The Lib Dems sold their soul to the Conservatives in order to cling to some level of power and yesterday, they paid the price for that decision. It looks like they’re going to be irrelevant for another few decades until people forget about this debacle. Labour made numerous gains except in Scotland where they ceded significant ground to the Scottish National Party. Considering the state of the British economy it’s no surprise that the Tories struggled and that the Lib Dems did even worse. The Tories did manage to add one seat in England though Labour added many more, as many voters dropped the Lib Dems. The Guardian:

The Liberal Democrats have paid a heavy electoral price for their decision to form a coalition with the Conservatives last year. Party sources have described the results as “fairly disastrous” and “a bloodbath”. The party has already lost almost 200 seats, and well over half the English council seats have still to be counted. The BBC is saying that, on the basis of its current estimated national share of the vote (see 4.40am), the Lib Dems would have just 21 seats in the Commons if there were a general election now and people voted as they did yesterday. The same figures suggest Labour would have 340 Commons seats – a narrow majority – and the Conservatives 264.