The Aftermath

The polls closed at 10pm. Some County Council counts began immediately. Most start this morning. Results can be followed on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/europe/2009/election_09/default.stm

The Reshuffle within the Government is now underway - up to date coverage is available at

BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/default.stm

Sky News: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Politics

Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/

10 Downing Street: http://www.number10.gov.uk/

Election Day

The sun is already up, and its a beautiful morning outside. There's some very thin, very high cloud - but the sun is shining. As soon as I have written this post - and checked my email - I will quickly get ready for a very long day ahead.

The polls open at 7.00am. We moved from Rugby to Milton Keynes just over a month ago. I am now registered to vote at our new address - so will be outside the polling station - perhaps to be the first in. No one is expecting the long queues which I saw in Alexandria, Virginia last November. Once I've voted - and as Milton Keynes is a unitary authority - there is no local vote to cast. In England County Councils are being elected. I will however cast my vote in the European Elections. Unlike all other elections in England, my vote will not be for an individual - but for a party list. Seats will be allocated, on a broadly proportional basis, according to the votes cast for each party. Milton Keynes is (just) in the South East Region.

As soon as I have voted, I will make my way into the region in which I am the fourth placed name on the Labour Party list. The East Midlands extends from just three miles from my home (the Milton Keynes/Northamptonshire border), up to the outskirts of Sheffield. Its western border is with Warwickshire - and is pretty close to the geographical centre of England [some people say the centre is in Daventry, which is in the East Midlands itself - it depends how you calculate the "centre"]. It is made up of the counties of Derbyshire; Nottinghamshire; Lincolnshire; Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

I expect to spend the day in Leicester. The city has three Labour held parliamentary seats. As it too is a unitary authority, there are no county elections. Just outside the city, such elections are being held - I'm particularly interested in the elections in the current parliamentary constituency of Blaby, which I stood for in the 2001 and 2005 General Elections. Braunstone Town borders Leicester City - and is held by Labour.

Polls close at 10pm. During the day I'll be involved in the GOTV (Get Out The Vote) activities. With all the current turmoil in British politics it should be an interesting day. Once polls have closed I'll drive home. Tomorrow county council votes will be counted and results announced. European Parliament votes will not be counted until Sunday, after all polling stations across the European Union have closed. I'll be back in Leicester for my count.

You can follow the days events via the BBC

National: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Leicester: http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/news/

Northampton: http://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/news/

Derby: http://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/news/

Nottingham: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/news/

Lincolnshire: http://www.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/news/

The Labour Party's website is: - http://www.labour.org.uk/

and the East Midlands Labour Team: http://www.eastmidslabour.org.uk/?PageId=b39af385-51f5-7e04-215f-f24d53b021f9

Elections 2009

No General Election is required by law until June 2010, but of course the Prime Minister may ask the Queen for a dissolution of Parliament - thus causing an Election - at any time. But on 4th June there are two sets of elections which will be watched closely.

County Councils have elections for all their members once every four years. At the last major reorganisation of English local government on 1st April 1974 most of the country had a two tier structure - with County Councils responsible for strategic planning and services (for example, Education; Social Services; Waste Disposal) with district councils (sometimes the particular district council, for histroical reasons was entitled to be called a Borough or City) responsible for more local services (Housing; Waste Collection). In the Metropolitan areas the County Councils were abolished in 1986, and subsequently some districts have been given "unitary status" - for example Leicester City, Nottingham City, Milton Keynes.

The other election on June 4th will be the European Parliament elections. In the UK MEPs are chosen on a regional basis - with party lists in each of the English regions - and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland. Seats will be allocated to the parties on a proportional basis in each region.

I am a candidate on the Labour Party list in the East Midlands. Over the next few days, I hope to share with you some of the background - and some of my experience - of this election.