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.
Prior to the election, he told STV that he wanted to bring some "lightness and humour to the affair."
It was reported in the same article that Pongoo was "a six foot penguin from planet Piper [who] stands little chance of getting elected."
As results came in, it was revealed that Professor Pongoo polled 444 votes, beating the Liberal Democrats' 370 and the Green party candidate's 322 in the bid for Pental Hills Ward for the City of Edinburgh council, reports STV.
And with support for Liberal Democrat turning distinctly frosty, Twitter users wouldn't let this humiliation go unnoticed. Pongoo's triumph marched on to Twitter in an explosion of penguin jokes.
Even Larry the cat, a spoof account for the Number 10 feline, joined in, writing: "A penguin named Professor Pongoo got 74 more votes than the Lib Dems in Edinburgh How embarrassing; he should have beat them by at least 500"
On Pongoo's Facebook page 'Vote for Professor Pongo' the description reads “I’m standing as a candidate because I’m confused. You see, I’m a penguin called Professor Pongoo.
"On the planet that I come from humans do things differently and us penguins, polar bears and all living things have the food we need and the humans leave us alone by respecting our rights to co-exist alongside them in harmony. "
Seemingly Professsor Pongoo was not the only arctic animal to bring embarrassment to the coalition on Friday. BBC radio 5live reported that the Conservative Mayoral Candidate for Liverpool came 7th, behind an independent candidate dressed up a polar bear. However this is unconfirmed.
Labour's Joe Anderson became Liverpool's first elected mayor.
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.
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| @ 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
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| @ 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 |
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| @ SmithTonyD : Brum result: Leader 120,611, Mayor 88,085. 57.8 Per cent "no" #BrumVote12 |
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| @ 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.
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| @ suemacmillan : Labour holding its majority in Glasgow is a whopper of a result. Well done @scottishlabour |
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| @ JenWilliamsMEN : Ian Stewart is mayor of Salford. |
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| @ 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.
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| @ 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 |
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| @ StewartHosieMP : 16 out of 16 #SNP win outright control of Dundee |

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ajimran
The Iranian elections just got interesting. Rafsanjani and Mashaei disqualified by the guardian council according... http://t.co/yZ95d7raeM
17 minutes ago from Facebook
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LAMayorsOffice
#ELECTIONDAY #LA! Mayor #Villaraigosa casts his ballot in the 2013 LA Elections. Show us where you're voting ! #LAgov http://t.co/bwlNaRmCyn
20 minutes ago from web
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robertabwMP
Thinking about the EU elections have a look at this North East candidate's page. Please support her http://t.co/ey5qnT4SYe @jshttn
36 minutes ago from web
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| MujMash Two of the big names in #iran's presidential elections, Rafsanjani and Mashaei, have been disqualified from running. | ||
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USIP
What will it take to reduce conflict in #Nigeria? We'll discuss two issues - the Delta and elections - today at 1pm: http://t.co/lK2fKDdE31
1 hour ago from web
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MPBOnline
Polls are open today for elections. Jackson's mayoral election is running very close: http://t.co/T8cuQnSkx2
1 hour ago from HootSuite
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UANI
What happened to free and fair elections? #Iran bars 2 top fogures from June ballot. http://t.co/gNpbgV5zql
2 hours ago from SocialOomph
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CBCQueensPark
Writs must be issued on a Wednesday, voting must be Thurs: if Wynne calls Windsor/London byelections tomorrow, voting would be June 20. #sl
2 hours ago from web
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CBCQueensPark
Under Ontario law, @Kathleen_Wynne must call byelections in Windsor-Tecumseh & London West by Aug. 14 (6 mos after Duncan/Bentley quit). #sl
2 hours ago from web
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USIP
#Afghanistan wonks: big hearing on the 2014 elections today before the SFRC subcommittee. Watch live at 2:45ET - http://t.co/ogZqoxgd1T
2 hours ago from web
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CBCQueensPark
Take note: since there won't be spring general election in Ontario, byelections must be called soon to fill empty Windsor & London seats #sl
3 hours ago from web
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jonward11
IRS IG says they will have a report out "shortly" looking at agency's enforcement of C4 groups intervening in elections
3 hours ago from TweetDeck
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TheCut
