³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

While I'm sure you'll be putting on a great show I think I'll be watching C4's alternative election night special.
Election night broadcasts have become increasingly dull and no amount of special effects and analysis can hide the fact that for most of the time the show is little more than a group of boring middle aged people talking about who may win what seat and what it may all mean in an attempt to kill time between results being announced.

If Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have "their own programmes", that surely makes the so-called "³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ UK" transmission a programme for England.

Alternatively, if the main output is truly a UK programme, why does England (or indeed each ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ region) not rate its own programme?

The election is to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, so a United Kingdom perspective is all that should matter. Or, given that it gives a rare opportunity to shine, is the subsidiarity merely something to keep Brian Taylor, Betsan Powys and Mark Devenport (and their respective colleagues) happy in their work, out in the wilds where politics isn't a three-horse race?

Errr Craig, in this article you appear to be saying how wonderful you own opening credits are. Then you say '1979 is equally interesting.' If it wasn't interesting you wouldn't be writing about it would you?

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

What happened to Rick Wakeman?

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

I'm afraid I'll be watching Channel 4's Alternative Election Night - if you are going to watch absurd television you might as well watch some that is MEANT to be!

Before the 1997 Election the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ did a programme looking back at election coverage called "Swing Time" - a wry look back, intercut with occasional comedy sketches from Python etc. I still have it on tape somewhere.

One of the telling comments came from Cliff Michelmore, about the size of the sets typically used - pointing out that at the end of the day, "it all comes down to a box like that" (framing his head with his arms). Funnily enough, the Beeb are using their biggest studio once again!

Past Election night programmes were great, the time before hyperbolic leaping about a CGI set became all that is important, when all that was necessary was a simple verbal explanation and if a 'gadget' was needed it was equally simple.

The vast majority of us do not need to be treated as though we are eleven parts short of a dozen all the time...

[/rant]

1. At 12:54pm on 05 May 2010, Buck_Turgidson wrote:

"Election night broadcasts have become increasingly dull and no amount of special effects and analysis can hide the fact that for most of the time the show is little more than a group of boring middle aged people talking about who may win what seat and what it may all mean in an attempt to kill time between results being announced."

But that is what is so interesting, the actual results being announced is the boring part, it's the insight that these guests give, stories of past elections etc. but I suspect that the real problem is that you're really interested in the pure politics of the occasion, just the (media) hype.

Craig,

I see clearly your sense of history so could you give me one good reason why the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ has dropped Rick Wakeman's 'Arthur' theme for the Election Night programme after 30 years? It's a piece of music that not only captures perfectly the sense of drama and destiny of the occasion but, in the minds of so many, is identified with journalistic excellence at the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ. Its successor comes nowhere near. Why does somebody always feel the need to mend what is not broken or to impose their own mark on a longstanding tradition?

So you are getting rid of Rick Wakeman's Arthur as the theme?

For shame.

Will the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ be showing any more old election marathons soon? I've so far enjoyed watching the 1979 and 1983 coverage (almost from start to finish, believe it or not... I find it oddly gripping) but missed 1987 last time it was on.

I predict that when the result is looking guaranteed we will hear Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems all claim it was a good night for their parties.

Oh no! I like the sense of history conveyed by the titles - but where is Rick Wakeman's King Arthur music??!

lots of manufactured excitement, incredibly long periods of nothing happening and - hopefully - communication breakdowns!

dont worry, i'll be watching!

[notBolierplated]

some boring stuff about media coverage of the election...

[/notBoilerplated]

...damm that whole html thing is really corney...

ha ha ha!

Be honest.It's just an excuse for a party...isn't it ???
Still* if you can't enjoy the odd glass or two of whine on Election night ...when can one ? ?

David Cameron's face should be a picture,...just not like Helen Of Troy.


[New Dawn Fades]

i love election night and usually manage to stay awake for most of it ... [day off on friday] ... you see some fantastic moments and/or amusing things that happen that never appear again on the regular news ... as well as the classic times when someone [a cabinet minister] loses a seat.

i love the fact that every single one of us decides the outcome without fear of repurcussion and that we are able to vote freely. that is something worth celebrating and being thankful for i think.

I would be as well waiting until I read the election results in the tabloids, as the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ political journalism and coverage of the election is no longer any different than those of the worst tabloids.

