & Melton - Sherwood - Sleaford & North Hykeham - South Holland & The Deepings - Wellingborough
Labour
Ashfield - Bassetlaw - Bolsover - Chesterfield - Derby North - Derby South - Gedling - High Peak - Leicester East - Leicester South - Leicester West - Lincoln- Nottingham East - Nottingham North - Nottingham South

WEST MIDLANDS
Conservative
Aldridge-Brownhills - Bromsgrove - Burton - Cannock Chase - Dudley South - Halesowen & Rowley Regis - Hereford & South Herefordshire - North Herefordshire - Kenilworth & Southam - Lichfield - Ludlow - Meriden - Nuneaton - Redditch - Rugby - Shrewsbury & Atcham - North Shropshire - Solihull - Stafford - Staffordshire Moorlands - South Staffordshire - Stoke-on-Trent South - Stone - Stourbridge - Stratford-on-Avon - Sutton Coldfield - Tamworth - Telford - North Warwickshire - Worcester - Mid Worcestershire 
Labour
Birmingham Edgbaston - Birmingham Erdington - Birmingham Hall Green - Birmingham Hodge Hill - Birmingham Ladywood - Birmingham Northfield - Birmingham Perry Barr - Birmingham Selly Oak - Birmingham Yardley - Coventry North East - Coventry North West - Coventry South - Dudley North - Newcastle-under-Lyme - Stoke-on-Trent Central - Stoke-on-Trent North - Walsall North - Walsall South - Warley - Warwick & Leamington - West Bromwich East - West Bromwich West - Wolverhampton North East - Wolverhampton South East - Wolverhampton South West

EAST ENGLAND
Conservative
Basildon & Billericay - South Basildon & East Thurrock - Mid Bedfordshire - North East Bedfordshire - South West Bedfordshire - Braintree - Brentwood & Ongar - Broadland - Broxbourne - Bury St Edmunds - North East Cambridgeshire - North West Cambridgeshire - South Cambridgeshire - South East Cambridgeshire - Castle Point - Chelmsford - Clacton - Colchester - Epping Forest - Great Yarmouth - Harlow - Harwich & North Essex - Hemel Hempstead - Hertford & Stortford - North East Hertfordshire - South West Hertfordshire - Hertsmere - Hitchin & Harpenden - Huntingdon - Maldon - Mid Norfolk - North West Norfolk - South Norfolk - South West Norfolk - Norwich North - Rayleigh & Wickford - Rochford & Southend East - Saffron Walden - St Albans - Southend West - Stevenage - Central Suffolk & Ipswich North - Suffolk Coastal - South Suffolk - West Suffolk - Thurrock - Watford - Waveney - Welwyn Hatfield - Witham
Labour
Bedford - Cambridge - Ipswich - Luton North - Luton South - Norwich South - Peterborough
Liberal Democrats 
North Norfolk

SOUTH EAST ENGLAND
Conservative
Aldershot - Arundel & South Downs - Ashford - Aylesbury - Banbury - Basingstoke - Beaconsfield - Bexhill & Battle - Bognor Regis & Littlehampton - Bracknell - Chatham & Aylesford - Chesham & Amersham - Chichester - Crawley - Dartford - Dover - Eastleigh - Epsom & Ewell - Esher & Walton - Fareham - Faversham & Mid Kent - Folkestone & Hythe - Gillingham & Rainham - Gosport - Gravesham - Guildford - East Hampshire - North East Hampshire - North West Hampshire - Hastings & Rye - Havant - Henley - Horsham - Isle of Wight - Lewes - Maidenhead - Maidstone & The Weald - Meon Valley - Milton Keynes North - Milton Keynes South - Mole Valley - New Forest East - New Forest West - Newbury - Portsmouth North - Reading West - Reigate - Rochester & Strood - Romsey & Southampton North - Runnymede & Weybridge - Sevenoaks - Sittingbourne & Sheppey - Southampton Itchen - Spelthorne - East Surrey - Surrey Heath - South West Surrey - Mid Sussex - North Thanet - South Thanet - Tonbridge & Malling - Tunbridge Wells - Wantage - Wealden - Winchester - Windsor - Witney - Woking - Wokingham - Worthing East & Shoreham - Worthing West - Wycombe
Labour
Brighton Kemptown - Canterbury - Hove - Oxford East - Portsmouth South - Reading East - Slough - Southampton Test
Liberal Democrats
Eastbourne - Oxford West and Abingdon
Green
Brighton Pavilion
Speaker
Buckinghamshire

