{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Sgwrs Tei Bow","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.clarkeroberts.co.uk\/cy","author_name":"Clarke Roberts","author_url":"https:\/\/www.clarkeroberts.co.uk\/cy\/author\/clarke-roberts\/","title":"A Dark Day to be a Liberal | Bow Tie Talks","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"4O5f5DG21c\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarkeroberts.co.uk\/cy\/2015\/05\/08\/a-dark-day-to-be-a-liberal\/\">Diwrnod Tywyll i Ffrynd y Llywodraeth \/ Diwrnod Tywyll i fod yn Rhyddfrydwr<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarkeroberts.co.uk\/cy\/2015\/05\/08\/a-dark-day-to-be-a-liberal\/embed\/#?secret=4O5f5DG21c\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;A Dark Day to be a Liberal&#8221; &#8212; Bow Tie Talks\" data-secret=\"4O5f5DG21c\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/www.clarkeroberts.co.uk\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>","description":"As the country wakes up to simply dumbfounding news that we are heading for a Conservative majority, there are many people questioning the successes and failures of their respective parties. The Tories have defied the odds and are on course to win 329 seats, 3 more than the required 326 to an outright majority. The Scottish National Party have by far been the clear winners of this campaign, picking up 50 seats across the country, effectively wiping out the Labour and the Lineral Democrat presence north of the border. But with big winners also come big losers. The Labour Party have evidently, performed\u00a0extremely poorly across the country, which is in part, down to the success of the SNP in Scotland. There have been whispers calling Ed Miliband&#8217;s leadershnip into question as key Labour MPs have failed to retain their seats; his leadership is not the only one to have been called in question this morning. The Liberal Democrats have suffered catastrophic loses, retaining a minimum of 8 seats, 46 fewer than in 2010; Nick Clegg has also hinted at his departure from the leadership. I am genuinely disappointed and upset by this result, and I even as I write this piece I find it difficult to express in words, my complete shock at what has happened overnight.\u00a0No one could have predicted a party winning a majority. But now that is a certainty, any talk of coalition forming between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems is a distant whisper. The fact is, the Lib Dems are now the fourth party in UK politics in terms of share of the vote, there is no longer a place for Lib Dem ministers at the cabinet table; the liberal voice in Westminster has been silenced, and I cannot see how it will ever be hears again. I was asked if I was surprised by the result by a colleague this morning, in a rhetorical sense as if I should have expected it. I was insulted: why should I have expected the Lib Dems to lose 47 seats? Their reply: &#8220;it&#8217;s Nick Clegg, he lied!&#8221; I knew the Lib Dems were set to lose seats, that was obvious. What was completely unseen was the scale of the loss; for every seat the Lib Dems lost, the SNP gained one of their own. It is a bitter defeat for my party. Truth be told, I don&#8217;t want Nick Clegg to stand down. I believe in him and I believe in what he stands for. He didn&#8217;t &#8220;lie&#8221; as my colleague so inaccurately claims, once again hinting at the tuition fee fiasco. The liars in that situation were the Labour party, for they lied as to how bad the deficit was! But I have defended this before, so I won&#8217;t waste my time doing so again. The Lib Dems made a big difference in coalition, but their legislative introductions have gone all but ignored by the media and most importantly, the electorate. Clegg is a good leader. [&hellip;]"}