This was the first time I had stayed up throughout the night to watch the election results and I never realised how stultifying the whole process is. I made it to 5.55 am to see Gillingham and Rainham fall, given that it was the Tories' no. 1 target, but most importantly it was the seat where I cast my vote for the Lib Dems (though I knew they had no real chance, it was a point of principle). The Third Party had a disappointing night, with the Clegg effect virtually evaporating and Lib Dem support as soft as predicted, but they are with the number of seats thay had hoped to be with before the TV debates began. Just a little ahead of them in their melancholy are the Conservatives who seemed to believe they really would achieve a majority. If they don't offer electoral reform to the Lib Dems, it would be foolish for Clegg to pass up the opportunity of a generation to get such a measure. A majority could be formed with Labour, Lib Dems, Green Party, Alliance Party (who are aligned with the Lib Dems and deposed the DUP leader Peter Robinson from his Westminster seat), SNP and Plaid Cymru. It may be unwieldy, but they are all of the centre-left. The nest few days could be interesting but I won't be glued to it.