British elections; Conservatives win big and all losers resign party chairmanship

Farage stood by his pre-election promise to resign if he lost his bid to win a seat in the House of Commons.

"I feel an enormous weight has been lifted from my shoulders," he said Friday at a court center in Margate in the electorate of South Thanet east of London where he contested Thursday's election.

Farage finished second behind Conservative Party contender Craig Mackinlay, a former UKIP deputy leader.

UKIP gained nearly 3.8 million, or 13 percent, of votes across the United Kingdom, but finished second or third in a number of constituencies.

Nick Clegg, the leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats, retained his own constituency in Sheffield, but resigned as party leader on Friday after accepting responsibility for the "catastrophic" loss of seats during Thursday's parliamentary election. "It is now painfully clear that this has been a cruel and punishing night for the Liberal Democrats," Clegg, who served as deputy prime minister for five years under David Cameron, said.

British opposition leader Ed Miliband announced his resignation as head of the Labour Party after a crushing defeat in Thursday's election.

"It's time for someone else to take forward the interests of this party," he said during his concession speech.

Miliband, who will remain in parliament after winning his constituency, said "Britain needs a strong Labour Party...that can rebuild after this defeat."

Read more: UKIP leader Nigel Farage fails to win seat in UK election, Clegg resigns leadership post | News | DW.DE | 08.05.2015

British Labor leader, France's Hollande agree on growth

Britain's opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband on Tuesday become the first senior British politician to be received in Paris by the newly elected Socialist President Francois Hollande.

The visit came after Britain's Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron apparently snubbed Hollande when he made an election campaign visit to London in February.

Miliband, who earlier met with French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, told reporters after his talks with Hollande that they had discussed the crisis in the eurozone and agreed that Europe urgently needed economic growth.

"Since he took office, President Hollande has been seeking to move this debate in Europe, and the debate internationally, towards a Europe... that is growing again," he said. 

"And I think that is a clear point of agreement between us," said Miliband.


Read more: British Labour leader, France's Hollande agree on growth < French news | Expatica France

Britain: New labour Leader Ed Milibands optimistc speech : "ready to lead a new generation"

"Freedom and opportunity are precious gifts and the purpose of our politics is to expand them, for all our people. That faith is not something I chose. It's not something I learned from books, even from my Dad's books. It was something I was born into."

"I come from a generation that suffered school lessons in porta-cabins and crumbling hospitals. I tell you one thing, for the eighteen years they were in power the Tories did nothing to fix the roof when the sun was shining. Our legacy is a generation for whom newly built schools and modernised hospitals are an everyday fact of life. I am proud of the fact that because of what we did, yes we did save the National Health Service in this country."


"You saw the worst financial crisis in a generation, and I understand your anger that Labour hadn't changed the old ways in the City which said deregulation was the answer."


"This generation wants to change our economy so that it works better for working people and doesn't just serve the needs of the few at the top. This generation wants to change our society so that it values community and family, not just work, because we understand there is more to life than the bottom line. This generation wants to change the way government works because it understands the power of the state to change lives but also how frustrating it can be if not reformed."

"This generation wants to change our foreign policy so that it's always based on values, not just alliances."

Note EU-Digest: an excellent optimistic speech  by Ed Mileband which can serve as an example for every moderate European politician to take in combating the rising wave of nationalistic right-wing doomsday rhetoric.

For the complete speech click on this link : Labour conference: Ed Miliband speech in full | Politics | guardian.co.uk