Many Tories are either asleep or licking their wounds after a pretty awful night in the local elections in England and Wales. So far the party has lost control of 13 councils - a net loss of more than 350 councillors.
They might feel better later if Boris retains the job of London Mayor, but for now MPs on the right of the party are annoyed at the tactics of the leadership - and some of them are quite happy to say so.
Some of the major losses include Harlow in Essex, Great Yarmouth and Plymouth, plus a wipeout of Tory seats in Dudley in the the West Midlands.
David Cameron told reporters on Friday morning that he was sorry for all the Tory councillors who'd lost their seats, but didn't seem to offer any change of course.
"These are difficult times, and there aren't easy answers. What we have to do is to take difficult decisions to deal with the debt, the deficit and the broken economy that we inherited. We'll go on making those decisions because we've got to do the right thing for our country," he said.
Not all Tories believe Cameron's present course is sustainable. On Friday afternoon a former junior member of the government, Stuart Jackson, told BBC Radio 4: "He’s on notice, he does need to raise his game and focus on bread and butter issues like jobs and mortgages."
Jackson is arguably the most senior Tory to voice dissent - he quit the government six months ago over a vote in the Commons on the European Union. But he's far from alone.
Tory MP Douglas Carswell, who doesn't enjoy the best of relationships with David Cameron, told HuffPost on Friday morning:
"These results show why we need to deliver the EU referendum we promised when in opposition. UKIP cost us a number of seats in council elections. If repeated in a General Election, this will mean us losing dozens of seats and make an overall majority less likely. More 'wind turbine Toryism' is not the answer."
And it seems that those Tories who are on the right of the party are keen to stick their oar in. Mark Pritchard - who is stepping down as secretary of the backbench 1922 committee - told us : "This should be a wake-up call for all those who think diluting orthodox conservatism will bring electoral success."
Although Tories have been fairly reserved on Twitter - either pointing out a rare win or saying nothing at all - a few have vented their frustration:
Another Tory MP who doesn't want to be named (possibly hoping they will be among the contenders in a potential reshuffle?) - told us their fears about the coalition becoming distracted.
"To be honest much of it is to be expected, but at the same time our party's focus has been on the Mayoral election and boris so I'm not surprised what's happened is nationwide," they told HuffPost.
"The Queen's speech next week has got to be major, one to recalibrate the economy. We cannot carry on talking about the reform of the House of Lords. We are in a recession and that has to be the only focus of this government. "
See also:Cameron And Clegg 'Sad' And 'Sorry' Following Election Battering
Massive Rejection For Cameron's Elected Mayors Plan
The complaints are not restricted to the back benches. Reflecting on the results on Friday morning, Tory defence minister George Howarth suggested the losses could be down to plans to introduce gay marriage.
“There are issues, for example, like the proposals for gay marriage," he said.
“A lot of Conservatives have written to me saying ‘I am a lifelong Conservative, there is no mandate for this, why is this being proceeded with?’.
The coalition plan to bring in same-sex marriage has the support of all three main party leaderships, but it is unpopular with some on the right of the Conservative Party.
Howarth also took aim at Lords reform: “There is the business of trying to change the House of Lords. Do we need to do this at a time when the nation is preoccupied with restoring the public finances?”
The criticism was batted away by foreign secretary William Hague who said: "I don't think these elections results are about those issues."
So over 41 hours after polls opened on Thursday morning, Boris Johnson is mayor of London and we can all go to bed to dream analytical dreams about what the results mean for the country.
Probable ETA of a declaration is about an hour, hopefully less (please)
London Elects statement:
We have results in from 13 of the 14 constituencies in the Mayor of London and London Assembly election. The final constituency is Brent & Harrow. The Greater London Returning Officer has been in touch with the CRO for Brent & Harrow to establish the reason for a delay. All batches of ballot papers were registered and scanned. Two batches went to storage without some ballot papers being manually entered as required. Manual entry is required when a scanner cannot read a ballot paper – for example if a ballot paper is damaged. It is not an issue with the scanners. The issue was identified during the verification stage. These two batches are being re-processed. To make this happen as quickly as possible we have separated out into several smaller batches. This is why the progress screens appear to show a changing number of verified ballot papers.We will declare as soon as possible but it is obviously important that every vote is counted.
