So farewell former Transport Ministers Chris Mole (Ipswich) and Paul Clark (Gillingham) who both lost their seats.
Minister of State Sadiq Khan was returned as the Member of Parliament for Tooting.
And the unelected peer and Secretary of State for Transport also retains his House of Lords seat... for life.
The Fact Compiler is now £250 short.
And Wolmar is now £250 richer.
Thanks Dave!
UPDATE: This from The Master...
Look on the bright side, you'll probably get a chance to win it back in October....
This with a bowler tip to Channel 4 News... 23:15 Houghton and Sunderland South 00:30 Birmingham Edgbaston 01:00 Battersea 01:00 Torbay 01:12 Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath 01:50-02:00Thurrock, Batley & Spen and Carlisle 02:00 Rochdale 02:00 Norwich South 02:00 Guildford 02:13 Burnley 02:15 Sheffield Hallam 02:30 Kingswood 03:00 Morley and Outwood 03:00 Glasgow North 03:00 Luton South 03:06 Chorley 03:20 West Dorset 03:30 Brighton Pavillion 03:34 Witney 04:00 Edinburgh South West 04:00 Barking 04:00 Islington South 04:39 Romsey and Southampton North 04:45 Poplar and Limehouse 05:00 Redditch 05:30 Hammersmith Friday morning 14:30 Buckingham 15:00 Morecombe & Lonsdale
22:00 ITV News, BBC and Sky report the result of the exit polls. Traditionally a strong indicator of the results, the margin for error could be even greater this year.
Expected to be the first constituency to report, trying to beat the fastest count set in 2005.
The first key Labour/Conservative marginal expected to declare. The Tories need a 2 per cent swing.
Another key Conservative target, with the party needing a swing of just 0.5 per cent in this Labour marginal.
Lib Dem marginal. The Conservative party is looking for a 3 per cent swing to win back the seat lost in 1997.
Gordon Brown's constituency, this is a safe Labour seat with a 43.6 per cent majority over the SNP.
Three Labour seats to watch as the Tories battle for a 6-7 per cent swing in votes.
A Lib Dem seat targeted by Labour, now infamous for 'bigotgate'.
The Lib Dems would need a small swing to win this Labour seat, which also has a good strong from the Greens.
A Conservative seat under fire from the Lib Dems, which could nail it with a small swing.
Labour currently hold a near-on 15 per cent majority here, but if a fall to Lib Dems would indicate huge gains for the latter – and a hung parliament for the country.
Nick Clegg's constituency.
The Tories benchmark target, the fall of this Labour seat near Bristol would suggest a Conservative majority.
Ed Balls' constituency, David Cameron himself campaigned at this Labour seat to rally voters. The Tories need a 10 per cent swing.
One to watch as a gauge of Lib Dem performance – they would need a 6 per cent swing to swipe this seat from Labour.
A bellwether for the overall victor, since 1951 the winning party has triumphed here. A win here – where Esther Rantzen is running for the Independents - would signal a Tory majority of 50.
A Labour seat targeted by the Tories, who would need an 8 per cent swing. Who ever has won this seat has won the election since 1964.
Oliver Letwin could lose this Tory seat to the Lib Dems with a swing of just 2.3 per cent.
The Green Party's best chance of securing their first Westminster seat.
The Tory leader's constituency, David Cameron holds a 26.8 per cent majority over the Lib Dems.
Chancellor Alistair Darling’s seat, a fall to the Conservatives would be unlikely in Scotland and would need a swing of 8 per cent.
Targetted by the BNP, Nick Griffin is hoping to secure the party's first seat from Labour's Margaret Hodge.
An inner London seat currently held by Labour, but targeted by the Lib Dems.
The Lib Dems currently hold a majority of just 125 over the Tories.
Labour seat being targetted by Respect's George Galloway, who would need a swing of 11 per cent. Housing Canary Wharf and the Docklands, it has also been targeted by the Tories.
Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is fighting to keep her seat. The Tories would need a swing of 2.6 per cent to win.
