I agree that we have a very lossy voting system. Thanks for putting up this analysis. The one wording change I would use is "discarded" - 70% of votes were discarded once the results were known.
(The discarded votes carry a bit of information to the electorate and the parties for next time round, so they are a tiny bit not pointless.)
Thanks - I will keep it updated as more results are released.
I think I disagree about writing 'discarded' votes, but this may be a wording issue. It imples, to me, that had they not been discarded, there could have been a difference. But that is not so - all you need is 1 more than the next person and the rest is truly irrelevant/pointless from then on.
Of course an interesting point to investigate would be to work out had we had PR, would *more* people have voted and the current split would be still the same?
So clearly we need something better. Any ideas? I hear tell some countries have a lower threshold for a seat with PR which helps keeps some of the more dangerous parties out.
I heard something about how France's elections have 'knockout stages', which looked interesting. Truthfully, there's no way I've done enough research to give an informed decision.
That's the Alternative Vote System, which is the method of change which the Tories have made noises about. Instead of picking one name, you number them 1 to x. All the 1 votes are counted and, if someone gets 50%, then they win. If not, then the candidate with the lowest votes is discarded and anyone who voted for them with a 1 is then counted as their no 2 choice. If no-one gets 50% from that, then someone else is discarded, etc, etc.
It's okay in theory, but really doesn't accomplish a huge amount more fairness than FPTP.
The problem with that is that the vote for a person is voting for the head of state. We've got one already and I rather like having our head and representative separate from the clusterfuck that is politics.
Actually, the german person vote is *not* for the head of state. Its very much for your "local MP". The vote for the party is the vote for the party to provide the government.
There is no mechanism in germany for the general population to vote for either the president nor the chancellor.
The German system works quite well - you need 5% to get in but there are special provions "Ueberhangsmandate", in order to allow people who got good results in single constituencies to get in. This allows independent and candidates without party to get into parliament.
If 8% of the population think we should have BNP, then I do think they should have 8% of the seats.
Just because you and I and any other sane person doesn't agree with their views - if we want to live in a liberal free speech society then that involves giving a voice to the asshats too.
Otherwise - its a extremely slippery slope to go on.
Oh I'm aware, and it's not that I don't think we shouldn't move more towards PR (or wholly, if someone can work out how to make it work). It's that my damned faith in humanity is rearing it's head and making me glad that system wasn't in place this election, because, surely, by the time the next one roles around, people will have come to their senses and the BNP won't get 8% of the vote, right?
And yes - it likely means both labour and tories become more centre. It may also mean that labour for example may split up into a more "lefty" wing and a more centre wing, as suddenly you don't have to be in a party you don't agree with and have a fleeting chance of being elected.
(The discarded votes carry a bit of information to the electorate and the parties for next time round, so they are a tiny bit not pointless.)
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I think I disagree about writing 'discarded' votes, but this may be a wording issue. It imples, to me, that had they not been discarded, there could have been a difference. But that is not so - all you need is 1 more than the next person and the rest is truly irrelevant/pointless from then on.
Of course an interesting point to investigate would be to work out had we had PR, would *more* people have voted and the current split would be still the same?
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It's okay in theory, but really doesn't accomplish a huge amount more fairness than FPTP.
PJW
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PJW
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There is no mechanism in germany for the general population to vote for either the president nor the chancellor.
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Just because you and I and any other sane person doesn't agree with their views - if we want to live in a liberal free speech society then that involves giving a voice to the asshats too.
Otherwise - its a extremely slippery slope to go on.
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Right?
*wibble*
And you can quit giving me that look.
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PJW
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(The comment has been removed)
And yes - it likely means both labour and tories become more centre. It may also mean that labour for example may split up into a more "lefty" wing and a more centre wing, as suddenly you don't have to be in a party you don't agree with and have a fleeting chance of being elected.
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