Well we don't entirely know. The latest is that at least two ballot boxes were found unscanned at the Brent count, and they're now being counted by hand, for some reason.
There are rumours that Ken's team has asked for a full recount in Brent, which would delay things for another few hours.
London elects thinks it'll be only another 20 mins, but they've been saying that for nearly two hours.
|
| @ tnewtondunn : The Sun's pollster Peter Kellner of YouGov calls it - "Boris has won. He has too big a lead for Ken to overturn". |
It's leading to a sharp narrowing in the polls between the two candidates. On 1st preference votes Boris now has 44% and Ken 40% - 8 out of 14 constituencies have now declared.
Here's the latest.
People are talking about 50/50 odds between Ken and Boris. The atmosphere at City Hall has changed dramatically in the past half hour.
Ed Miliband, speaking in Southampton, has declared that Labour is "coming back".
This comes after Labour took control of Southampton from the Conservatives.
He railed against the "out of touch government in Westminster".
"David Cameron promised change, not for the better but for the worse. Today in Southampton, it is a rejection of the economic failure of this government, and the unfairness of this government". he added
He also boasted that Labour is "beating back" the SNP in Scotland.
He recognised the low turnouts, saying it showed there was "still more to do".
Conservative MP Peter Bone has said that the PM has 'one hand tied behind his back'.
"Worst of all, we've got the Liberals holding us back" he added
The results signified the "beginning of the end of the coalition", he told the BBC.
"We're seeing Boris winning as a Conservative in London, yet the Coalition losing against Labour. So the message must be let's come out of this coalition as soon as possible." he said
Liam Byrne, who quit the Shadow Cabinet in preparation for running for Birmingham Mayor, has just tweeted this
|
| @ LiamByrneMP : A huge thanks to ALL who supported Yes2Mayor, Albert and me: our job now is to get 4-square behind our brilliant new Lbr council #brummayor |
|
| @ SmithTonyD : Brum result: Leader 120,611, Mayor 88,085. 57.8 Per cent "no" #BrumVote12 |
|
| @ oflynnexpress : Brum votes No to a Mayor. Has anyone noticed people like voting No in refs? No2EU |
With 56 of 79 seats declared, Labour currently lead over the SNP by 29 to 20.
Barring a major upset, Labour will resist the SNP advance in Glasgow.
|
| @ suemacmillan : Labour holding its majority in Glasgow is a whopper of a result. Well done @scottishlabour |
|
| @ JenWilliamsMEN : Ian Stewart is mayor of Salford. |
|
| @ baddogOTM : Labour win CHIPPING NORTON! David Cameron, Rebekah Brooks, Elisabeth Murdoch, Steve Hilton + Jeremy Clarkson now have a LABOUR council. |
With 166 of 181 councils declared, Labour have gained more than 700 council seats.
Former Libdem leader Paddy Ashdown has said the Liberal Democrats should "keep on doing" what it is doing.
Speaking to the BBC, Lord Ashdown said the party's mettle has been "tested" by the results.
"The party's mettle has been tested, it has been tested before. We should keep on doing what we're doing" he said
"It doesn't look as bad in terms of hanging onto our seats that we have got as it might have been." he added.
According to the Guardian, Ken Livingstone's team are privately conceding defeat.
They reportedly also think Boris Johnson will increase his majority.
A council candidate dressed as a penguin called Professor Pongoo has received more votes than the Liberal Democrats in Edinburgh.
Professor Pongoo (real name Mike Ferrigan) was an independent candidate who had pledged to wear the penguin outfit to every council meeting if he was elected.
From the votes counted so far, Labour are on 44%, Conservatives are on 33% and the Greens are on 8%.
The LibDems dwell at 7% while Ukip are on 5%.
