Labour Victory...

[nick2]

Originally posted by DanSumption

Well, now Michael Howard has said he's bowing out, step forward... Boris Johnson

 

Oh lordy, I hope so.

[nomme]

Originally posted by Phanerothyme

That's an interesting discrepancy in the turnout for Sheffied Central

 

the guardian website lists turnout at 50.1%

the BBC website lists turnout at 38.4%

 

As someone who voted in Sheffield Central I must admit I was surprised at the low turnout. They were queuing out of the door when I went!!

 

Nomme

[goose]

Originally posted by nomme

I thought the old saying was ' a week is a long time in politics'.

 

Which makes five years a very very very very very very very very very very very very very very long time in politics.

 

Nomme

 

I know. It was a vain attempt at humor............ im wasted on this auidence

[goose]

Originally posted by Phanerothyme

I don't think I have heard of an election result where the winning party polls more votes than all the others combined.

 

What about George W Bush last year? Im no fan of American politics but at least there was a national outcry when Bush won the first time without getting the popular vote.

 

We have to put up with this every election!

[Skatiechik]

Not my quote, but I liked and agreed with it

 

"The future's bleak. The future's Brown"

[Phanerothyme]

Originally posted by goose

What about George W Bush last year? Im no fan of American politics but at least there was a national outcry when Bush won the first time without getting the popular vote.

 

We have to put up with this every election!

 

I just think it is unrealistic to expect more than 50% of voters to pick one party over the others, especially when it is a three, four, five or more way fight between candidates.

 

You are only likely to get more than 50% of the vote if you are a party in a two party system like the US.

 

Plurality is the key here. A 50% vote for any party would give them such an unassailable majority in parliament, that they would be free, like blair has done, to govern in a presidential manner paying no heed to the rest of the house or the virtues of parliament.

[goose]

Originally posted by Phanerothyme

I just think it is unrealistic to expect more than 50% of voters to pick one party over the others, especially when it is a three, four, five or more way fight between candidates.

 

You are only likely to get more than 50% of the vote if you are a party in a two party system like the US.

 

Plurality is the key here. A 50% vote for any party would give them such an unassailable majority in parliament, that they would be free, like blair has done, to govern in a presidential manner paying no heed to the rest of the house or the virtues of parliament.

 

This is one of the strengths of PR. It means that compromises have to be made and coalitions formed as its unlikley that one party will get over 50%.

[redrobbo]

I support proportional representation. I believe it is to be a much fairer way of holding elections. Unfortunately, supporters of PR tend to get into arguments amongst themselves about which method of PR is best.

 

However, with PR being introduced into the last European elections, also used in Northern Ireland, and to be used in Scottish elections - it may only be a matter of time before local and national elections in the UK are also conducted on the basis of PR. In the meantime, we continue to use the first-past-the-post system. PR would allow the political parties to concentrate on winning everyone's votes, and not just those of voters in key marginals.

 

Notwithstanding the loss of seats, it is indeed an historic occasion to witness a Labour government achieve a third consecutive term of office.

[DanSumption]

Billy Bragg's idea of (if I remember correctly) using both PR and first past the post is an interesting one - first past the post, as at present, for the House of Commons, and PR counted nationally from the exact same votes for the upper house, to replace the House of Lords but with more teeth.

[slimsid2000]

I see that George Galloway has made a big impact in the east end of London - but then so did Jack the Ripper!