Poll: *** 2010 General Election Result & Discussion ***

Who did you vote for?

  • Labour

    Votes: 137 13.9%
  • Conservative

    Votes: 378 38.4%
  • Liberal Democrats

    Votes: 304 30.9%
  • UK Independence Party

    Votes: 27 2.7%
  • Green Party

    Votes: 2 0.2%
  • Scottish National Party

    Votes: 10 1.0%
  • British National Party

    Votes: 20 2.0%
  • Plaid Cymru

    Votes: 1 0.1%
  • DUP

    Votes: 4 0.4%
  • UUP

    Votes: 1 0.1%
  • Sinn Fein

    Votes: 2 0.2%
  • SDLP

    Votes: 3 0.3%
  • Other

    Votes: 16 1.6%
  • Abstain

    Votes: 80 8.1%

  • Total voters
    985
  • Poll closed .
Lose the constituencies and all the power becomes concentrated in the cities...

Is that really what you want?

Not just that but the constituencies are the key link between the voter and MP's and in my opinion should not be got rid of. Without the constituencies you need to completely change the system.
 
oh and wait, these unsustainable industries that provided goods and products that we still buy but now get via india etc (steel for example)...

Clearly they didnt - or they'd have been sustainable. We had begun to buy elsewhere because its cheaper.

You cant have a rich society with minimum wages etc etc AND a competitive nonskilled manufacturing industry. It doesnt work.
 
No it doesn't, it ensures that each constituency has a victor that the majority can tolerate, which isn't quite the same thing.

Predictions for 2005 under AV show Labour increasing their share of the seats from 55% to 60% on the same 35% of the vote. AV is not the answer to anything at all.
That's a fair point re: tolerance vs endorsement.

I'm not sure how valid the vote share argument is though, a representative government is representative, not what you would prefer to be the case :p If say 30% vote for Labour and 30% vote for them as a 2nd choice over the Tories, then arguably a 60% share reflects the will (tolerance) of the people. :p
 
haha, yeah the unions destroyed it... no British workers were being exploited, but thats ok, disempower the unions and buy overseas, less hassle I guess and all the fat cat owners make even more money. I sometimes wonder in this 'globalised' world if we are actually better off (apart from financially and the internet) and by financially I compare what we all generally have and take for granted compared to 20 - 25 years ago
Luckily this is GD, so:

rosesunglasses.jpg
 
Because it's not up to me to do that, you've have to be seriously mentally problematic to think that it's fine as it is. Don't expect it to change by itself. Besides, i'm not the organizer of the event. It's clear to see that it's a good idea, i posted it to inform people of it and to spread the word, not to have to spend my time explaining to right wing bigots as simply as possible that it is ;)

The constituency thing isn't representative at all, it means that there isn't anywhere near 1 vote per person. You're really fine with the fact that 36% Tory, 29% Labour, 26% Liberal in votes turns into 47% Tory, 39% Labour, 9% Liberal in terms of seats?

Part of me would definitely prefer PR, part of me would prefer a better FPTP system without the dodgy constituencies. Both have their advantages and their disadvantages, which is something you seem to be missing entirely.

I'd fully support PR in conjunction with strict limits on what parliament can do based on popularity in both lawmaking and taxation :)
 
Lose the constituencies and all the power becomes concentrated in the cities...

Is that really what you want?

Currently, rural consituencies are typically larger (in terms of number of voters) than city constituencies so I don't know how you figure that.
 
Part of me would definitely prefer PR, part of me would prefer a better FPTP system without the dodgy constituencies. Both have their advantages and their disadvantages, which is something you seem to be missing entirely.

I'd fully support PR in conjunction with strict limits on what parliament can do based on popularity in both lawmaking and taxation :)

Genuine question - how could PR be implemented fairly in the UK? I've been trying to reason it through and there just seems to be so many obstacles. I believe PR has to be the answer if it guarantees that the popular vote is reflected accurately in Parliment, but I can't work out, if it were agreed, how we'd progress from the current system to PR.
 
I also don't think that you should get rid of the idea of a local MP either.

Perhaps have completely separate local and general elections, who you want to run the country may well not be who you want to look after your local area.
 
Currently, rural consituencies are typically larger (in terms of number of voters) than city constituencies so I don't know how you figure that.

Larger constituencies reduce representation :confused: The system is already biased towards the cities as that is where the MP/Population ratio is higher. Cities are also dramatically overfunded compared to rural areas.

Remove the constituencies entirely though, and pandering to the cities will become worse, as on a purely popular vote basis, the urban areas are much more valuable than the rural ones.
 
Genuine question - how could PR be implemented fairly in the UK? I've been trying to reason it through and there just seems to be so many obstacles. I believe PR has to be the answer if it guarantees that the popular vote is reflected accurately in Parliment, but I can't work out, if it were agreed, how we'd progress from the current system to PR.

I have a few thoughts (especially around negative voting, AMS with a positive and negative vote for the top up vote would be very interesting), but the biggest problems (to me) are ensuring that the constituency link remains (means STV or AMS/MMP) and constitutional change to ensure that the prime minister always comes from the biggest party (perhaps strict rules around coalition forming) to prevent back room deals and continue to allow the public their choice.
 
How does PR work you independent candidates though? Surely if you're not a member of a party then you have no chance?
 
The Electoral Commission has been lobbying the government about revising the "creaking and breaking" system for years, they say
If you have loads of spare time you can read this research paper on the Jenkins Report to see what Labour rejected in 1998 :)

The Independent Commission on the Voting System was set up in December 1997, chaired by Lord Jenkins and with a remit to report within 12 months. Its report in October 1998 recommended a mixed system, of 80-85 per cent of the Commons to be elected by the Alternative Vote in individual constituencies, and the remaining 15-20 per cent by means of a party list- to be known as Top Up members.
For what it's worth, I actually like the US system where you vote separately for the Executive and the Legislature, that truly would be a huge shift though and I can't see it happening in the UK for many, many years, although perhaps one day.
 
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I guess I am too old fashioned hence the rose tinted glasses, funny how dysfunctional we all are nowadays, but we are so much better off....

and I am just as bad cos got 3 kids who live online and heres me with no kids for 1 night a fortnight sat online typing on here lol.
 
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