LONDON
Conservative
Beckenham - Bexleyheath & Crayford - Bromley & Chislehurst - Chelsea & Fulham - Chingford & Woodford Green - Chipping Barnet - Cities of London & Westminster - Croydon South - Finchley & Golders Green - Harrow East - Hendon - Hornchurch & Upminster - Old Bexley & Sidcup - Orpington - Putney - Romford - Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner - Richmond Park - Sutton & Cheam - Uxbridge & Ruislip South - Wimbledon
Labour
Barking - Battersea - Bermondsey & Old Southwark - Bethnal Green & Bow - Brentford & Isleworth - Brent Central - Brent North - Camberwell & Peckham - Croydon Central - Croydon North - Dagenham & Rainham - Dulwich & West Norwood - Ealing Central & Acton - Ealing North - Ealing Southall - East Ham - Edmonton - Eltham - Enfield North - Enfield Southgate - Erith & Thamesmead - Feltham & Heston - Greenwich & Woolwich - Hackney North & Stoke Newington - Hackney South & Shoreditch - Hammersmith - Hampstead & Kilburn - Harrow West - Hayes & Harlington - Holborn & St Pancras - Hornsey & Wood Green - Ilford North - Ilford South - Islington North - Islington South & Finsbury - Kensington - Lewisham Deptford - Lewisham East - Lewisham West & Penge - Leyton & Wantstead - Mitcham & Morden - Poplar & Limehouse - Streatham - Tooting - Tottenham - Vauxhall - Walthamstow - West Ham - Westminster North 
Liberal Democrats
Carshalton & Wallington - Kingston & Surbiton - Twickenham

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND
Conservative
Bournemouth East - Bournemouth West - Bridgwater & Somerset West - Camborne & Redruth - Cheltenham - Chippenham - Christchurch - North Cornwall - South East Cornwall - The Cotswolds - Devizes - Central Devon - East Devon - North Devon - South West Devon - West Devon and Torridge - Mid Dorset and North Poole - North Dorset - South Dorset - West Dorset - Filton & Bradley Stoke - Forest of Dean - Gloucester - Kingswood - Newton Abbot - Plymouth Moor View - Poole - St Austell & Newquay - St Ives - Salisbury - North Somerset - North East Somerset - Somerton & Frome - North Swindon - South Swindon - Taunton Deane - Tewkesbury - Thornbury & Yate - Tiverton & Honiton - Torbay - Totnes - Truro & Falmouth - Wells - Weston-Super-Mare - North Wiltshire - South West Wiltshire - Yeovil  
Labour
Bristol East - Bristol North West - Bristol South - Bristol West - Exeter - Plymouth Sutton & Devonport - Stroud
Liberal Democrats
Bath

SCOTLAND
Conservative
Aberdeen South - Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine - Angus - Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock - Banff & Buchan - Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk - Dumfries & Galloway - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale - Gordon - Moray - Ochil & South Perthshire - East Renfewshire - Stirling
Labour
Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill - East Lothian - Edinburgh South - Glasgow North East - Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath - Midlothian - Rutherglen & Hamilton West 
Scottish National Party
Aberdeen North - Airdree & Shotts - Argyll & Bute - Ayrshire Central - Ayrshire North & Arran - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East  - West Dunbartonshire - Dundee East - Dundee West - Dunfermline & West Fife - East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow - Edinburgh East - Edinburgh North & Leith - Edinburgh South West - Falkirk - North East Fife - Glasgow Central - Glasgow East - Glasgow North  - Glasgow North West - Glasgow South - Glasgow South West - Glenrothes - Inverclyde - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey - Kilmarnock & Loudoun - Lanark & Hamilton East - Linlithgow & Falkirk East - Livingston - Motherwell & Wishaw - Na h-Eileanan an lar - Paisley & Renfrewshire North - Paisley & Renfrewshire South - Perth & North Perthshire - Ross, Sky & Lochaber
Liberal Democrats
Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross - East Dunbartonshire - Edinburgh West - Orkney & Shetland

WALES
Conservative
Aberconwy - Brecon & Radnorshire - Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire - Clwyd West - Monmouth - Montgomeryshire - Preseli Pembrokeshire - Vale of Glamorgan
Labour
Aberavon - Alyn & Deeside - Blaenau Gwent - Bridgend - Caerphilly - Cardiff Central - Cardiff North - Cardiff South & Penarth - Cardiff West - Clwyd South - Cynon Valley - Delyn - Gower - Islwyn - Llanelli - Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney - Neath - Newport East - Newport West - Ogmore - Pontypridd - Rhondda - Swansea East - Swansea West - Torfaen - Vale of Clwyd - Wrexham - Ynys Mon
Plaid Cymru
Arfon - Carmarthen East & Dinefwr - Ceredigion - Dwyfor Meirionnydd  

NORTHERN IRELAND
Democratic Unionist
Belfast East - Belfast North - Belfast South - East Antrim - East Londonderry - Lagan Valley - North Antrim - South Antrim - Strangford - Upper Bann
Sinn Fein
Belfast West - Fermanagh & South Tyrone - Foyle - Mid Ulster - Newry & Armagh - South Down - West Tyrone
Independent
North Down

Election 2017: In the hands of the youth?