Harman castigated Watson for his "hold your nose and vote for Ken" comment - and was a bit hesitant to agree that Ken had been the right candidate in the first place...we thought.
Clearly annoyed, Farage has arrived at City Hall and says that the ballot paper fail was UKIP's fault, not London Elects. But he's blaming it on UKIP's poor performance. They're currently trailing in 6th place behind Siobhan Benita
Ukip leader Nigel Farage is reportedly furious that his party's candidate for Mayor of London, Lawrence Webb, was listed on the ballot paper as Fresh Choice for London.
He says it was a 'cockup which undoubtedly cost UKIP votes' and could have helped Boris Johnson's bid for four more years at City Hall.
Also here is a round-up from HuffPost of Tory dissent following the local elections drubbing. A few themes emerge. Many Tories think House of Lords reform is a distraction - a couple but don't like gay marriage, but the overwhelming narrative is there needs to be a growth strategy.
In an update to previous news about the BNP's difficulties, it has emerged that the party has lost every single one of the 12 seats it has been defending.
|
| @ Kevin_Maguire : Looks like Labour will win London but lose the Mayoralty, getting most votes/seats in the Assembly but Blue Boris beats Red Ken |
|
| @ StewartHosieMP : 16 out of 16 #SNP win outright control of Dundee |
Labour Makes Big Gains in UK Local Elections
Local elections: Ukip and Respect gain ground
Local elections: What's at stake for party leaders
Politics News: Local council elections 2012: All the news as the results come in

| betsy_hiel In Pictures: Protesters call for early elections http://t.co/BCkVWo05ph via @egyptmonocle | ||
|
VictoriasSecret
@GJratedP Cool Wish List Jennifer! We love your selections!
37 minutes ago from web
|
||
|
ChrisPincher
Please sign petition re free and fair elections in Zimbabwe http://t.co/arMuLuNaVg #zimbabwe
3 hours ago from web
|
||
|
KevinBrennanMP
@MichaelDugherMP is that what you do at elections?
3 hours ago from Echofon
|
||
|
CTDems
RT @sotsmerrill: Kudos to #CT House for passing bill to expand use of provisional ballots #elections @mattlesser
3 hours ago from HootSuite
|
||
|
mediatwit
No more librarians to shush you or judge your selections - check out the Digital Public Library http://t.co/M0smYDyiSu #WeekinReview
4 hours ago from SocialFlow
|
||
|
SultanAlQassemi
@alihashem_tv @rezahakbari @IranElections13 lovely smile
4 hours ago from web
|
||
|
SultanAlQassemi
"Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a newspaper interview Saturday he won't step down before elections are held" http://t.co/ORno53j8h0
4 hours ago from web
|
||
|
AP
Syrian President Bashar Assad says he won't step down before elections are held: http://t.co/MRwmeaMjoe -SS
4 hours ago from SocialFlow
|
||
|
CTVNews
Syria's Bashar Assad says he won't step down before elections are held http://t.co/MJiWyLbiKm
5 hours ago from HootSuite
|
||
|
Andrew_ComRes
Ahead of our S Mirror/IoS poll coming out tonight....a reminder we were within 0.7% of #ukip vote share in local elections
5 hours ago from HootSuite
|
||
|
Michael_Heaver
The Tories have reportedly deselected Marta Andreasen for the next European Elections. Tragic.
6 hours ago from web
|
||
|
PennyRed
Saturday reading for you: my big feature on the Icelandic elections, the Pirate Party and democratic meltdown: http://t.co/wqziWBh8BF
9 hours ago from web
|
||
|
glcarlstrom
Rafsanjani's tightrope act in the Iranian presidential elections: http://t.co/FXgsn8HF8D by @ThomasErdbrink
9 hours ago from TweetDeck
|
||
|
DavidKenner
Consensus! About something related to Lebanese politics! Nobody thinks elections will happen next month. Thanks all.
11 hours ago from TweetDeck
|
||
|
DavidKenner
Lebanon-watchers: What are the chances there will be elections next month?