Bring back King Arthur!! This new music sounds like a poor man's Black Beauty and is instantly forgettable. If you are going to change it pick something powerful and heroic - there's plenty of Vangelis or even Hans Zimmer that hasn't yet been done to death by TV productions.

Will there be Arthur (by Rick Wakeman, I think), after the initial look provided, I'm a tad anxious (as I was looking forward to it with the election).

I also watch ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Parliament for the archive elections. Best wishes to all those working on the Election Night programme.

Channel 4's alternative election night for me as well - if I'm not watching recorded programmes from my cable box's hard disk that is.

I'm sure ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ1, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ HD, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Moon, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Jupiter, Sky News, Sky News HD, ITV1, ITV HD (or ITV NearlyHD, upscaled) and by extension STV & UTV will all do a fantastic job of presenting the same information about how much swinging is going on.

Its the digital television era.. does this mean digital swingometers for the above mentioned channels, I wonder?

Why are all the past election programmes not available permanently on iPlayer, surely there will be no rights issues? In fact why can't they be made available for download (no time limit) as their is little or no commercial value (they only seem to be dragged out as fillers on high days and holidays) whilst content creators who want to use extracts would still have to licence footage in the usual way.

Aw C'mon Beeb, you just gotta keep Dimbles, "OK, OK I should say David Dimbleby" wasn't there were some talk of relieveing him of his post.. "hope I am mistaken".

The been usually does a good job in spite of all the 'hot air' they got from the politicians on the night...

... I just love watching them and listening the excuses, putting a brave face on when a expectant winner get slaughtered, better the the Flintstones.

Craig:

Thanks, for giving us the audience a sneak preview about the 2010 ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Election Night Coverage....

(d)

Very, very disappointed with the decision to change the theme music; I'm 41 and to me at least it's synonymous with election night. It had the right sense of grandeur, import, and peculiarly a tinge of sadness (which helped in years when it doesn't go your own way!). Seriously though, why??

Living in Wales I don't understand why there needs to be a different programme for us, unless it's to justify having such large numbers of politicl hacks to spare and too much licence money to spend. I would, and will prefer to follow programming which accepts the General Electon is for the whole country. England's Council elections I believe also take place at the same time, so if anything England needs more attention, not less.

The female commentator said that postal votes will need to be posted Wednesday in order to be delivered by Thursday. I understand that it is in order to hand it in at a local polling station - if this is so could the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ make it known before voters lose their opportunity?

Torn between whether to watch the inevitable cock-ups on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ coverage or Channel 4's promising "alternative" election coverage.

I agree! Bring Back The Theme Tune!!

Good luck to all involved though. Let's hope there aren't too many out takes to look forward to when ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Parliment reruns the show in a decade or two's time.......

Craig, can you see how many people have already been disappointed by the planned loss of 'Arthur'? "A poor man's 'Black Beauty'. Instantly forgettable," said one of the proposed tune.

Don't alienate your loyal viewers, it's not too late to use the new titles and play the 1992 Election Night edit of Rick Wakeman's theme over the top. It fits perfectly!

Better theme tune than the one for 2001, but come on, election night is King Arthur's Night, isn't it?

What have you done to the theme music? It's gotta be Wakeman's Arthur theme.

Boilerplated wrote:
But that is what is so interesting, the actual results being announced is the boring part, it's the insight that these guests give, stories of past elections etc. but I suspect that the real problem is that you're really interested in the pure politics of the occasion, just the (media) hype.


I think you've got the wrong end of the stick here, apologies if my post wasn't clear.

If you read my post again you'll see that I said:
the show is little more than a group of boring middle aged people talking about who may win what seat and what it may all mean in an attempt to kill time between results being announced

It is not the politics I find boring, it is the predictable line up of has-been's and hacks repeating the same old lines that they've been putting out for years, there won’t be any meaningful political insight and all of the stories you hear will just be the same old stories you’ve heard before.

There's no reason the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ couldn't have made an alternative show themselves for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ3 using people like Charlie Brooker, Ian Hislop and other satirists who would be able to provide the same information without the mind-numbing waffle you're going to be watching on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ1 tonight.