GENERAL ELECTION 2017
 Preview - Results - Review


WinnerTurnout (change)18-24 (diff)25-34 (diff)65+ (diff)
1979Thatcher76.0%62.5% (-13.5%)72.4% (-3.6%)77.7% (+1.7%)
1983Thatcher72.7% (-3.3%)63.9% (-8.8%)67.6% (-5.1%)73.1% (+0.4%)
1987Thatcher75.3% (+2.6%)66.6% (-8.7%)74.0% (-1.3%)76.0% (+0.7%)
1992Major77.7% (+2.4%)67.3% (-10.4%)77.3% (-0.4%)79.2% (+1.5%)
1997Blair71.3% (-6.4%)54.1% (-17.2%)62.2% (-9.1%)77.7% (+6.4%)
2001Blair59.4% (-11.9%)40.4% (-19.0%)45.0% (-14.4%)70.1% (+10.7%)
2005Blair61.4% (+2.0%)38.2% (-23.2%)47.7% (-13.7%)74.3% (+12.9%)
2010hung65.1% (+3.7%)51.8% (-13.3%)57.3% (-7.8%)74.7% (+9.6%)
2015Cameron66.4% (+1.3%)43.0% (-23.4%)54.0% (-12.4%)78.0% (+11.6%)
Source (1979-2010), Source (2015)

LABOUR hopes of a spectacular General Election win today will rely on harnessing the votes of the notoriously unreliable younger voting groups.

Jeremy Corbyn's party holds strong leads in both the 18-24 and 25-34 age categories, according to the pollsters.

But, despite a difficult campaign for the Conservatives in which their overall poll lead has been at least halved, Theresa May retains a solid core of support among the far more reliable over-65s.

If ever, then, there was an election for younger voters finally to seize the narrative and determine their own destiny, it has to be this one.

At the most recent General Election in 2015, only 27% of under-25s voted Conservative - and yet David Cameron sneaked an unexpected overall majority.

It does not take long to work out that a big reason for that was because only 43% of under-25s actually voted, compared to approximately 78% of over-65s.

Of course, as a result of earning his majority, Mr Cameron had to honour his vow of holding a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union.

And so, just under a year ago, the vast majority of under-25s who actually voted were again left to watch on as the older age groups decided on Brexit.

Almost three-quarters of young voters who visited the polls in the EU referendum opted for remain - but, once again, they found quite simply that there were not enough of them.

Now, of course, this is hardly the fault of the older voters - as the above table shows, their turnout rates have remained consistently high, at or above 70%.

By contrast, though, turnout among under-25s fell from a respectable 67.3% in 1992 to just 38.2% in 2005. There was a slight recovery in 2010 before again less than half of the demographic went to the polls in 2015.

For the next age-group up - those aged between 25 and 34 - the numbers are not much prettier. In 1992, this age group had a turnout of 77.7%, a percentage which was pretty much in line with the overall figure.

But, in the 2001 and 2005 elections, less than half of this age group voted. Again there was a slight recovery in 2010 and this slight increase was largely retained in 2015. However, it means that there are still only just more than half of the eligible voters in this group actually voting.

Oddly enough, this will be the last General Election in which I will personally fall into the 25-34 age-group category - yes, dear reader, I am getting old.

My first reaction to the General Election being called by Mrs May on 18 April was pretty much in line with Brenda from Bristol who aired her total disbelief at the announcement of yet another major political event.

After all, this is the third General Election in just seven years, a period in which there have also been two nationwide referendums - in 2011 and 2016 - and a separate vote in Scotland on independence, in 2014.

Election fatigue had well and truly set in, and - to some extent - that still remains the case now.

I intend to follow the results during the night and I expect I will write up some sort of analysis of the eventual outcome - but do not expect a slurry of posts on here or on my social media. It is just not my style.

Having originally intended to sit this election out altogether, though, I have decided that I will cast a vote today.

For far too long now, the votes of the two youngest age groups have been suppressed by the sort of self-destructive attitude which I had at the start of the campaign.

But, this time, it might just be different - and that suggestion is not just a noise coming from the social media echo chambers.

Reports of much higher turnout among under 25s have been fuelled by actual confirmation in a record increase in registrations before the deadline on 22 May.

The Brexit vote last June was arguably swung by the registrations of previously disenchanted voters deciding to enter a polling booth for the first time in years. Could a similar shock occur in this poll?

Frankly, it still seems unlikely and it would be wise not to get too invested in the hope of a dramatic night.

A straight-forward Conservative majority is still odds-on with the bookmakers - but, if that does not sound to your liking, the only way that will change is by voting.