11 hours ago from TweetDeck
|
||
|
Shoq
Remembrance of Elections Past #FakeScandalBookTitles
21 hours ago from TweetDeck
|
||
| MazMHussain Toronto has a tradition of alternating between charmless technocrats and overt lunatics in its mayoral elections. #Lastman #Miller #Ford | ||
| ahmed Lebanese reality show contestants compete to win funding to stand as an indy candidate in the upcoming elections http://t.co/Su4ELSEnqu | ||
| fatmaemam "@AJStream: #Iran rejects women presidential hopefuls http://t.co/NWVjEf0LUm #IranElections" @iKNOW_Politics | ||
| AJStream #Iran rejects women presidential hopefuls http://t.co/GqOfZcCgMs #IranElections | ||
| SlaughterAM New York trying 2 pass public financing of elections; Colorado passed big electoral reforms; but red states going in opp direction #naf2020 | ||
| SlaughterAM Jonathan Soros: open primaries can make a big difference in elections b/c make it possible 4 moderates 2 defeat extreme candidates #naf2020 | ||
| SlaughterAM Peter Beinart: losing 2 presidential elections not enough to make a party rethink its positions; Dems didn't change until 3 losses #naf2020 | ||
| Bassem_Sabry MT @mwhanna1:.Best analysis of provincial elections // Elections and Iraq's Never Ending Crisis by @UticensisRisk http://t.co/JlnNRt4B2s | ||
| abuaardvark FP: @MidEastChannel week in review: Saudi human rights, Tunisian jihadists, Iraqi elections and more http://t.co/oLDxMkwaYN | ||
|
USIP
Nawaz Sharif's major victory in the #Pakistan elections might give him the opportunity to confront tough decisions: http://t.co/3FAk0ouE3H
1 day ago from web
|
||
|
mediatwit
No more librarians to shush you or judge your selections - check out the Digital Public Library http://t.co/4Xedpnm7pT cc: @p2173
1 day ago from SocialFlow
|
||
| POMEDwire #Egypt Daily Update: #Tamarod Organizers Reject #Shafiq's Endorsement; Friday Protests Call for Early Elections: http://t.co/XOzQtLWhQN | ||
| CTVNews RT @RobertFife NDP asks Elections Canada to investigate Sen. Mike Duffy expense claims during 2011 election and other Tory senators | ||
| kady Okay, with this latest letter to Elections Canada, I believe the NDP is now called for at least 3 Mike Duffy-related investigations. #hw | ||
| BarneysNY Our selections for a wine country getaway! http://t.co/Iygxsj9lPz #bonvoyage | ||
|
AriBerman
It's absurd to be against secrecy in government but for groups spending millions of dollars of secret $ to influence US elections
1 day ago from web
|
||
|
mwhanna1
Finally read this.Best analysis of provincial elections // Elections and Iraq's Never Ending Crisis by @UticensisRisk http://t.co/A05HwTRQ3W
1 day ago from Tweet Button
|
||
|
vali_nasr
An interesting interpretation of #Pakistan elections: PTI did better than its seat count shows http://t.co/nsUReww6aX
1 day ago from Tweet Button
|
||
| DailyNewsEgypt Abbas: Reconciliation with Hamas and elections are on the agenda http://t.co/wEhqK1Ekts | ||
|
jenanmoussa
#Iran constitutional body ruled that females cant run in presidential elections. 30 women registered as candidates: http://t.co/M7OVr5Qtu9
1 day ago from web
|
||
|
shadihamid
Important RT @Underreported: Amr Moussa: NSF likely to participate in upcoming parliamentary elections: http://t.co/vKq5JOp79o
1 day ago from web
|
||
| abuaardvark RT @Underreported: Amr Moussa: #NSF likely to participate in upcoming parliamentary elections http://t.co/Ncaen7XOfo | ||
|
RicHolden
Good BBC article on 10 Private Members Bills that have made it into law since the general elections. http://t.co/l7800BD7aS
1 day ago from web
|
||
The Huffington Post UK | By Ned Simons & Chris Wimpress Posted: 04/05/2012 13:43 Updated: 04/05/2012 22:52