Democracy
#1
Do we truly have one?

I was explaining to my daughter last night how the FPP system works and she can’t comprehend why one vote doesn’t count as one vote.

I then explained that the Brexit Party has only stood in Labour held areas, knowing they won’t win a single constituency, just so people who won’t vote Tory can vote for Brexit against Labour.  She thought that sounded morally and ethically corrupt.  Wait until Farage gets his reward...

Then I explained that the Tories will have a huge majority despite only getting mid-low 40% of the vote.  This blew her mind.

It’s elections like this with such resounding majorities from a minority of the vote that highlight the need for electoral reform.     

There has to be a better way than the SNP having over 8% of parliament with less votes than the Lib Dems, who get 2%.
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#2
And of course you would have posted this if the result was reversed Big Grin
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#3
The system is screwed, that's clear. That's why there was so much resistance to another referendum (where a vote actually does equal a vote), but not to an election. The problem is it's not going to change any time soon, and I don't really know how it would.

It is what it is, strap yourselves in for the shitshow
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#4
(12-13-2019, 08:17 AM)CA Baggie Wrote: Do we truly have one?

I was explaining to my daughter last night how the FPP system works and she can’t comprehend why one vote doesn’t count as one vote.

I then explained that the Brexit Party has only stood in Labour held areas, knowing they won’t win a single constituency, just so people who won’t vote Tory can vote for Brexit against Labour.  She thought that sounded morally and ethically corrupt.  Wait until Farage gets his reward...

Then I explained that the Tories will have a huge majority despite only getting mid-low 40% of the vote.  This blew her mind.

It’s elections like this with such resounding majorities from a minority of the vote that highlight the need for electoral reform.     

There has to be a better way than the SNP having over 8% of parliament with less votes than the Lib Dems, who get 2%.

The biggest scandal democratically is the 33% of people - nearly 15 million of them who couldn't be arsed to trundle down to their polling station and actually vote. Every one of them - unless they're on their deathbed Big Grin - are a disgrace
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#5
Yes, we have a democracy. Not a very good or effective one, in terms of ensuring representation of views, but one that suits the Tories and the Labours. Our democracy aggregates the views of a plurality into majoritarian representation. In practice, that means it takes the votes of around 43.6% this time round and gives them a bonus so that they get roughly 56% of the 650 seats in Westminster. That allows Boris to claim he has a majority behind him (which he does, of seats), which most people in their minds turn into a majority of votes cast in the election.
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#6
Yep, it's a farce the system and the collusion to nobble Labour has been particularly murky. However, Labour have learnt nothing. They've gone back to 1983 and Corbyn and Foot are the same cut of cloth. Only when Labour can appeal to the centre they can get power. If they had been led by Keir Starmer they'd have won.
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#7
All of the above is unbelievable but truly unlikely to change in my lifetime.

The standings are:
Torys: 13.9M
Labour: 10.2M
Lib Dems: 3.5M
SNP: 1.2M
Greens: 0.8M
Brexit: 0.6M
DUP: 0.22M
others: 0.7M
SF: 0.18M
PC: 0.15M

Those figures show why the Torys didn't want another referendum - Torys plus the Brexit party and DUP were 14.7M, Lib Dems, Labour, SNP and Greens came to 15.8M.

The people have spoken - erm… let's get Brexit done
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#8
I've not seen or heard comment from elsewhere, but it says everything you need to know about FPTP that the Tories can increase their vote share by just over 1% but increase the number of seats they have by nearly 15%.
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#9
The reality is that the Torys didn't have to do anything which is why Boris didn't bother with interviews. They new that Labour and Lib Dems were doing their jobs for them. That 1% figure speaks volumes in that the other parties lost the election rather than the Torys won it.
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#10
(12-13-2019, 09:19 AM)Sotv Wrote: And of course you would have posted this if the result was reversed Big Grin

It cuts both ways, it's not a blue or red thing so wind your neck in a little.  Quite the opposite in fact, as an example the Lib Dems would have their share of votes much more reflected than they currently do.  The argument is against both Labour & Tory, which is probably why it will never happen.

And for the record I didn't vote for Corbyn, but I would have been happy with a hung parliament, which is what "one person, one vote" proper democracy would have given.  Plenty other countries manage to work alliances of power.
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