The Day After
By now you should all know the shape of the next parliament.
Labour's majority has in all likelihood been reduced from 167 to 66, a number of more traditional Labour candidates have retained their seats. All this with only 36% of the vote.
The Conservatives increased their representation without significantly improving their share of the vote. Michael Howard will be stepping down before the next election.
The LibDems had probably the best of the night, at least superficially. Largest number of MPs since 1923, though their traditional heartland constituencies appear to have been exchanged for a less concentrated area of representation.
A full statement summing up the campaign will be issued after tonight's Backing Blair London meeting.
Labour's majority has in all likelihood been reduced from 167 to 66, a number of more traditional Labour candidates have retained their seats. All this with only 36% of the vote.
The Conservatives increased their representation without significantly improving their share of the vote. Michael Howard will be stepping down before the next election.
The LibDems had probably the best of the night, at least superficially. Largest number of MPs since 1923, though their traditional heartland constituencies appear to have been exchanged for a less concentrated area of representation.
A full statement summing up the campaign will be issued after tonight's Backing Blair London meeting.
1 Comments:
From The Skakagrall:
The 'Three-and-Six Government'
THe BBC is currently attributing 35.2% of the popular vote in the general election to Labour. I believe this is the UK vote, rather than the British, which may be 36 percent.
This is the lowest winning popular vote in British history.
I have checked back to 1832 and I can’t find any other figures so low, even for hung parliaments.
Elections from 1979 to 2001 were all won by 42 to 43 percent of the vote. The two 1974 elections were won with 39.2 and 37.9 perecntages respectively. The only other low figures were in the 1920s, and I think involved coalition governments (I must check this). Otherwise there are no cases of parties taking power with so little support.
Let me point out the obvious. 36 per cent is not a popular mandate.
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