It would be more accurate to say that the losers in this election are the centre; Lib Dems obviously, but also the right of the Labour party and to a large degree, the left of the Tories.

Voters on the right who would've voted UKIP returned to the Tories, largely in response to the threat of SNP influence on a Labour coalition.

UKIP probably won't make much more progress from now on, I would suggest, as whoever takes over as leader will struggle to replicate Farage's public profile. If they had got more seats and the Tories had done badly, there would've been more Tory defections, but that won't happen now.

I used to be immortal

The party that did best were the ones using an anti austerity ticket. Perhaps if labour followed this, they would have done better.

So your UKIP got one seat, when a few months ago they were predicting anything up to a couple of dozen?

And the promise of a referendum will now be shown for what it is, hollow! The re-negotiation, whatever concessions it produces (EU citizens unable to claim benefits for 6 months, perhaps), will enable Cameron to claim the UK has won a victory and campaign to stay in.

UKIP has achieved very, very little in reality, despite so much hot air being expended.

I used to be immortal

Tories won because they play grown up politics.

All you ever hear from Labour / SNP Socialists is the Tories are nasty, they will destroy the NHS, they give tax breaks to their rich friends and let the vulnerable suffer.

No one buys this line, it is patronising Student Union garb. This election proves it.

Labour need to stop treating the electorate as idiots, get rid of all the wishy washy liberals and appeal the the right / right of centre people that the majority of this country is.

Edited by Pussay Patrol (08 May 2015 1.05pm)

Spot on. Let's hope the new Labour leader follow's Nick Gusset's sound advice of anti austerity as that will keep the socialist losers out of office for a fair bit longer. Two symbols for me that demonstrated why Miliband was unfit to be PM (in addition to his policies and general performance):

1. That stone with his pledges.
2. The interview with Russell Brand.

The Tories won because of fear. The voters didn't want the SNP to hold so much power as they know they would use it to the advantage of Scotland, which generally means disadvantage of the rest. That is why Milliband was so strong that he wouldn't have an alliance with them.

Also fear of change, Labour hasn't proved it can run the economy and can be trusted.

In addition, fear of the extremes. No far left party got anywhere at all. And people tactically voted off UKIP. I think the result is the UKIP boil is lanced. It's become clear that the majority will rally round to block them, voting tactically where necessary. On that basis, I also think the far right has lost momentum. At this point the middle ground tories can say 'be careful what you wish for' to the right and can prove to them that if they go too far they will get emascalated.

The next election is going to be so much more interesting.

Chuka vs Boris. I can't wait. I want to know who each of them is going to have as their right hand, that could be telling. Balls and Osborne weren't a lot of help now were they?