An idea of promise
This, from the petitions site:
"the concept is simple if the turn out is lower than 50% in any constituancy (sic) then no one is returned and the seat in the commons remains empty. We the people will then have an ongoing measure of how representative the house of commons really is and "none of the above" will be accurately represented".
Can't say I thought it was a great idea until a cursory look at turnout figures in 2005 suggest that Labour would lose at least 24 seats (including the Speaker). Shame about Frank Field, but we would be shot of Blears and Lammy, inter alia.
If anyone can lay hands on a list of seats by turnout from 2005 and pass them onto me, they would win my undying gratitude.
Update - Courtesy of helpful reader Formertory, I now have an updated figure of 37 MPs who all gained election on less than a 50% turnout. All bar Staffordshire South (qv) are Labour MPs. Forgetting about subsequent by-elections and the like, the 2005 election would have produced a House like so:
Labour - 320
Conservative - 197
LD - 62
The rest - 30
So, with a 609 seat House, Labour would have a majority of 15. I think that there would have been a number of successful rebellions...
Can't say I thought it was a great idea until a cursory look at turnout figures in 2005 suggest that Labour would lose at least 24 seats (including the Speaker). Shame about Frank Field, but we would be shot of Blears and Lammy, inter alia.
If anyone can lay hands on a list of seats by turnout from 2005 and pass them onto me, they would win my undying gratitude.
Update - Courtesy of helpful reader Formertory, I now have an updated figure of 37 MPs who all gained election on less than a 50% turnout. All bar Staffordshire South (qv) are Labour MPs. Forgetting about subsequent by-elections and the like, the 2005 election would have produced a House like so:
Labour - 320
Conservative - 197
LD - 62
The rest - 30
So, with a 609 seat House, Labour would have a majority of 15. I think that there would have been a number of successful rebellions...
Labels: Elections, The horror that is the Labour Party
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on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 1:38 pm.
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At your service, sir....
Sortable data columns, too :-)
You are a splendid individual, thank you. A pint is yours for the asking should you find yourself in the CR postcodes.
I wonder if disenchantment with the economy will result in a greater turnout for the next one?
It is one of those as yet unrealised hopes that one of these days I will encounter someone opining loudly about politics - not having voted - so that I can then tell him/her that they are not entitled to ahve an opinion.
Interesting. I wonder what the results would be if you (dis)counted seats with a plurality of apathy as well.
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