The thing with PR is, the current vote results are a horrid predictor for PR vote results.
Legolas Send a noteboard - 07/05/2010 03:45:58 PM
Labour and Lib Dems aren't that far behind... and the simple fact is that two centre-left parties make for a fairly natural alliance, unlike a centre-left and a centre-right party. So fromt hat point it is really not good for the Tories, as they can be shut out easily.
The key point though is this - more people in this country vote for left leaning parties than right leaning parties, as over 50% of the vote going to just Labour and Lib Dems alone shows. The popular vote is not kind to the Tories.
That is true now, because for historical reasons the Lib Dems managed to maintain that position of third party. It doesn't mean it would be that way if you actually had PR elections. UKIP and the BNP would see rather significant vote increases, and not all of it at the expense of the Tories. In addition, PR would put an end to the incumbency advantage that limits the losses of the big parties when they lose an election. If this election had been under PR, I dare say Labour would've gotten a fair few less votes than they got now, not merely fewer seats.
Of course, if your point is just about natural alliances, it's true that under PR, even with significant changes of the kind I described, the Tories would have a disadvantage in that the right-wing would be splintered in three parties, one of which is absolutely not viable for a coalition. But then, PR might also create changes within the parties, and perhaps force Labour and the Lib Dems to make the distinction between them a bit sharper, or even cause parts of parties to defect to others.
Lib Dems: Up 1% of the vote, down 10% of the seats.
07/05/2010 09:29:03 AM
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So what would you move to?
07/05/2010 09:53:51 AM
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I imagine if the UK changes it will move to Proportional Representation
07/05/2010 10:04:38 AM
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God I hate the British system
07/05/2010 10:24:35 AM
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It's an excellent morning. Conservatives are at 301 right now. *NM*
07/05/2010 01:57:52 PM
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Indeed
07/05/2010 02:22:37 PM
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I love how they're calling that option "The Coalition of the Losers".
07/05/2010 02:27:56 PM
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They are? Where?
07/05/2010 02:38:01 PM
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On the lovely BBC. Paxman, Robinson, Dimbleby et al.
07/05/2010 02:52:01 PM
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Ah, we have it on but with the sound turned down - the subtitlers must be skipping that phrase
07/05/2010 03:13:57 PM
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The thing with PR is, the current vote results are a horrid predictor for PR vote results.
07/05/2010 03:45:58 PM
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Re: The thing with PR is, the current vote results are a horrid predictor for PR vote results.
07/05/2010 03:52:19 PM
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I'm sure it would be a setup for new elections in a few months if they did. *NM*
07/05/2010 02:40:49 PM
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I suspect we'll get one of those anyway.
07/05/2010 02:52:32 PM
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What is the general consensus on who would win or lose from new elections?
07/05/2010 02:57:04 PM
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I've not heard any comment on this yet. I might have missed some.
07/05/2010 02:58:00 PM
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Not being talked about yet - I'd guess whoever is PM will lose though
07/05/2010 03:21:23 PM
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Re: Not being talked about yet - I'd guess whoever is PM will lose though
07/05/2010 03:29:37 PM
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Re: Not being talked about yet - I'd guess whoever is PM will lose though
07/05/2010 04:04:03 PM
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I suspect a great deal of the problem is George Osborn
07/05/2010 04:09:51 PM
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Re: I suspect a great deal of the problem is George Osborn
07/05/2010 04:24:56 PM
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I'm sure he is
07/05/2010 04:25:20 PM
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Heh.
07/05/2010 04:27:44 PM
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Re: Heh.
07/05/2010 04:43:18 PM
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His talking about "Portillo moments" was one of the best parts of the BBC's election broadcast. *NM*
07/05/2010 08:14:11 PM
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If they got PR as part of the deal it would be worth it
07/05/2010 02:42:36 PM
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Possibly.
07/05/2010 02:53:28 PM
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Re: Possibly.
07/05/2010 03:00:55 PM
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Sylvia Hermon the independent unionist would probably support them as well
07/05/2010 02:44:35 PM
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Re: Indeed
07/05/2010 03:45:00 PM
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Re: Indeed
07/05/2010 03:59:41 PM
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Well I'm fairly sure some Shinners have attended Tory conferences in the past
07/05/2010 04:05:56 PM
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The breakdown is pretty wack
07/05/2010 11:07:20 AM
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Tell me about it.
07/05/2010 11:14:44 AM
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I'm in the Cities of London and Westminster constituency.
07/05/2010 11:56:04 AM
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A simple change is all
07/05/2010 01:16:16 PM
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Not that simple
07/05/2010 02:45:00 PM
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Because my school was a polling station we used to get the day off every polling day
07/05/2010 02:51:18 PM
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Re: Not that simple
07/05/2010 03:04:57 PM
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PR is hardly too difficult to implement and is much more democratic
07/05/2010 02:48:01 PM
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What's amazing is that the exit polls are actually looking astonishingly correct, now. Huh. *NM*
07/05/2010 03:35:12 PM
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As soon as i turned on the TV, i was being told the Exit polls must be wrong
07/05/2010 03:47:15 PM
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Oh, and the other interesting thing will be seeing whether the Conservatives offer....
07/05/2010 03:57:52 PM
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Until you bring Lady Thatcher back, all of your elections are just pick-the-least-offensive anyway. *NM*
07/05/2010 04:08:32 PM
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Well her son is good at starting coups, so maybe he might be hired for her return. *NM*
07/05/2010 04:28:52 PM
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Whatever it takes. *NM*
07/05/2010 04:31:13 PM
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Please no, the milk stealer is still used to frighten children in Scotland
07/05/2010 04:47:26 PM
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OK here is the map of England by constituency, blue Tory, red NUlab
07/05/2010 05:00:20 PM
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So I'm just one of those upstart colonists....explain to me what is going on....
07/05/2010 05:26:59 PM
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Basically...
07/05/2010 06:43:10 PM
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And things are changing already
08/05/2010 04:08:47 PM
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I thought they weren't allowed to do that if Brown isn't Prime Minister?
08/05/2010 04:52:39 PM
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If i were the tories
07/05/2010 11:28:43 PM
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That is hilarious. Both Brown and Dimbleby have been around for a while, huh?
07/05/2010 11:59:58 PM
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Re: That is hilarious. Both Brown and Dimbleby have been around for a while, huh?
08/05/2010 06:11:38 PM
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Hmmm
13/05/2010 12:08:04 PM
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How was he supposed to know that at the time he made the post?
13/05/2010 09:52:24 PM
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Re: How was he supposed to know that at the time he made the post?
13/05/2010 10:59:35 PM
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