Math of the Labour Landslide

[MoreJoe]

This Labour “landslide” victory is based on some odd math.
The unassailable Labour majority in Parliament received the votes of only 34% of those who voted. In fact only 60 percent of eligible voters participated. This means that Labour will be governing on the votes of just over 20 percent of the adult population, not exactly the "Landslide" they are writing about.
On a side note I have been checking this site on the lead up to the election expecting to see some spirited and informed discussion. Sadly I see that the site has become All Stanley All the Time.
Sincerely,
Joe

[Hill Walker]

[QUOTE=MoreJoe;1278433]This Labour “landslide” victory is based on some odd math.
/QUOTE]


It worked hen it was devised several hundred years ago but there were only two parties then. Since things changed to multiple parties you generally find the party in power is happy with it and all other parties favour reform to a different system.


The term "landslide" should only be used if talking about elected MP's, its useless if talking about votes as the numer of votes cast for the labour party only changed a little.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes More Joe…I visit regularly and I thought there might be something about the election to post to, but there was nothing.
You are right it IS Stanley and only Stanley….and if you do not follow the team then there is nothing here for you.

As to the Math of the ‘landslide’…it is not a landslide if those who are elected to govern get less share of the vote.
And this election resulted in a lower turnout….so this means only about 20% of the population will be pleased with the incoming government.
The Liberal Democrat’s polled 3.5 million votes and have 72 seats in the house(it was 71but a recount resulted in another Lib Dem getting a seat)….Reform polled 4 million votes and have just four seats…this is because of the undemocratic ‘first past the post’ system.
Reform and the Conservative Parties together polled more votes than Labour…..so the government we have now is one that was elected by default….it was not a real choice.
The only way we will ever get the government we want is if the system is reformed to Proportional Representation….and there is no will for this reform.


As Mark Twain observed ‘if voting changed anything, they would not let us do it’.

I feel very gloomy about the future because I do not think the Labour government has any idea how to solve the problems we are beset by….and it is reported that the migrants waiting in Calais to take to the boats were delighted with this result.

[MoreJoe]

I am not sure I have a grasp on this "First Past the Post" system other than to leap to the conclusion that it is probably a scam!
Here in the US they have sprung something called "Ranked Choice Voting" on the electorate. RCV is where you vote for every candidate in the order of preference. The results of close contests get decided.by the number of second place and even third place votes. After due consideration I can say that RCV is overly complicated and probably bent. Just the way party politicians like it.
-Joe

[Margaret Pilkington]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guide...g82/revision/2

I think that explains it.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I think there were a lot of people who voted Labour to take revenge on the tories.
Not that they wanted a Labour government.
Labour did not win it…the tories lost it…or rather gave it away.

Labour and the tories had very poor campaigns and it is unclear as to the aims of this new government…well, not that is not exactly true…the aims were laid out, but with very little detail as to how these aims would be achieved…or how they would be paid for.


Well other than taxing Non Doms and slapping 20%Tax on private school fees.

They have said they will not raise taxes for working people…but you can bet they raise fuel duty, maybe increase green levies because they want to hit Net Zero by 2030.

They will increase inheritance tax(as if that does not affect working people) and increase Capital Gains tax.
I feel sure the pensioners will feel their wrath too…maybe bus passes, free eye tests and the triple lock will be targeted because there is a huge black hole to fill before they even start on their projects.
They are going to institute something called GB Energy….a national energy company that will be based on renewables…wind turbines and the like…and they figure this will save families £300 a year.
They want to re-nationalise the railways too. Like that worked in the past(not)
They will wipe out the immigration backlog by granting all those illegal migrants an amnesty….and of course this will encourage more to arrive for the free health care, benefits and a roof over their heads.
Keir says he will release 40,000 appointments for patients in the NHS…he will do this by getting nurses to work weekends and evenings….don’t know where the money is coming from to pay the junior doctors their 35% that they are asking for.
He will need to shake that money tree really hard to accomplish that.

As you can tell, I am not hopeful at all that the promised changes will improve my life.

[Hill Walker]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Labour and the tories had very poor campaigns

I think all the contestants had very poor campaigns. I had no callers requesting my vote or asking my views on anything, neither did I get any leaflets through the door. I presume all/most of the activity took place on social media which I do not use. There was some activity on the box which I was aware of but did not bother with. I used the map on the BBC's web site to find out which constitancy I was now in as I was affected by the boundary changes, and also who was standing. Obviously none of the candidates really wanted my vote or they would have made themselves more obvious.


I am not surprised there was a low turn out, nor that the winners claim a 'landslide' and a mandate to do as they wish.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Like you no prospective candidates asked me my opinion either.
I did get a leaflet from the Labour candidate and the conservative too, but you cannot question a leaflet on the plans either of these parties had for our future.

I had lots of question that I would have asked, but no opportunity to get answers.
Our newly elected MP is from Blackpool, but when she was asked why this made her a good candidate for our town she came up with the fact that she married in a Rishton church and her in laws live in Ossy.
Like that gives her any idea of the issues that beset our area.
Also she has a four month old baby…..she does not inspire me with any confidence in her ability to represent us.

It is a poor show when the Local Labour Party cannot find a local person who they feel can get the support of the local community.

Anyway, it is done…cannot be undone and we have to live with the consequences.