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Lights out!

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Nick Robinson | 03:03 UK time, Friday, 5 May 2006

Was it something I said..?

The entire studio has just been plunged into darkness, taking the programme off air.

I am dictating this to a kindly colleague because it's not just the studio that has gone down. It would appear that all power to this building - and a large part of Westminster that we can see out of the windows - has gone.

None of us can remember anything quite like it.

Comments

  • 1.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • wrote:

Yeah, I'd noticed, I'm now fighting to stay awake through Israeli Politics news on News 24 in the hope you'll all come back soon with some news from London.

  • 2.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Matt wrote:

Will Labour stop at nothing to cover up their bad results?

  • 3.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Stig wrote:

Whoooa! First the earpieces, now this. Keep us informed Nick....

  • 4.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Paul Hurst wrote:

Nick,

No pressure but your blog has now taken on a new significance... Keep us posted

  • 5.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • iain stevenson wrote:

bad news Nick-Skys elections results show with Adam Boulton is still on air and Im forced to watch it..please get back on air soon!

  • 6.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Paul wrote:

Thank you Nick for shedding some light (if thats a good phrase to use) on what has happened.

  • 7.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Richard Gunn wrote:

That explains why I'm now watching News 24 on ´óÏó´«Ã½1 here in Chesterfield instead of your election program...

  • 8.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • lee hannaford wrote:

Get one of the regions to cover it, unless they have gone to bed of course...

  • 9.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • scott wrote:

haha whats going on, crazy stuff

  • 10.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Richard wrote:

Well, I was certainly wondering what's going on. Now must watch News 24 - it's really not he same.

What's happened in London?

Get it together chaps!

  • 11.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Geraint wrote:

'new' Labour, 'new' Blackouts, particularly when they're not doing very well.

  • 12.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Billy wrote:

´óÏó´«Ã½1 and News 24 currently simulcasting ´óÏó´«Ã½ World. This is incredible.

Ironically, the current ´óÏó´«Ã½ World story is...the local elections.

  • 13.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Toby wrote:

I must say this is pretty frustrating to sit through, and it sounds quite bizarre I must had.
Anyway, enjoying the programming so far and now reading this blog, so keep it up...Can't wait to hear about the Ealing result if the speculation is true!

  • 14.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • J Whipps wrote:

Take care Nick!

Does the ´óÏó´«Ã½ supply torches at licence payers expence or do you have to carry your own?! - (Indeed should you ask for a little extra in the Charter for the Electric Meter?)

Marvellous that you keep up the blog no matter what else is going wrong.

And I was enjoying the coverage too, hope you're back on soon. All the best.

  • 15.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Jason Linsdell wrote:

Whats the odds of Blair grinning as he flicked the switch!?

  • 16.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Dougald wrote:

Perhaps Labour has pulled the plug to save its embarassment - like Jordan did when they realised Israel was going to win the Eurovision song contest in the '70s...?

We'll wake up in the morning and find that they staged a massive comeback in London after 3am! (Starting with Enfield?)

  • 17.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Steve Jones wrote:

I assume that this wierd power failure is also the reason behind such odd updates on the election part of the website as:

"Others gain Harrow"...

  • 18.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • CraigM wrote:

Enoyed the apparent inability of any labour minister to hear difficult questions - should we expect this to be the official response from the government in the morning?

  • 19.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • wrote:

Perfect opportunity to tap up Tessa Jowell about the reshuffle, will she be going in to Downing Street in the morning too?

Currently enjoying coverage of the Bolivian Summit, resisting changing over to sky, please, get the generators running, anything! spare me!

  • 20.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Rich wrote:

A very unfortunate development, your coverage has been excellent all night. Come back when you can, even if you're broadcasting from an old shack somewhere by candlelight!

  • 21.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • wrote:

David's revenge?

  • 22.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Tom Ankrom wrote:

Well atleast its not a white-wash!

  • 23.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Andy Forrester wrote:

This could turn out to be the most interesting election coverage to date

Come on Nick - reckon you can keep the commentary and results coming to us single handedly??

You may have to start drawing Jeremy's maps!

  • 24.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • lee hannaford wrote:

can you give us updates on blog as sky news all over the place

  • 25.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • adan bolton wrote:

The reason is quite simple. In the last twenty minutes of your coverage you mentioned the BNP maybee 50% of the time.

  • 26.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Phil wrote:

Cool - Radio 4 is now running a programme about pork pies. How much of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is affected?

Hope you're all ok in there!