Channel 4 have been running a show with Bremner, Bird and Fortune over the last few days and while it is based around comedy they have also managed to get a lot of important information and debate into the show without turning it into a bore-fest.

Politics may be serious but that's no reason for it to be dull !

Will the online coverage be available to overseas voters? (i.e. purely self-interested me in the US)

I'm disappointed to see the removal of the traditional theme tune, why has this been changed? In its own small way, it's part of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's election coverage!

I'm working as a counter on election night and the following day & will be taping C4 to watch on Saturday after its all over.
Cant be bothered with all these so called "experts" who in reality know less than anyone else usually.

32. At 3:43pm on 05 May 2010, Easylistener wrote:

"Craig, can you see how many people have already been disappointed by the planned loss of 'Arthur'? "A poor man's 'Black Beauty'. Instantly forgettable," said one of the proposed tune."

Indeed, so forgettable it was only after reading some of the comments that I realised that the tune had been changed, it just didn't registrar at all (brain probably waiting for 'Arthur' to kick in...), totally agree, use the Rick Wakeman's theme.

Quote "recognise this sense of history"

Erm the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ wouldn't have change the theme music if you knew anything about history. The new offering seems like a reject for the 1980s 'one o'clock news'.

I'm very shocked; there will be a backlash, but will the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ ignore us?

"tens of millions of people coming together and deciding who should run our country"

Were this so. My vote is pointless, I don't want any of the main parties anyway, and I want a say in things during a parliament session; and probably some decent constitutional protection from an out-of-control executive with trigger-happy legislation. We're in a shocking situation democratically in many ways, and I don't see this changing.

35. At 4:17pm on 05 May 2010, Buck_Turgidson wrote:

"Politics may be serious but that's no reason for it to be dull !"

I wouldn't use the word "dull", more like "serious", 'nough said...

There are 28 hours left for a crucial decision to be made - ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ bring back the old music for the Country's sake!!

Why is this nowhere on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

its in the Guardian & the Telegraph

UK budget deficit 'to surpass Greece's as worst in EU'European commission's spring forecasts put UK budget deficit this year at 12% of GDP – the highest

Your not trying to cover it are you?

Have to say that this years theme music is very underwelming - totally forgettable and completely lacking the pomp and grandeur of the Rick Wakeman composition. Sounds like you got a third rate composer on the cheap to write it in his lunch break.

If it aint broke, don't try to fix it. Election Night is a major event and deserves better.

Another supporter of the "Bring Back *Arthur*" campaign. The last time it was dropped it came back for the following election. The new "jingle" - does sound a little like a bland remix of an old news theme. Arthur is exactly right for an election: "whosoever shall draw the sword from this stone and anvil shall be the true king of all England" - OK replace England by "this land" for the sake of the 4 nations, but a true and grand Murray Gold style orchestral reworking of Arthur, akin to the reworked deliah derbyshire Doctor Who theme would be a great intro.

I'm really looking forward to watching the coverage. Actually, your account of the 1974 election and hung parliament coverage sounds even better - any chance of viewing that somewhere on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ site?

I really think this election is a critical one for the UK. With the budget deficit sitting at over 11% of GDP - the largest since World War II - it really doesn't matter who wins.

The ultimate victor's priority simply has to be how to employ tax increases and public spending cuts in order to bring the deficit down. If it is shown to be anything to the contrary, the rating agencies around the world will have a field day trying to figure out how much they should be downgrading UK's rating by.

Less seriously for a moment, the UK election coverage has been quite comical in other parts of the world. Think you'd all enjoy a break from the serious with this containing 'comic interviews' with each of the major and some not-so-major UK political parties!

40. At 4:50pm on 05 May 2010, khawkes wrote:

"The new [theme music] seems like a reject for the 1980s 'one o'clock news'."

Well spotted there, that is exactly what it sounds like, trying to compete with ITN's "First Report"...

Well, I love the new theme music. Quite stirring - well done for being brave enough to make the change.

"Well spotted there, that is exactly what it sounds like, trying to compete with ITN's "First Report"..."

Come on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, reinstate Arthur now, otherwise they'll be Facebook groups about it!!

Boilerplated wrote:
35. At 4:17pm on 05 May 2010, Buck_Turgidson wrote:
"Politics may be serious but that's no reason for it to be dull !"