A Tory win over Labour here would show the party is on track to reach Downing Street.
A further 39 constituencies will declare results by 5pm.
Speaker John Bercow faces a challenge by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage.
The Conservatives need a 5.9 per cent swing to win.
This from Fiona Gail....
This glorious scene taken at Waterloo today.
Is Network Rail perhaps planning to enter the station into this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show?
Alternatively is this Coucher-code for who should be in 10 Downing Street tomorrow?
The Fact Compiler is a great fan of Tom Harris.
Whilst not sharing his politics the Fact Compiler believes Tom to be a friend to the railways and boy do we need them!
More importantly he also voted against the evil and pernicious smoking ban (don't get me started).
With the above in mind Eye is happy to find space for Tom's "Prime Ministerial" (in the words of Iain Dale) election podcast.
Nice!
Good luck in Glasgow South today Tom.
UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic....
There is only one weak point in Tom's masterly broadcast.
The choice of subject to illustrate transport.
Eye followers might like to brighten up the wait for the end of polling by suggesting more apposite examples in the same light-hearted spirit?.
To get things going I would suggest a Saunders Roe Princess or Bristol Brabazon in the air as a forerunner of IEP (planes specified by civil servants).
Or since we really should have a railway subject, how about the Bulleid Leader?
UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...
No brainer!
For the non-kettle heads it's an Austerity...
In a move that looks destined to break the Noble Lord's heart it appears that his bezzie mate Wolmar has succumbed to Cleggstacy!
Perhaps not quite in the same league as the Tories buying Facebook for the day...
UPDATE: This from Wolmar...
Is the Fact Compiler getting nervous about our wager on an absolute Tory majority?
I think we should be told!
Meanwhile the ads on my site do not reflect my editorial policy!!
Telegrammed by Haruspex
Having examined the entrails Eye's political forecaster makes the following predictions:
Conservative victory
It is, of course, none of Eye's damned business who you vote for.
However, with past and present sacrifices in mind, Eye respectfully suggests that all readers should consider exercising their right to vote tomorrow.
'Nuff said.
UPDATE: Nigel Harris over at RAIL makes the same plea.
Mr Khan reports on #bigotsgate and the economy...
Please BBC include a slot for Mr Khan on Thursday night.
This from Sadiq Khan, via Twitter...
I uploaded a YouTube video -- £8 million for Earlsfield Station refurbishment
Eye is happy to say, judging by the video's quality, that this was obviously not filmed by DfT press officers.
A shame the original DfT training video has been removed from YouTube - Sadiq's team might have found it useful.
UPDATE: This from @SadiqKhan, via Twitter...
@TheFactCompiler thank you!
Has the Fact Compiler been had?
Exciting news from Osama Saeed the SNP candidate for Glasgow Central.
Keen to better understand the views of his potential constituents Osama has sent out the following survey.
All very laudable and good to see that the people are finally being listened to.
But what's this?
Not content with destroying The Union do the Scottish Nationalists also plan to repeal Einstein's General Theory of Relativity?
Mind you if they can cut the distance to London the business case for High Speed 2 gets even better!
UPDATE: This from a Mr West...
Actually, the SNP seem to be a very solid grasp of Einstein's relativity.
As any fule kno, a rail passenger travelling at (high) speed will observe a smaller distance from Glasgow to London than a stationary observer due to compression of the space-time continuum.
It's basic rocket science, really.
UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...
Indeed, as the famous limerick explains
There was a young fellow called Bright
Who thought Einstein's theory was right.
He departed one day
In a relative way,
And came back the previous night.
According to @PoliticsHomeUK the Labour Party is calling on broadcasters to focus on policy.
Labour is trying to get the LibDems and Tories to sign up to a draft letter saying:
We are writing to broadcasting organisations with a public service remit to ask you all to ensure that during the last ten days of the campaign your programmes analyse our policy proposals to the same level of detail as at previous election campaigns.
What a splendid initiative.
Despite the parlous state of the economy not a word from any of the major parties on where post election transport cuts will be made.
