Election night is going to be a long affair but some excitement will ensue if any prominent politicians lose their seats — unexpectedly or otherwise. There is likely to be at least one ‘Portillo moment‘ — akin to the the 1997 election night when then-Tory MP Michael Portillo lost his seat and signalled that the Tories were on course to be out of power for 13 years. In chronological order, here are the big name politicians to watch out for tomorrow morning:
1. Douglas Alexander in Paisley and Renfrewshire South
Expected declaration time: 3:00am
Region: Scotland
Majority: 16,614
MP in 2010: Douglas Alexander – Labour
2010 result: Lab 60%, SNP 18%, Con 10%, Lib Dem 10%
Final Ashcroft poll: SNP 50%, Lab 39%, Con 6%, Lib Dem 1%
Why to watch: Polls in Scotland, both national and marginal, suggest that the march of the SNP is going to take some high profile victims. Labour’s campaign chief Douglas Alexander looks set to be one of them.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in