Republican nominees for the upcoming Virginia statewide elections are not women-friendly: http://t.co/VPpTnXpZVx
4 hours ago from HootSuite
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MirrorJames
NHS boss David Nicholson going in wake of local elections as predicted by mystic @SamCoatesTimes
4 hours ago from web
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| shashj Looks like an excellent line-up next week at @ChathamHouse on Pakistan's elections, including @declanwalsh: http://t.co/4JumiPCfhE | ||
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USIP
Watch live this morning at 10ET: Why were #Kenya's elections peaceful? We'll discuss with reps from @USAID & others - http://t.co/lK2fKDdE31
5 hours ago from web
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SaeedKD
With the elections in June, @Guardian wants to see your view of #Iran. Share pictures and video via @GuardianWitness: http://t.co/3czu6pAvaa
5 hours ago from Tweet Button
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JohnRentoul
Next European Parliament elections to be brought forward to May 2014 http://t.co/CbyEGq0Z74
5 hours ago from Safari on iOS
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TabithaHale
He thinks this is about winning elections. RT @Rare: Howard Dean: 'Benghazi is a laughable joke' http://t.co/p4ziYJXXQL
6 hours ago from TweetDeck
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CPSThinkTank
"The Tories must not forget the economic principles that win them elections" says @RyanCPS in @CityAM http://t.co/hek2lel5lB
7 hours ago from web
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robinenergy
1: Iran elections @mariluomi @Glada_Lahn @jimkrane @thegulfblog @dr_davidson @Dr_Ulrichsen @MhRaouf @CAmmoun @whmaidan
8 hours ago from web
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| shashj A detailed but important piece on an electoral setback for Maliki // Elections and Iraq's Never Ending Crisis http://t.co/gDojEkGHQQ | ||
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CPSThinkTank
RT @CityAM @RyanCPS says that the Tories must not forget the economic principles that win them elections http://t.co/ak0MhHCpI3
9 hours ago from web
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mattaikins
Part of marked lack of interest in structural elections reform. RT @davidsteven: People need to start standing up for FAFEN.
11 hours ago from Buffer
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| BarakRavid Lieberman asks Livni if President Abbas has any legitimacy in the PA due to the fact there were no elections and he doesn't control Gaza | ||
| Linaattalah Overview of Iraq's elections http://t.co/4mglhH6xFl | ||
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HuffPostWorld
Will Iran's reform movement stand a chance in the upcoming elections? Check out @HuffPostLive's discussion tomorrow. http://t.co/5fLePj5S2J
14 hours ago from TweetDeck
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| aradwanski @InklessPW Worth keeping in mind how little anyone watches opposition leaders in Ontario between elections. | ||
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WTPDavid
Election Insights and Analysis: California Legislative Elections Tuesday http://t.co/810xo5F8eH
18 hours ago from Tweet Button
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DKElections
Tuesday elections: LA mayor, PGH mayor, CA & PA specials, Portland fluoride, Todd Pitts' judgeship... am I missing anything?
18 hours ago from Echofon
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Bassem_Sabry
2- To demand new presidential elections. The charges are illegal! There is nothing illegal or unconstitutional about the "Rebel" campaign!
18 hours ago from YoruFukurou
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Modelinia
The official Cannes Festival selections are @Caradelevingne @Doutzen @CindyCrawford http://t.co/oW5CR9G0Xr that is fashion selections!
19 hours ago from web
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DrEoinCl
Endorsement: Why I recommend you vote for Suzy Franklin in Unison's NEC Elections. http://t.co/3V1SY3r8FR
20 hours ago from Tweet Button
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DCDemocrats
CM McDuffie to hold 7/11 hearing http://t.co/PR3YPLLv1j on public financing of DC elections Bill 20-0120 http://t.co/jJULAiop12
21 hours ago from web
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ASLANmedia
#IRAN Clerical member of Guardian Council rules out female candidates from presidential elections http://t.co/X4H6AvSw7I #democracy #women
21 hours ago from HootSuite
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| Salman_Shaikh1 Pls read "@BrookingsFP:Why Iran's presidential elections matter,according to @maloneysuzanne:http://t.co/m0HQX7NBQK #IranatSaban #usislam13" | ||
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BrookingsFP
Why Iran's presidential elections matter, according to @maloneysuzanne: http://t.co/wIkWLn3V7o #IranatSaban #usislam13
22 hours ago from web
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| cyalm Post elections, Mon is the new Fri. Here goes nothing. | ||
| Alec_Castonguay @danielthibault En effet. Mais depuis 2 ans au pays, rien ne montre une vraie volonté de changement... #elections http://t.co/rhEECsnpCY | ||
| Markfergusonuk Survation have Labour 11 points ahead overall but only 1% ahead for Euro elections | ||
Huffington Post UK | By Felicity Morse Posted: 04/05/2012 15:04 Updated: 04/05/2012 15:06