Conversely, if it does align with your preference, then again the only way of ensuring it happens is by visiting the polling station.

Please note then that this blog post is not acting to persuade its reader into voting one way or another.

However, it does request that you actually use the power of your vote, especially if you fall into one of the youngest two age groups.

Polling stations are open nationwide from 7am until 10pm. 

Election programmes begin on BBC, ITV and Sky at 9.55pm and continue through the night. A joint exit poll, commissioned by the three broadcasters, will be released at 10pm prompt.

Wednesday 7 June 2017

The Season 2016/17: For the record - Winners and losers

THE SEASON 2016/17

ENGLAND
Premier League
Champions Chelsea
Runners-up Tottenham Hotspur
Champions League Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United*
Europa League Arsenal, Everton
Relegation Hull City, Middlesbrough, Sunderland
*courtesy of winning the Europa League

Championship
Champions Newcastle United
Runners-up Brighton & Hove Albion
Playoff winners Huddersfield Town (beat Reading 4-3 on penalties in the Final, after 0-0 aet)
Relegation Blackburn Rovers, Wigan Athletic, Rotherham United

League One
Champions Sheffield United
Runners-up Bolton Wanderers
Playoff winners Millwall (beat Bradford City 1-0 in the Final)
Relegation Port Vale, Swindon Town, Coventry City, Chesterfield

League Two
Champions Portsmouth
Runners-up Plymouth Argyle
Also promoted Doncaster Rovers 
Playoff winners Blackpool (beat Exeter City 2-1 in the Final)
Relegation Hartlepool United, Leyton Orient

Conference Premier
Champions Lincoln City
Playoff winners Forest Green Rovers (beat Tranmere Rovers 3-1 in the Final)
Relegation York City, Braintree Town, Southport, North Ferriby United

Conference North
Champions AFC Fylde
Playoff winners FC Halifax Town (beat Chorley 2-1 aet in the Final)
Relegation Worcester City, Stalybridge Celtic, Altrincham

Conference South
Champions Maidenhead United
Playoff winners Ebbsfleet United (beat Chelmsford City 2-1 in the Final)
Relegation Gosport Borough, Bishop's Stortford, Margate

Domestic Cup Finals
All matches played at Wembley
FA Cup Final Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
League Cup Final Manchester United 3-2 Southampton
FA Community Shield Manchester United 2-1 Leicester City
EFL Trophy Coventry City 2-1 Oxford United
FA Trophy York City 3-2 Macclesfield Town
FA Vase South Shields 4-0 Cleethorpes Town

SCOTLAND
Premier League
Champions Celtic
Runners-up Aberdeen
Europa League Aberdeen, Rangers, St Johnstone
Relegation Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Championship
Champions Hibernian
Runners-up (not promoted) Falkirk
Relegation Raith Rovers, Ayr United

League One
Champions Livingston
Also promoted Brechin City (fourth place) (beat runners-up Alloa Athletic 5-4 on penalties after 4-4 on agg (1-0h, 3-4aet a))
Relegation Peterhead, Stenhousemuir

League Two
Champions Arbroath
Runners-up (promoted) Forfar Athletic (beat Peterhead 7-2 on agg (2-1h, 5-1a)
Relegation None. Cowdenbeath finished bottom but beat East Kilbride 5-3 on penalties after 1-1 on agg (0-0a, 1-1aet h)

Domestic Cup Finals
FA Cup Final Celtic 2-1 Aberdeen
League Cup Final Celtic 3-0 Aberdeen
Challenge Cup Final Dundee United 2-1 St Mirren

WALES/NORTHERN IRELAND
Welsh Premier League
Champions The New Saints
Europa League Connah's Quay Nomads (runners-up), Bala Town (third place), Bangor City (playoff winners)
Relegation Rhyl, Airbus UK Broughton

NIFL Premiership
Champions Linfield
Europa League Crusaders (runners-up), Coleraine (third place), Ballymena United (playoff winners)
Relegation Portadown

Domestic Cup Finals
Welsh FA Cup Final Bala Town 2-1 The New Saints
Welsh League Cup Final The New Saints 4-0 Barry Town United
IFA Cup Final Linfield 3-0 Coleraine
Northern Irish League Cup Final Ballymena United 2-0 Carrick Rangers

EUROPE
UEFA Finals
Champions League Real Madrid (Spa) 4-1 Juventus (Ita) 
Europa League Manchester United (Eng) 2-0 Ajax Amsterdam (Ned)
Super Cup Real Madrid (Spa) 3-2 Sevilla (Spa) after extra time

Major European League champions
Spain Real Madrid
Italy Juventus
Germany Bayern Munich
France AS Monaco
Portugal Benfica
Netherlands Feyenoord
Belgium Anderlecht
Greece Olympiacos
Turkey BeÅŸiktaÅŸ