I wouldn't use the word "dull", more like "serious", 'nough said...


I did use the word serious, you may notice it there just after the words Politics may be, in my last sentence that you've copied into your post, I've even highlighted it above just in case you can't see it.

I hate to play the Dictionary definition game but just to clarify the point;

Serious, as in requiring thought, concentration, or application: serious reading; a serious task.

As opposed to;

Dull, as in causing boredom; tedious; uninteresting.


There is a distinct difference between the two and it is surely not beyond the abilities of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to produce a program that is serious without it being dull, even if it is an alternative program on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ3 so people like you are still getting to watch the traditional sort of program you like on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ1.

Thanks.. looking forward to the coverage! Are you still planning on broadcasting it on Big Ben or will you just display a hangman's noose there? ;)

Channel 4's Alternative Election is the first of its kind this year so it be interesting to see what its like

Without a 'True born King of all Britain' (Rick Wakeman - Arthur) we SHALL have a hung parliament.

Totally agree with the many other posters about the theme music - it's absolutely dire! Whoever dubbed it 'a failed edit for the one o'clock news from 1980' or similar, was right on the money. Bring back Rick Wakeman's Arthur!! On reading the other postings I have to admit I'm curious about Channel 4's offerings now!

Please keep Rick Wakemans Arthur!

and put the replays on iplayer!


THE PUBLIC HAS SPOKEN!

You can add my name to the list of those disappointed by the removal of King Arthur as the Election Night theme, to the point where I plan to mute your title sequence and play this over the top instead:


That aside, I've watched Election Night on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ every time since 1992 and I'll be doing so again tomorrow night; I hope you share the same view I do, though, that the likely closeness of the seat totals make it more important that the main thrust of the programme is RESULTS and LIVE DECLARATIONS.

Would you possibly be able to say how the OB operation and results gathering will work?

Anyway, I wish you and your team behind the scenes, and David Dimbleby and his team in front of the scenes, all the very best for tomorrow - and Friday, and Saturday, and Sunday...

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, what are you doing replacing an iconic piece of music (Arthur) conveying gravitas, importance, a sense of urgency and HISTORY with something that sounds like the brass section of an orchestra tuning up? Why fiddle with something that did the job so well? By all means update and remix for a contemporary Britain, but don't just replace for the sake of it. Even the music for Vote 2001 was 100 times better. I love the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and all that it stands for, but why does it do stupid things like this? Obviously, I'll be watching David et al on Thurs night/Fri morning, but it won't quite be the same. Shame!

I know everybody else has said it but I still think it doesn't feel like a proper ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ election programme without using 'King Arthur' by Rick Wakeman as the theme tune.

As others have said reworking a 1980's news theme!

Ugh!
I rest my case. BBA (Bring Back Arthur)

Ironic.. it's all about democracy, but will the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ restore Arthur's Theme? Nah.. they feel above it all - happily spending our money commissioning something they know will disappoint.

This will taint the whole evening - especially that nonsense about "recognising a sense of history".

Now we know who runs the show.

No doubt the coverage itself will be excellent. The BEEB know what they're doing for big events like this and I would never dream of watching it on any other channel. But changing the theme is a major clanger. I love the drama of election night and that theme is the starting gun, the big flashing neon sign screaming "it's started, time to settle down and crack open the tinnies". It won't be the same without it, like the FA Cup Final without Abide With Me, and smacks of some creative type making a change simply to justify their position. It's not too late to redeem yourselves and change it back.

I'm gutted! I was looking forward to seeing what graphics you set to Arthur's theme - the new tune is a disaster!

I read somewhere last week that the Beeb commissioned the new theme on the cheap. They didn't pay the composer, who is a virtual unknown, and they had the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ orchestra already booked for something else, so they could add the recording for the election theme onto the end of it. A ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ spokesman apparently said that when they were looking at the old theme (Arthur), they thought it needed updating! And this was the result!!

#51. At 6:44pm on 05 May 2010, Buck_Turgidson wrote:

Dull, as in causing boredom; tedious; uninteresting."

But only to those who think politics is all about 'Image', want that sort of media rubbish, watch "X-Factor"...

jnforrest - CSPAN in the US Typically carry the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Election Feed Live, they did in 2001 and 2005 at the very least, so I imagine they will do so again.

