Joy in No 10 while opposition parties left pondering future

Smashed and shaken by the sheer scale of its surprise election defeat, the British Labour Party now faces into months of soul searching as it chooses a new leader.

Ed Miliband was quick to take the personal blame for the party’s wipeout in Scotland and failure to dislodge the Tories in England as he resigned as leader.

Only hours previously, Mr Miliband and his team had expected the party to finish close to the Tories in seat tallies, and push their way into Downing Street with the backing of other centre-left blocks.