The UK election thread

[JimC]

Tonight's YouGov opinion polls put the Lib Dems ahead of both Labour and the Tories (though still miles behind in seat numbers):

Conservative 32% (246 seats)
Labour 26% (241 seats)
Liberal Democrat 33% (134 seats)
Others 8% (29 seats)

Do you think the spurt in the Lib Dem support is due to their leader's reportedly good performance in the recent televised debate?

[Pappa]

Do you think the spurt in the Lib Dem support is due to their leader's reportedly good performance in the recent televised debate?

That's pretty much what everyone's saying. Also, he's never really had much of a platform among the general population, being often ignored by the media. The debate and all the other publicity he's now getting has made the public much more aware of him and also Lib Dem policies. More cynically, I also think it's very easy for him to package their policies in a simple bitesize way as being different from the other two parties... as there has long been a feeling that both main parties are too close to each other in policies.

[Trolldor]

as there has long been a feeling that both main parties are too close to each other in policies.

Western democracy at its finest!

[Pappa]

as there has long been a feeling that both main parties are too close to each other in policies.

Western democracy at its finest!

Westminster System is the cause.

[Trolldor]

as there has long been a feeling that both main parties are too close to each other in policies.

Western democracy at its finest!

Westminster System is the cause.

Trust me, I know.

[RuleBritannia]

I've just thought of another way to illustrate why first past the post is madness:

Say there are four constituencies, each with 9000 people, and there are only three parties (Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat).


(Parenthesis indicate number of votes)

Constituency 1. Labour (5000), Liberal Democrat (3000), Conservative (1000) = Labour win

Constituency 2. Labour (5000), Liberal Democrat (3000), Conservative (1000) = Labour win

Constituency 3. Conservative (5000), Liberal Democrat (3000), Labour (1000) = Conservative win

Constituency 4. Conservative (5000), Liberal Democrat (3000), Labour (1000) = Conservative win


Now both Labour and the Conservatives have won two seats, the Lib Dems have won none. But if you tally all the votes together, you'll find that all the parties have 12,000 votes.

Not only that but all the votes in red mean nothing. That's 16,000 out of 36,000 votes that count for nothing, 44% of the people.

[Pappa]

I swear I started a thread on different voting systems once, but I can't find it.

[redunderthebed]

as there has long been a feeling that both main parties are too close to each other in policies.

Western democracy at its finest!

Westminster System is the cause.

Trust me, I know.

Yes i think pappa forgets that we got the westminster system verbatim from the poms.

Its just that we have an elected upper house (the senate which is great because other parties can get elected) and a lower house which uses preferential voting instead of first past the post.

You'd have a even longer time explaining that to ficklefiend than you would first past the post.

[Pappa]

as there has long been a feeling that both main parties are too close to each other in policies.

Western democracy at its finest!

Westminster System is the cause.

Trust me, I know.

Yes i think pappa forgets that we got the westminster system verbatim from the poms.

Nah, I know many of the commonwealth countries have it... and it's two-party-system problems that it creates everywhere it goes.

[redunderthebed]

Nah, I know many of the commonwealth countries have it... and it's two-party-system problems that it creates everywhere it goes.

Meh it happens all over the world westminster or no westminster and there is several examples of no two-party states that run westminster. (although broad coalitions which is usually the alternative presents its own obvious problems).

[Rum]

I swear I started a thread on different voting systems once, but I can't find it.

We had a vote and the majority decision was to delete it.

[Deep Sea Isopod]

I was driving through Stroud today, and there was a row of houses, all with "Vote Green " placards outside.....
Then I noticed what they had on the drives.
Big flash sports cars, 4x4's and one even had an old "T" reg Talbot camper van.

Can I put this down as a FAIL?

[AshtonBlack]

I wonder what sort of factor tech is in all of this?

[Rum]

Was listening to Cameron earlier tonight. I know it is a shallow perception, but you know - his voice, his manner, meh. He is no PM!

[ficklefiend]