This image ends our rolling report on the Catalan elections this evening
Rajoy’s party, the post fascist Peoples Party – the PP, have come bottom with just 3 seats. Rajoy gambled and lost. Miss three turns and go to jail Rajoy and set Spain’s political prisoners free. The PP are down from 11 to 3 seats in the Catalonian parliament.
6.00p.m. GMT
Catalan News has been reporting heavy polling in the Catalonia election with Catalans flooding to polling stations. The polls opened at 9.00a.m. this morning and will be open until 8.00p.m. Elections are normally held on a Sunday and this is the first on a working day. Employers must provide time off for voters to get to their polling station.
Catalans queued from before the polling stations opened and by 6.00p.m. this evening (Catalan time- 1 hour ahead of GMT) voter turnout rocketed to 68.3%. This is 5 points more than the last election in September 2015, when the figure by 6.00pm was 63.1%. With still two hours left to vote, the turnout seems accurate as an 80% turnout has been widely predicted.
As I post this there is less than an hour to go (GMT). Final turnout figures will be announced as polls close and result expected around 10.00p.m.
Updates on a rolling situation as news comes through
19.00 GMT
Catalonians have their say after this autumn’s high tension, with episodes including the police violence on October 1, the declaration of independence and the enforcement of direct rule of Catalonia from Madrid. There are two clear blocs running in the vote, the pro-independence and the unionist ones. In between, Catalonia in Common is non-aligned.
Seven parties are competing for a role in the new government. Three are pro independence and three pro Spain. Catalonia in Common is sitting on the fence, anti unilateral declaration of independence but critical of Spain and Rajoy’s PP formed by Franco’s Falangists as they they cold shouldered a form of democracy and the promoted the restoration of the monarchy.
20.00GMT
The Guardian have reported a telephone poll that indicated the 3 pro independence parties may have won by a narrow margin. The Unionist Ciutadans party could be the largest in the regional parliament. Caution remains until details begin to firm up to firm up the likely outcome
21.30GMT
With 50% of the poll counted the independence parties have moved into the lead. The PP- Peoples Party of Señor Fascisti Rahoy, with just 4 seats so far, is a resounding result for his hardline tactics of beating up pensioners, smashing the fingers of young women and throwing people down stairs to discourage democratic engagement. The misuse of Spanish law and an unconstitutional constitution for a modern democracy has bitten back at Franco’s successor. This election was on Rajoy’s terms and a bit difficult to declare unconstitutional tomorrow if the vote continues to pile up against the unionists.
With so many parties in the race there are bound to be unionists of a more moderate outlook than Rajoy. The central Spanish government is none too stable and if the trend is confirmed by the final count Rajoy will be the fall guy for fellow unionists.
James Kelly tweets
The Riddle of Verhofstadt: if the people of Catalonia don’t want independence, why do they keep voting for it?
22.07 GMT
We had our hands tied behind our back, with our political leaders in jail and exile, forbidden to use even the color yellow and WE STILL WIN. Imagine how much better we would’ve done if we had been at full strength. #Catalonia
Dorothy Bruce saysHow utterly humiliating #Spain ruling party rejected by 96% of people in #Catalonia
Looks as if Spanish PM Rajoy’s Popular Party are the big losers thus far in the #Catalunya elections. Catalan unionists rejecting his thuggish authoritarianism.
