What happened in the North East in the General Election?

Those of you that stayed up overnight will probably be able to recall most of the results of the General Election we have been through as they came through the TV screens and into our overnight living rooms. The hung parliament wasn't thought possible at the start of the campaign, but here we are now with that exact situation. The picture across the UK was a mixed one, with results in many parts very different to what was expected even at this time yesterday. While the national picture looks uncertain, it is interesting to see what has happened across the North East. Here is a short guide to What happened in the North East in the General Election?

The disappearance of UKIP

The first thing to note is that UKIP has all but disappeared from the political landscape in the country. It's mandate was to press the government of the day to leave the EU. Now that has actually happened, it is almost impossible to see what they stand for and how they can reinvest themselves. Their leader Paul Nuttall has left the party after only a short time as leader and there is much debate over whether they will be there in a few months, let alone years.

This picture was mirrored in the North East where a relatively strong showing in 2015 and a heavy 'Leave' vote in the EU Referendum have seen people question the need to vote UKIP any more. As a result they saw a massive loss of vote and no chance of winning any seats in the region. The UKIP idea to appeal to working class voters disaffected by the Labour Party fell by the wayside as Jeremy Corbyn got stronger through the campaign and reconnected with the party's core vote.

Two party politics is back

For the first time in a long time, people tended to vote either Conservative or labour in their droves. As we have already discussed, UKIP haemorrhaged millions of votes and many of these went to Labour rather than the Tories. This was a surprise overall but in the North East this could have been predicted. people switched from Labour to UKIP over Brexit and the poor leadership of Ed Miliband. They were always likely to come back to Labour rather than jump to the Conservatives. this proved to be the case.

I don't think that two part politics is good for the country as a whole because it limits the choice, even when there is a wide margin of opinion and policy between the two main parties. The fact that the Lib Dems were pleased with 16 seats shows the low expectations they had coming into this poll. On the election map of the North East there is a lot of red and a smattering of blue.

What does the future hold?

It feels like we have come to a politics where people are more involved and more questioning. The claim that all you needed to do in the North East was wear a red rosette to be elected has been challenged and this must be a good thing. The country needs to elect people that will look after the best interests of their constituents. Scrutinising the candidates gives a better reflection of this than just voting the same way as your parents. We may see all of this again soon with another election a distinct possibility in the next year...

Check out the graphs and maps on the BBC website that break down the vote so you can see how this unfolded.