Electoral Result

How must Peter Robinson be feeling this morning, having lost a Westminster seat he has held for thirty-one years? The Earldom of Belmont lies within the constituency of Belfast East.

I can just recall Robinson's predecessor, William Craig, who complacently let the solidly Ulster Unionist seat go to Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists for sixty-four votes.

I am a Conservative and Unionist. That should come as no surprise to anyone who regularly reads this blog. I have been conservative in outlook ever since I stopped wearing shorts.

I must, nevertheless, congratulate Ms Long, now the Member of Parliament for Belfast East, in what must have been a well-fought campaign. I watched the Election 2010 on BBC HD till about two this morning and certainly raised my eye-brows when I heard the astounding news that Robinson had lost his seat. I'm wondering if Loyalist voters have given their support to her, erstwhile Progressive Unionist Party voters? It shouldn't surprise me at all.

East Belfast has had Alliance Party tendencies for many years. Dr John - now Lord - Alderdice usually received a plausible number of votes in the constituency; though I must say I never thought they'd actually win the seat.

The bigger picture, throughout the United Kingdom, is more muddled and the result is disappointing for everyone. I'd like to have seen a substantial Conservative majority, putting beyond doubt the end of thirteen long years of the Blair-Brown regime.

Perhaps there shall be another general election sooner than we thought; in which case I shall re-evaluate my voting strategy in East Belfast in the hope that at least a Unionist candidate is returned, not a Party which sits on the fence and is deemed to be "Pro-Union".