And the LibDems getting a generous share of Cabinet seats (although I have to wonder where you got your total of 12 from, I've seen much larger numbers for the amount of people in the Cabinet?) does not somehow erase the imbalance in the seats. After all, if they had as many seats as their share of the vote would earn them under any kind of somewhat proportional representation, they'd be in a position to get more Cabinet seats still while not having to call it generous or somehow feel in debt to Cameron's magnanimity. And you wouldn't have to get angry about it.
There are 23, plus an additional 5 Tories who will attend.
So the Lib Dems have around 21% of the actual cabinet posts (for 23% of the vote) and not even very good ones (Scotland Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister are nothing jobs with flashy titles) - it has already emerged that Cable doesn't have the power to actually head some committees he was supposed to and Osborne will instead.
Also Cable wasn't 'supposed' to do anything, the job is a newly created role, it was purely speculative before that.
I think under the current system the share of seats is probably fair, remembering also that there is a Lib Dem MP in every ministry. If we had PR then of course they should have more, but that assumes that they would get the same amount of votes under that system, while the skeptic in me says it would be much less, as a lot of protest votes directed at the two bigger parties would be removed.
Lib Dems: Up 1% of the vote, down 10% of the seats.
07/05/2010 09:29:03 AM
- 1656 Views
So what would you move to?
07/05/2010 09:53:51 AM
- 936 Views
I imagine if the UK changes it will move to Proportional Representation
07/05/2010 10:04:38 AM
- 1035 Views
God I hate the British system
07/05/2010 10:24:35 AM
- 1072 Views
It's an excellent morning. Conservatives are at 301 right now. *NM*
07/05/2010 01:57:52 PM
- 557 Views
Indeed
07/05/2010 02:22:37 PM
- 1102 Views

I love how they're calling that option "The Coalition of the Losers".
07/05/2010 02:27:56 PM
- 1013 Views
They are? Where?
07/05/2010 02:38:01 PM
- 1146 Views
On the lovely BBC. Paxman, Robinson, Dimbleby et al.
07/05/2010 02:52:01 PM
- 1033 Views
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
- 980 Views

The thing with PR is, the current vote results are a horrid predictor for PR vote results.
07/05/2010 03:45:58 PM
- 1026 Views
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
- 1059 Views
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
- 558 Views
I suspect we'll get one of those anyway.
07/05/2010 02:52:32 PM
- 1015 Views
What is the general consensus on who would win or lose from new elections?
07/05/2010 02:57:04 PM
- 1163 Views
I've not heard any comment on this yet. I might have missed some.
07/05/2010 02:58:00 PM
- 1040 Views
Not being talked about yet - I'd guess whoever is PM will lose though
07/05/2010 03:21:23 PM
- 1165 Views
Re: Not being talked about yet - I'd guess whoever is PM will lose though
07/05/2010 03:29:37 PM
- 1144 Views
Re: Not being talked about yet - I'd guess whoever is PM will lose though
07/05/2010 04:04:03 PM
- 1045 Views
I suspect a great deal of the problem is George Osborn
07/05/2010 04:09:51 PM
- 1056 Views
Re: I suspect a great deal of the problem is George Osborn
07/05/2010 04:24:56 PM
- 931 Views
I'm sure he is
07/05/2010 04:25:20 PM
- 1058 Views
Heh.
07/05/2010 04:27:44 PM
- 1101 Views
Re: Heh.
07/05/2010 04:43:18 PM
- 1099 Views
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
- 619 Views
If they got PR as part of the deal it would be worth it
07/05/2010 02:42:36 PM
- 1150 Views
Possibly.
07/05/2010 02:53:28 PM
- 1167 Views
Re: Possibly.
07/05/2010 03:00:55 PM
- 957 Views
Sylvia Hermon the independent unionist would probably support them as well
07/05/2010 02:44:35 PM
- 1061 Views
Re: Indeed
07/05/2010 03:45:00 PM
- 1062 Views

Re: Indeed
07/05/2010 03:59:41 PM
- 1151 Views

Well I'm fairly sure some Shinners have attended Tory conferences in the past
07/05/2010 04:05:56 PM
- 988 Views
The breakdown is pretty wack
07/05/2010 11:07:20 AM
- 995 Views
Tell me about it.
07/05/2010 11:14:44 AM
- 1015 Views
I'm in the Cities of London and Westminster constituency.
07/05/2010 11:56:04 AM
- 1042 Views
A simple change is all
07/05/2010 01:16:16 PM
- 1059 Views
Not that simple
07/05/2010 02:45:00 PM
- 999 Views
Because my school was a polling station we used to get the day off every polling day
07/05/2010 02:51:18 PM
- 1158 Views

Re: Not that simple
07/05/2010 03:04:57 PM
- 1152 Views
PR is hardly too difficult to implement and is much more democratic
07/05/2010 02:48:01 PM
- 1025 Views
What's amazing is that the exit polls are actually looking astonishingly correct, now. Huh. *NM*
07/05/2010 03:35:12 PM
- 523 Views
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
- 972 Views
Oh, and the other interesting thing will be seeing whether the Conservatives offer....
07/05/2010 03:57:52 PM
- 1123 Views
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
- 529 Views
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
- 559 Views
Whatever it takes.
*NM*
07/05/2010 04:31:13 PM
- 501 Views

Please no, the milk stealer is still used to frighten children in Scotland
07/05/2010 04:47:26 PM
- 985 Views
OK here is the map of England by constituency, blue Tory, red NUlab
07/05/2010 05:00:20 PM
- 1008 Views
So I'm just one of those upstart colonists....explain to me what is going on....
07/05/2010 05:26:59 PM
- 991 Views
Basically...
07/05/2010 06:43:10 PM
- 1025 Views
And things are changing already
08/05/2010 04:08:47 PM
- 1100 Views
I thought they weren't allowed to do that if Brown isn't Prime Minister?
08/05/2010 04:52:39 PM
- 1069 Views
If i were the tories
07/05/2010 11:28:43 PM
- 1045 Views
That is hilarious. Both Brown and Dimbleby have been around for a while, huh?
07/05/2010 11:59:58 PM
- 1339 Views
Re: That is hilarious. Both Brown and Dimbleby have been around for a while, huh?
08/05/2010 06:11:38 PM
- 1089 Views
Hmmm
13/05/2010 12:08:04 PM
- 1363 Views
How was he supposed to know that at the time he made the post?
13/05/2010 09:52:24 PM
- 1458 Views
Re: How was he supposed to know that at the time he made the post?
13/05/2010 10:59:35 PM
- 1057 Views
Yes I jumped the gun on the 12
14/05/2010 09:53:49 AM
- 1046 Views