Everyone complain at this travesty of broadcasting how can they take away our beloved Arthur? I have already vented on Twitter join me with your angry tweeting at this injustice #bbcelectiontheme

I agree with the comments that the iconic 'Arthur' Tune should be brought back.
Never as a tune like Arthur make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and send a shiver down your spine just before the election Night.
Not too Late Beeb, the Public has spoken, bring back Arthur, dropping it in 2001 was a mistake, why have you done it again????

Also rather then having the elections on the iplayer, why cant the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ bring the Elections out on DVD?

I think the video looks better if you mute it and play XX::intro(the Election coverage trailer music) from youtube over it. This new program music is too much like stock music you'd use in a home video.

Thatcher and Blair might annoy some people as well. As we may end up with the worst of both of them rolled into one in my personal opinion(not wishing to start a discussion on that). Isn't it possible to split audio channels on Digital TV? probably too late now though.

I was a 10yr old in 1974 and was fascinated. There were two elections, in the Feb one the Tories got more votes but fewer seats, I remember the talk of whether Ted Heath would try and stay, then again Harold wilson was a real character, but subsequently labour limped along for 5 years (familiar?).
My son is now 10, I gather his class discussing establishes that Gordon Brown is an "idiot" and they all think Nick Clegg is a "really nice guy" (i'm glad the issues have been sorted then).
Now working in the US paid in $'s waiting for a hung Parliament so my money pays for more at home. This is now inevitatble following 13 years of largely pointless spending splurge and a toxic legacy. "Things Can only get better", you bet!
God, I also remember the swingomiter, was'nt that great

arthur 2005 election. You could try opening another tab, mute the sound on the title video and try to play the arthur track over the titles. to see what it would be like. Itll probably take a few trys

Isn't it a bit sad to drag out an old tape of Thatcher's election as a reminder of what it was like being ten year's old? I wonder about people in journalism and the media, I mean just how egocentric can you get?

It reminds me of the hype built up around Premier League football, a hype which still survives despite all the fractures appearing in the fabric that, I assume, were not in the plan. When the foundations of our national sport start to creak violently you know something very major is about to start crashing down. Just as well the sport is football and not dominoes.

Just as football has become a game of chance for three or four football clubs, so our elections engage the same percentage game. Those percentages amount to two clubs having a better than evens chance of winning the title, and one other having a slightly less than one in three chance of coming second, but never winning. The other clubs scrap for the relegation places.

The media hate an open game because it makes them look ordinary; did they notice the finesse demonstrated by Northern Rock supporters at a fixture a while back? No. They chose to regard it as hooliganism, the knee jerk violent reaction to a perfectly natural phenomena called a bank heist.

So the Sale of the Century opens and we peer expectantly at the glittering prizes on offer. Then we realise that it is all a bit like the Eurovision Song Contest where rigged voting gets us going for just a moment. We laugh at Eurovision because it is funny; we should be crying at this pathetic excuse for a General Election.

2005 arthur and x::intro fit quite well.

May I suggest the theme be changed to 'Killing In The Name' by Rage Against The Machine? It worked at Christmas!

Can we vote for a party that will take us back to 1974? With a couple of exceptions it sounded like a better place than now.

Why did you change the music? It was fabulous and dramatic and provided the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ with the perfect start to election night. You've replaced something superb with a dire noise. The graphics are great, but you should have retained the music. Big mistake.

A UK General Election just isn't the same without the "Arthur" theme music. Hopefully they'll change their mind and reinstate it in time for the results programme.

Sorry to butt in on this thread but the "new theme" thread lacked a comment section.

A more appropriate theme would have been Warner Brothers' theme. Licencing fees might have been a killer, tho ;)

You should have the Smiths' Shoplifters of the World Unite as the new theme. That ought to do it.

It looks like a campaign has begun on Facebook to Bring Arthur Back to the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Election Night.

So far the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ remain silent. How ironic that just a few weeks ago it broadcast a radio programme - A Night To Remember - looking back at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Election Night programmes whose starting point was...'Arthur'!