  • 27.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • David wrote:

well at least i can drag myself off to bed now! You say that a lot of Westminster is out too? Does this imply that you are doing the broadcast from a studio in Westminster? not White City?
Goodnight all

  • 28.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Sonic wrote:

Blimy, what is going on then???

  • 29.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Marcus wrote:

Don't rush back Nick! Emily Matalis looks lovely! I could watch her all night!

  • 30.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Jason Linsdell wrote:

Actually, its lucky Prescott isn't a guest. Who knows what his wandering hands could do in the dark!

  • 31.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • William D wrote:

I KNEW the government had a mole inside the ´óÏó´«Ã½ to sabotage everything! Not content with cutting off the audio feeds when the questions get awkward, they're now so so desperate to cover the talk and results they had to cut you off completely!

  • 32.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Steve Jones wrote:

Hurrah! Back to the election watching.

  • 33.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Chris V wrote:

Oooo we are back in the pub... are they real people or ´óÏó´«Ã½ extras like in the Queen Vic? Will Babs Windsor pop up (or out) in a minute and say "Oi, Maitlis - outta my pub"?

Can you all pile into a taxi and drive over there to do the analysis round the bar?

  • 34.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Mark wrote:

Election Night coming live from the pub - top class!!

  • 35.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Steven wrote:

I find it quite amusing that during this quite poor period for New Labour, power has been lost around Westminster.. is this a forewarning for Blair?

  • 36.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Olivier Weber wrote:

Nick, I'm sorry, I'm switching over to Sky News (for background noise). But my eyes stay glued to your blog.

  • 37.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • lee hannaford wrote:

horaay...saved from sky

  • 38.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Mark Smith wrote:

Come on Nick, perfect opportunity to go down the pub and join Emily (who could resist!)

Amusing to think of the election team hot-footing it down to the nearest tube station en masse with Nick on the phone relaying the latest: "Con take Bexley!"

  • 39.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Joanne wrote:

I never realised Alastair Campbell had such powers!

You're doing a great job Nick.....hope you all appear back on air soon.

Take care,

Joanne

  • 40.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Gill wrote:

Well, I think we should just "draw a line under it" and carry on......... (sound familiar?)

  • 41.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Tom Ankrom wrote:

has a motor cycle just come through the roof, and if so can i suggest you ask for the key-maker... he should be able to take you to the secret play that blair and brown share fun and jokes by the log fire!

  • 42.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Gill wrote:

Did anyone see where Tessa Jowell went? Has she been spotted holding a plug?

  • 43.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • iain stevenson wrote:

Dont tell me the ´óÏó´«Ã½ are spending so much money on Terry Wogan and Chris Moyles salaries that they cant aford to pay the electricity bill!

  • 44.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Ben wrote:

Well it is a shame to have lost power in westminster. Omens I tells ya! May be we should start a debate while they fix it?


Ok here is the question:

Has tonights losses made Blair's remaining time shorter, or will he still aim for the magic 10 years to beat Thatcher?

  • 45.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • lee hannaford wrote:

Are we going to see an out of breath election team turn up in the pub anytime soon?

  • 46.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Beck wrote:

Come on, Nick!

This is all very suspicious; what was all of Westminster doing at this time in the morning that blew ... well, the entire Borough ?

  • 47.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Anonymous wrote:

Silence from Nick at Westminster...

Is it down to us to keep this going until the power is restored?

Anyone got any comment on the word from the pub?

  • 48.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • iain stevenson wrote:

Dont tell me the ´óÏó´«Ã½ are spending so much money on Terry Wogan and Chris Moyles salaries that they cant aford to pay the electricity bill!

  • 49.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Marie Denley wrote:

Glad coverage is back now, but I was enjoying my conspiracy theories.

Why am I still so wide awake? I'm far too old for this undergraduate lifestyle!

  • 50.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • adam bolton wrote:

Did anyone notice that before we were cut off that the screen behind David didn't come on line and then he passed it over to Proffesor Tony King who was cut off and started by saying "One of the things that has been taken for granted in this discussion is that we are witnessing the break-up of the two party sistem..."
This was preceeded by too much enthasis on the BNP.
The powers that be had no choice but to cut the program.

  • 51.
  • At on 05 May 2006,
  • Andy Forrester wrote:

In response to Ben's question.....

Of course Blair will go on - he survived his dodgy dossier, going to war illegally, no end of embarrasments by his senior ministers....losing a few council seats ain't going to stop his stubborn pursuit of a legacy and his place in history

Maybe the power out will though - we can but hope

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