UK Election Poll

[C0ckney]

plus the scots would never let us get rid of them that easily...

[MikeH]

Your list of what the seat breakdown would be under PR is quite interesting. I don't think that'd be a bad parliament make up at all.

[MOBIUS]

Not to mention the fact that countries like Germany require parties to garner 5% of the vote before they're allowed seats...

[C0ckney]

couldn't do that here though. no nationalist parties would pass the threshold, so the scots, welsh and irish would claim they didn't have proper representation, and they'd have a point. that's why i support PR with a regional element.

[MOBIUS]

But that's why we have devolution. Frankly it's nuts that Scottish and Welsh MPs can vote on stuff that specifically affects England when the vice versa is not true.

But yes, there is also a regional option which I would also be in favour of. Still, it is a neat way of nullifying the extremist vote.

[OzzyKP]

In terms of strategic electioneering, I wonder if the Conservatives would agree to PR if Scotland were granted some kind of independence? It seems that Labour's base of support is in the north. If that were stripped away the Tories would be in a much better political situation and may have less to fear from PR or IRV or other reforms.

[trev]

The change that would make most sense is what France does, have a runoff vote the following week between the two top candidates. This would not disadvantage the conservatives as much as many of the other methods.
But it is crazy that devolution is for parts of the country only, why not also have an English parliament for England only which has similar powers to the other parliaments, this way all of the British Isles is treated similarly.

[Cort Haus]

But that's why we have devolution. Frankly it's nuts that Scottish and Welsh MPs can vote on stuff that specifically affects England when the vice versa is not true.

[Cort Haus]

In terms of strategic electioneering, I wonder if the Conservatives would agree to PR if Scotland were granted some kind of independence? It seems that Labour's base of support is in the north. If that were stripped away the Tories would be in a much better political situation and may have less to fear from PR or IRV or other reforms.

Oh dear.

It's nice that you people over there are taking an interest, really.

However, please get over the notion that Scotland is some sort of oppressed colony of Teh Evil English, and straining at the leash to be 'granted independence'. They already have substantial autonomy, and in fact, are constitutionally dominant over England under the current arrangements.

It is true that the Conservatives have little support (and, I think, no seats) in Scotland, but they are fundamentally opposed to Scottish Independence. It is part of their DNA.

If you are suggesting "Stripping away" areas of Labour support from Britain, this would include practically all the urban areas in the country, including London, the Midlands, as well as the towns and cities of the North-West, North-East and Yorkshire.

[notyoueither]

Oh dear.

It's nice that you people over there are taking an interest, really.

However, please get over the notion that Scotland is some sort of oppressed colony of Teh Evil English, and straining at the leash to be 'granted independence'. They already have substantial autonomy, and in fact, are constitutionally dominant over England under the current arrangements.

It is true that the Conservatives have little support (and, I think, no seats) in Scotland, but they are fundamentally opposed to Scottish Independence. It is part of their DNA.

If you are suggesting "Stripping away" areas of Labour support from Britain, this would include practically all the urban areas in the country, including London, the Midlands, as well as the towns and cities of the North-West, North-East and Yorkshire.

It would be sweet if Manchester weren't in the EPL though, wouldn't it?

[C0ckney]

cort, sctoland is interesing and probably the most ridiculous example of FPTP.

the share there is:

labour 42%
SNP 19.9%
lib dems 18.9%
conservatives 16.7%

the seats:

labour 41
lib dems 11
SNP 6
conservatives 1

so one in six vote tory, but they get one MP out of 59. one in five vote SNP but they get only six MPs.

[C0ckney]

But that's why we have devolution. Frankly it's nuts that Scottish and Welsh MPs can vote on stuff that specifically affects England when the vice versa is not true.

But yes, there is also a regional option which I would also be in favour of. Still, it is a neat way of nullifying the extremist vote.

i agree with your first point.

i'm not really interested in 'keeping out extremists' though, if people vote for them, then those votes should count. my hunch is that under a PR system, people would be less likely to vote BNP, because it would go from being a protest vote, to one which would see facists in parliament. i could see an increase in support for UKIP and the greens though.

[Barnabas]

Why vote for the Tories when they would have done the same things the labourists did?