'The first time I cried over an election': readers on the Tories' victory

‘The turkeys voted for Christmas’

The turkeys voted for Christmas. They won’t like it when they get stuffed by Brexit, dismantling of the NHS, reduced civil liberties, reduced employments rights, reduced scrutiny of executive powers, lowering of environmental protections, and continued hostile environment towards non-British citizens and anyone claiming benefits. Postconventional

‘Corbyn has just eviscerated the Labour party’

That Corbyn chooses to go at his own timing is so laughable. The man has just eviscerated the Labour party (am I allowed to say fu*ked on here?). Just more evidence why no one should be voting Labour ever again. mstromaine

‘I’m not sure why the result is surprising’

I’m not sure why the result is surprising, as it falls well within the margins consistently predicted by opinion polls throughout the campaign. I guess people are cynical about their validity, due to getting predictions wrong in the past. Labour will need to start accepting the fact that people are voting with a national identity as the main driving force, currently. While people do have concerns about health, education and public services, as well as the climate crisis, Labour needs to sell itself as a patriotic party again and make people feel proud of it. Rory

‘Well done UK – another five years of the same crap’

Well done UK. You have just voted for another five years of the same crap as the last nine. Never mind eh? Boris Johnson will still act in that cuddly toy mode and you will smile while he screws the country, your life, and your family to the brink of destruction. Well done again from the homeless, the disabled, the young and the old who will suffer with you without the smile. Garyrob

‘I don’t want to see Corbyn on my TV anymore’

Jeremy Corbyn needs to resign today - this waffle about a “period of reflection” sounds like it was written before the actual result was known. The full, toxic horror of this result is on him and I don’t want to see him on my TV anymore. embolalia

‘The whole world is laughing’

The whole world is laughing at Britain. JSpicoli

‘The British public are a lot more to the right than Labour think’

TBH I wasn’t expecting Labour to do well; anyone outside Momentum could see Corbyn was an extremely hard sell. What is amazing is how poorly the Lib Dems did; I don’t think it was their Brexit strategy, it was choosing Jo Swinson who turned out to be a very poor choice and made absolutely no impact, people were talking 100 seat upside, dear oh dear oh dear. Despite everything I cannot believe that the British people elected Bojo, this was an actual joke scenario a year ago. It should be informative to Labour though; the British public are a lot more to the right then you think they are and currently foisting the likes of Miliband and Corbyn on them just ensures you defeat. MRTee

‘Corbyn: a good man ripped to pieces’

I feel very sad for Jeremy Corbyn. A good man who was ripped to pieces every day since in power by many a nasty folk. At least he kept his place as an MP. His constituency know he is a decent fellow, unlike the other nasties, still putting the boot in. Marylynn

‘The next few years are going to be incredibly unpleasant’

Looking at the sharp divide between town and city makes me wonder how much more division can the UK take before fragmenting completely? It is likely that Scotland will leave the UK, and that NI will unify with the rest of Irealnd but within England and Wales the divisions are only going to get sharper too. The next few years are going to be incredibly unpleasant. The weather this morning perfectly captures my mood. Cold, dark, wet and miserable. Sadly none of this is a surprise, not the bleak weather and not the bleak outcome. DJT1Million

‘Corbyn must go now’

Corbyn must go now. This election should have been an open goal for Labour and would have been with any remotely competent leader. Anybody who could lose so spectacularly to that buffoon Johnson is clearly unequipped to lead anything more demanding than an allotment cooperative. Get out, Jeremy, and take your coterie of pie in the sky, incompetent dreamers with you. Can we please have somebody with a grain of intelligence and feet firmly on the ground to lead the opposition? billkit

‘This is the first time I have cried about an election result’

I am 55 and this is the first time I have ever cried about an election result. Why did Labour lose? Corbyn. He is far too radical for 21st century Britain. People fear change, especially if their lives are comfortable – or even a tad uncomfortable, they prefer to keep the status quo rather than take a chance on the unknown. Brexit. Like it or not, the nation voted to leave the EU and Labour were perceived as attempting to thwart Brexit and reverse the referendum result. Labour will need to reforn and rebuild the party. It will take a decade to do that. Meanwhile we have another five years of the Tories to look forward to. Depressing. louise sanders