Cleggover/'Call me Dave' Dave - get a room!

Generali

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

I don't think a majority on 33.3% of the vote is on the cards. I guess it would be a theoretical possibility.



It was hardly conclusive and soon led to a Lib-Lab pact.

Also, the Liberal party had very little support in 1974 compared to the Lib-Dems. If Lib-Dem support ebbed away after the election, then a second election could lead to an overall majority. In conclusion, the Feb 1974 parliament was not nearly as hung as the 2010 parliament may well be.

Also, the legitimacy of the actual voting system was not really in question back in 1974. FPTP is simply not rational when you have a genuine three-way system.

Figures:

Share of vote

Feb 1974: Con: 37.8% Lab: 37.2% Lib: 19.3%
Oct 1974: Con: 35.7% Lab: 39.3% Lib: 18.3%

Seats:

Feb 1974: Con: 296 Lab: 301 Lib: 14
Oct 1974: Con: 276 Lab: 319 Lib: 13

Note that the Liberal share of the vote was very up on 1970, when they only got 7.5% and 6 seats.

Like Mancunian policing, politics back then was like being on a different planet!

If all the seats are the same size and you need 33% of the vote to win a seat, the theoretical minimum would be 17% (a winning vote in half the seats). Highly unlikely though.

nickmason

apt wrote: »

The Tories' equalising constituency sizes but keeping FPTP would turn into a gerrymandering exercise on an even greater scale than than practised by Thatcher in the 1980s and Labour since 1997. 'Dave' was quoting the unfairness of the Isle of White having 111,000 electors. What's he going to do about that? Have 80odd% of the residents in one constituency and the rest somewhere else?

Although I don't have any inside scoop, I think you'll find it's more a case of looking at areas where there are clearly a number of constituencies with (becuase of emigration) a very low population - for example the county of Clwyd:
Alyn and Deeside 58936 Clwyd West 56370 Delyn 52767 Vale of Clwyd 52518 Clwyd South 49768 Wrexham 48016 Aberconwy 43230 You could turn that into 4 constiteuncies of 90,000 very easily.
(Or 5 of the current average of 70,000)
Or Dyfed:
Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South 56984 Preseli Pembrokeshire 56441 Llanelli 55680 Ceredigion 53145 Carmarthen East and Dinefwr 52154 Again wouldn't be difficult to turn that into 3 constituencies of 90,000 or 4 of just under 70,000. And by the way, one of those is already Conservative and another very likely, in case anyone suspects that I'm just picking on Labour constituencies.

7 Glasgow seats could be reduced to 6 of 70,000, or 5 of 90,000.
13 Glamorgan seats could be reducd to 10 of 70,000 or 6 of 90,000

At 90,000 Nottingham, Newcastle and Waltham Forest (yup, that includes Chingford) could all go from 3 to 2 constituencies.

Oh - here's the crowning glory - Islington could be restored to one constituency, rather than being artifically split, and it would only be a smidgeon over the Isle of Wight. Likewise the Wirral, which I believe has as much of a distinct identity as the Isle of Wight.

Just some thoughts!

Alan_Cross

LizEstelle wrote: »

Glad to know you agree.

Camertoff speaka da drivel, Camertoff getta sussed.

Unfortunately not always.

You can add this latest nonsense about constituencies to all the other gaffes of let-the-banks-go-under Cameron. The scoundrel Ashcroft is still a welcome part of his team. What does this say about the man's powers of judgement?

And yet our useless media, as ever far more obsessed with 'theatre' rather than policy, 'style' rather judgement, lets Dopey Dave off the hook.

abaxas

Alan_Cross wrote: »

Unfortunately not always.

You can add this latest nonsense about constituencies to all the other gaffes of let-the-banks-go-under Cameron. The scoundrel Ashcroft is still a welcome part of his team. What does this say about the man's powers of judgement?

And yet our useless media, as ever far more obsessed with 'theatre' rather than policy, 'style' rather judgement, lets Dopey Dave off the hook.

Hi there Gordon. Please stop stealing my money.

Alan_Cross

abaxas wrote: »

Hi there Gordon. Please stop stealing my money.

I believe you mean Michael.

Have a look at this to see the kind of money and ethos which is bankrolling smarmy git Dave:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Ashcroft

Mid-Essex Technical College has a lot to answer for.

PrivatisetheNHSnow

Alan_Cross wrote: »

I believe you mean Michael.

Have a look at this to see the kind of money and ethos which is bankrolling smarmy git Dave:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Ashcroft

Mid-Essex Technical College has a lot to answer for.

not all bad though is it? he didn't come from money, he's a self-made man and he has several major charitable activities, especially founding crimestoppers.

of course, labour naturally loathe the self-made and successful types...because labour appeal to the brutish and idle

don't you think labour have a bit of a sleaze problem too?