Quite ironical! But looks like a time has come when us Indians can have a reverse learning British politicians on a few things. We have stalwarts in our political arena(innumerable of them) who are quite accomplished in this numbers game and government formation (Jod tod ki rajniti as we call it). Have been thriving on it for ages. Besides, right now, many of them are unemployed as well (lost power in last elections). You have options. Call them as consultants. Or, Pay by result - pay if they help you come to power. Or BOT (Build Operate Transfer).All modes can be offered. Results and Satisfaction guranteed. Payment terms very easy. All payments through Banks - Swiss banks preferred.

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Another one for the Bring Back Arthur brigade.

Someone on YouTube has had the right idea and mixed the new titles and the 1992 version of Arthur.

And it really works rather well.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, you know what to do...

Why does Churchill appear in your opening titles before Atlee?

Churchill never won an election during his first time as PM; Atlee won 1945 and 1950, and then Churchill came back with his win in 1951 (with fewer votes than Labour, by the way). So it would seem that if you are featuring election winners since the war, it should go Atlee followed by Churchill.

Ive just switched on bbc news 24 and there is nothing about the election did it stop been news because it election day?

Hi

Got back from voting short while ago - had to wait until 7.00am for them to officially open.

Not so much keen, (though this vote extremely important for Democracy). More a case of couldn't sleep. (Obstructive Sleep Abneoa).

Duty done..

Like everyone else, as soon as I saw this I immediately came onto this page to see what new graphics had been set to Rick Wakeman's 'Arthur'. For some reason, you seem to have taken the the opening theme from a 1970s American PBS nature documentary. If I could be so bold: Arthur is a legend, both literally and musically, and that piece is synonymous with election night. Someone on Youtube mocked up this sequence with Arthur. Please, it's not too late to change it. It took this guy about 20 minutes:

I have to agree with 88! The Youtube video is fab. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, please at least satisfy all these comments and include it at some point (by popular demand) tonight.

The new graphics for the Results show opening are excellent, but as many people before have said, why change the music ? Please reconsider this, and reinstate Rick Wakemans "Arthur".

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Yes. Rick Wakeman's Arthur!! It appears that if you polled on this topic, you would have not just a landslide but an electoral wipeout for the elevator music you have chosen instead. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, you have ultimately failed us, the British licence fee paying electorate. Please sort it out before tonight!

all you see on the tv and radio is three party,s . and i think this is a bit misleading to some of the public.....

How much money has been wasted on the election night studio with all its computerised gimmicks.

Why not just wait until Friday morning and announce the results?

Some contributors have asked why there are separate programmes for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and therefore assume that ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ1's coverage is therefore only for the English.

Being English and having lived in West Wales (Pembrokeshire) for 8 years, eve the Irish Republic is closer to me (as the seagull flies) than Cardiff.

In the Wales (and the other nations of the UK), we have the likes of Plaid Cymru, the SNP (in Scotland) and the various Unionist and Nationalist parties in Northern Ireland.

In England, its fair to say that there are now 3 main parties. In Wales et al, there are 4.

Whilst I personally am interested in the whole of the UK, I am also interested in Wales' results as this is where I live (by choice).

I would imagine those who question the separate results in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are probably not interested in what happens here, as even the national papers seem to forget there is life beyond the Severn Bridge and the papers are stuffed with English football results, English rugby and the England football team as it goes to South Africa for the World Cup.

I'm not saying they are anti-English here, its just that those in England do not understand the perceived bias for England in news and sports. If there is a Welsh news story, its invariably to do with a murder or some other bad news.

England needs to appreciate the diversity of the nations that make up the UK (as I do) as I can understand why others see it differently.

Our elections in Australia are a lot more interesting, especially the Federal elections. For a start the polls don't close in WA for at least 2 hours after the eastern states, which like many elections has held the result up and the preferential systems makes for some interesting results, many of which are not known for days. There is also the senate elections, which takes weeks to get the final results.

Surely it will never be as good as this election night coverage?

It really is fundementally misguided of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to push onto ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ2 the national UK coverage of the General Election in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This is a UK General Election. We all go out today to vote for a Westminster MP, wherever we live in the UK. It is the national picture which is most important - we are electing a government after all. Separate local coverage, whether it be for the UK countries or English regions, should be on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ2, with the main UK coverage on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ1 for everyone. I'm Welsh, by the way.

OK its Facebook time!

Bring Back Arthur Facebook group!

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