The Top 10: Results that were misannounced

Another election-related list, of winners declared losers

Miss Colombia had her crown removed and given to Miss Philippines after the results were misannounced during Miss Universe 2015 (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

After the embarrassment at the Oscars, with Faye Dunaway reading out La La Land as the winner of Best Picture when it was Moonlight, Tom Harris said he thought Jeremy Corbyn must wish she and Warren Beatty could announce our election results. David Herdson‏ suggested this list and nominated numbers two and five.

1. “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Mark Twain wrote to a reporter in 1897. It had been reported that he was ill, he explained, because he had been mistaken for his cousin, who had been “seriously ill two or three weeks ago in London, but is well now”. Nominated by 4RosesPete and Usahibs.

2. “Dewey Defeats Truman”, Chicago Daily Tribune, 1948. Harry S Truman, the Democratic incumbent, scored a great upset victory over Thomas E Dewey, the Republican.

3. Government amendments 101 and 66 to the Trade Union Bill in July 1974, wrongly declared lost on the Speaker’s casting vote. (In the case of a tie, the Speaker usually casts his or her vote for the status quo.) The defeats wrongly suffered by the minority Labour government were reversed in the House of Lords by agreement of the parties. Thanks to David Boothroyd. Mr Memory‏ suggested the 1993 vote on Labour’s Maastricht motion amendment, which was incorrectly called as a tie, when it was actually lost by one, but in that case the Speaker gave her casting vote to the Noes, so the result was the same.

4. Florida, called by the TV networks for Al Gore in 2000, allegedly affecting turnout in areas of state where polls were still open. Alex Briggs.

5. Bob Marshall-Andrews, Labour MP for Medway, who conceded defeat on TV in 2005, blaming Tony Blair, only to hold it by 213 votes.

6. Scottish Parliament elections, 2007. A miscount of the Highlands regional list initially made Labour the largest party, but the Scottish National Party had one seat more than Labour and Alex Salmond formed a minority government. Thanks to Henry Anderson.

7. Labour leadership election, 2010. Nick Robinson, the BBC’s political editor, predicted after the figures for the first round of voting were announced that David Miliband had won, only to be contradicted minutes later. Charlie Simpson.

8. Miss Universe, 2015. Steve Harvey announced that Miss Colombia had won, then had to unannounce it and invite Pia Wurtzbach of the Philippines to present herself to the authorities. Nominated by Anna Rhodes.

9. EU referendum, 2016. Nigel Farage conceded defeat – “it looks like Remain will edge it” – the moment polls had closed at 10pm. David Twizell.

10. Copeland by-election, 2017. David Dimbleby on BBC Question Time said: “Copeland has been held by Labour. The Tories haven’t taken Copeland.” Although he did immediately backtrack: “This is purely surmise at this moment. This is people at the count saying it.” It was the first seat gained by the government in a by-election since 1982.

No room, then, for Eurovision, 2007, when Terry Wogan and Fearne Cotton announced different winners at same time. Wogan said Cyndi had beaten Scooch. I have no idea what any of that means, but Political Football and 4RosesPete do.

Next week: We’ve had first lines of songs: let’s have the Top 10 last lines

Coming soon: Party names, continuing the election theme, after the Rubbish Party won a seat on East Ayrshire council in last week’s local elections

The e-book of Listellany: A Miscellany of Very British Top Tens, From Politics to Pop is just £3.79. Your suggestions, and ideas for future Top 10s, in the comments please, or to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk