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For Gordon Brown, for David Cameron, for Nick Clegg, for the journalists, for the voters, and for the Labour leadership contenders.

And it is historic. After all the wrangling, .

Astonishing really. Would Lib Dem MPs like Sir Alan Beith, Tim Farron and the newly elected Ian Swales ever have expected to be sitting on the government benches with the Conservatives?

So what will it mean for the parties in the region?

For many local Lib Dems, there is some excitement at finally having some power.

Quite a few I've spoken to today seem encouraged by the kind of concessions they've wrung from David Cameron, and feel they can help the region by tempering Tory policies.

But others said there were questions they still wanted answering before being convinced.

And there are undoubtedly some qualms amongst a generation of Lib Dems who came into politics to fight what they thought Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives were doing to the North.

Some are worried that they will now be responsible for the severe cuts that could be coming our way.

And you suspect many voters would also be taken aback that their Lib Dem vote has helped to put the Conservatives in power.

Labour's charge of "Vote Lib Dem, get Conservative" cannot fail to have real resonance now.

One councillor has told us privately that he may not bother standing in the next election because he feels certain to lose his seat in a backlash.

Labour will look to capitalise on that, but a new kind of politics also carries dangers for them.

It's possible David Cameron may have achieved what Tony Blair dreamed of, a realignment of politics that makes it very hard for the Opposition to get back into government.

He will hope to claim the centre ground for many years to come, and keep Labour out of power.

Some in the party seemed satisfied to go into Opposition yesterday, believing they can bounce back, but if the current coalition does work that wait could be five years.

And the risk for Labour is a potential lurch to the left as there are significant elements within the party who will want to use this defeat to cast off the New Labour chains.

Which brings us to the leadership contest.

As I write David Miliband is preparing to formally announce his candidature.

But what are his chances?

but there are doubts about how much support he can claim in the parliamentary party and amongst the trade unions.

.

He may even face competition from his brother.

I think it's a pretty open and unpredictable contest.

For the Conservatives in the region, they've achieved what they wanted - power - even if they've had to compromise on some of their policies.

But now they face a real gear change.

From being on the attack against Labour's record in the region, they're going to have to defend what are likely to be some pretty tough decisions.

And with a coalition partner to keep happy, we really are in uncharted political territory.

But before we move onto pastures new, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on what's also behind us now.

was an emotional one yesterday.

This time last week, I was heading to Carlisle for his eve of poll visit.

There I found an energised and even cheerful Gordon Brown, liberated by knowing that the pressure was now off.

After interviewing him, I was keen to watch him making his final pitch from Carlisle on the Six O'Clock news.

I even took a couple of snaps of him on my phone because It felt like one of those moments you'd always want to remember - the passing of an era.

I suspected it would be the last time he would be in the region as Prime Minister, and that's proved to be the case.

Like so many political careers, his has ended in failure.

But love him or loathe him there's no question that one has now left the stage.

It's perhaps too soon to judge his legacy, for good or ill, but it's already becoming a very different political landscape without him.

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