Labour’s vote has been “squeezed by two nationalisms”, Labour’s former strategy chief Lord Mandelson said, after an exit poll showed the Tories on course to be the biggest party in the Commons by some distance.
“What seems to have happened is that all the three main parties have lost this election,” the ex-cabinet minister told the BBC.
“Some have lost it more than others – the Lib Dems in particular – but we seem to be heading to an outcome in which no party has achieved a majority.”
Lord Mandelson said it was important to “apply the usual health checks” to the poll, which forecast Labour would secure just 239 seats – 17 fewer than their tally at the start of the election campaign.
But asked how it could be explained, he said: “The Labour Party has been squeezed by two nationalisms. Obviously in Scotland with the SNP, very severely indeed, but also in England by the nationalist frenzy whipped up by David Cameron and the Conservative Party.
“The Labour Party has found itself very uncomfortably between those two.”
Questioned on whether Ed Miliband could form a government if the result was as poor for Labour as the poll suggested, he said: “What the country needs is a government that is durable and stable. What form that government takes remains to be seen when we get the final results.”
He defended Mr Miliband’s campaign and denied it had been a misguided “core vote” strategy.
“Many people looked at him afresh in this campaign. I think they liked him more, they admired him more, he has conducted a very professional campaign with considerable conviction and considerable passion.”
“We will see how many have voted for him when the results come in.”
He added: “What has gone wrong may be the exit polls, so let’s just apply the usual health checks.”
Some of the BBC analysis of the findings amounted to “an enormous amount of hyperbole heaped on speculation heaped on hypothesis”, he said.