We all know they are coming so surely its time to end the equivocation and spin.
Brown, Cameron and Clegg don't take us for fools - it's time to tell us where the cuts will fall.
Mr Khan reports on Nick Clegg...
Genius!
With a bowler tip to Guido...
A nice bit of Labour Party self deprecation from Ali Campbell towards the end...
Telegrammed by Bulldog Drummond
Disappointed to see that the Monster Raving Loony Party (MLRP) has no manifesto commitments for rail in this election.
Past elections has witnessed the MRLP making special commitments to pretend branch lines are reopening, insisting timetables are sold as works of fiction as well as insisting on humane and gentle treatment for gricers.
This can only mean that the MRLP already considers the industry to be safely in the hands of loonies...
UPDATE: This from Boombasket Phasinggear Ftang Ftang Legg-out-of-bed Smythe, who is allegedly the MRLP railway spokesman...
Can I point out that our policies are firm and clear.
They include:
Much hilarity in Rosco land.
As any fule kno Virgin has invested billions in new trains (omitting to mention of course that it was the Roscos what done it!).
Evidently sauce for the goose is jus for the gander.
On Friday ATOC claimed that Virgin had laid on an additional "2,000 extra seats", largely on Anglo-Scottish services.
Well done.
A triumph for market forces and common sense, what with NR cancelling planned engineering works and all.
But what's this?
Viewers of yesterday's Andrew Marr show heard no less a figure than Gordon Brown claim that Lord Adonis was responsible for laying on the extra trains (as well as more ferries and Eurostars)!
With the above spin in mind Eye can exclusively reveal that The Fact Compiler instructed The Thin Controller to suspend his electioneering Pilgrimage of Grice and return to London immediately to sort the crisis out.
Meanwhile aviation-head Captain Deltic is understood to be chairing COBRA at this very moment.
Further examples of blatent ashballs welcome.
UPDATE: This from Capt Clarence Oveur...
Kindly note that the term is Total Aviation Person (TAP) not "Aviation Head"!
UPDATE: This from Bulldog Drummond...
So with no aircraft flying what about getting on with high speed Paris to Peking (or is it London to Lhasa) that was floated by the Chinese earlier this year?
I'm sure if we even seemed half interested Chinese State Railways would be at the Calais before HS2 even gets to hybrid bill stage.
This from the Raver....
Good to see ATOC has its fingers well and truly on the political pulse!
For the politically illiterate, or those who have been asleep for the last year, Gordon leads Labour and Nick the LibDems.
Looks like it's not just railway knowledge that is missing from the TOC lobby group.
Telegrammed by our man at 222 Marylebone Road
Finger out Adonis!
Only 19 days in which to place orders for the outstanding 757 additional vehicles in the High Level Output Specification.
Your elected colleagues with constituencies in and around Derby expect you to hand a cheque over to Colin Walton soonest.
UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...
And since the delay to the Thameslink new trains order has deferred 200 of the vehicles in the HLOS 1300 to Control Period 5, why not ask Uncle Colin to make up the number with some Turbostars and revive the Diesel Multiple Unit Project.
No doubt Porterbrook would like to further boost their local MP's chances by providing the funding for these DMUs.
Such gratitude would be in order since we all remember how the Derby MPs stood up for brave little Porterbrook as it defied the jack-booted hordes of DfT Rail. (Errr... is this right? Ed.)
This just in from the RMT...
HOPES ROSE today that a new jobs rescue plan could save jobs lost following the collapse of rail maintenance firm Jarvis.
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has told the leaders of the two main rail unions that Network Rail has agreed to re-allocate Jarvis work in a matter of days, and that workers on the new contract would be directly employed.
Just fancy that!
Is there an election in the offing?
UPDATE: This from The Major...
I'm quite sure the redundant Jarvis staff will be re-employed not least because TUPE applies if the work they were doing goes to another company.
NR knows this.
The RMT knows this.
But hey, no harm in the RMT claiming victory in a hard-won class struggle against private sector 'fat cats' while knowing all along the result was a legal certainty.
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