General Election 2015

[El Kabong]

UKIP actually got about as many votes as the SNP and Liberal Democrat parties COMBINED but got fewer seats. Guess UKIP people need to move to be in the same districts.....madness

[Beanz]

The first past the post system has always ensured that the make up of parliament is not properly representative or democratic

Green Party - 1,132,607 Votes = 1 MP
SNP - 1,454,436 Votes = 56 MPs

[El Kabong]

The first past the post system has always ensured that the make up of parliament is not properly representative or democratic

Green Party - 1,132,607 Votes = 1 MP
SNP - 1,454,436 Votes = 56 MPs

Yeah that is pretty crazy.

UKIP 3,773,402 = 1 MP
Liberal Democrats 2,322,704 = 8 MP (loss of 46 seats, ouch)

[ryanman]

The first past the post system has always ensured that the make up of parliament is not properly representative or democratic

Green Party - 1,132,607 Votes = 1 MP
SNP - 1,454,436 Votes = 56 MPs

Yeah that is pretty crazy.

UKIP 3,773,402 = 1 MP
Liberal Democrats 2,322,704 = 8 MP (loss of 46 seats, ouch)

That is a better example of the vagaries of FPTP.

[ryanman]

The first past the post system has always ensured that the make up of parliament is not properly representative or democratic

Green Party - 1,132,607 Votes = 1 MP
SNP - 1,454,436 Votes = 56 MPs

Yeah that is pretty crazy.

UKIP 3,773,402 = 1 MP
Liberal Democrats 2,322,704 = 8 MP (loss of 46 seats, ouch)

That is a better example of the vagaries of FPTP.
You have to get strongholds.

[superheavyrhun]

The problem with proportional representation is that it gives you very little accountability when it comes to local issues. With FPTP, if your MP votes to build a massive railway through your village, or votes to close down the hospital, you get to vote them out at the next election. Proportional representation means you can only punish parties on a regional level, and you may not have the opportunity to hold a particular individual to account at all, if they are placed high on the party's regional list.

[ryanman]

The problem with proportional representation is that it gives you very little accountability when it comes to local issues. With FPTP, if your MP votes to build a massive railway through your village, or votes to close down the hospital, you get to vote them out at the next election. Proportional representation means you can only punish parties on a regional level, and you may not have the opportunity to hold a particular individual to account at all, if they are placed high on the party's regional list.

True but some types of PR do take that into account. Single Transferable Vote is the best IMO. It is much more representative but keeps the constituency links.

[Master]

I like the current system because you get a government that can implement their policies and accountability for that every 5 years.

[walrus]

Damn, to bad, I feel bad you guys are so upset about the results of your election. Are there any English here who prefer Cameron and aren't afraid to voice your opinion. It's good to see such passion in your posts, shows you really care about your country. We here in the US always have a positive view on the English, Irish as well despite what you may think of us. Nary have I heard any of my countrymen speak poorly about England. To be honest, we really don't say, as a people, many bad things about many countries, if we don't like you, you will heat from us in a more concrete manner. We walk softly but carry a big stick. I think we are a bit upset that Putin threatened to Nuke us if we interfere in Crimea, but forget about that, this is about our English friends.

[X]

Damn, to bad, I feel bad you guys are so upset about the results of your election. Are there any English here who prefer Cameron and aren't afraid to voice your opinion. It's good to see such passion in your posts, shows you really care about your country. We here in the US always have a positive view on the English, Irish as well despite what you may think of us. Nary have I heard any of my countrymen speak poorly about England. To be honest, we really don't say, as a people, many bad things about many countries, if we don't like you, you will heat from us in a more concrete manner. We walk softly but carry a big stick. I think we are a bit upset that Putin threatened to Nuke us if we interfere in Crimea, but forget about that, this is about our English friends.

Yep. The way the left are moaning on social media, you might think this was close, but the conservatives annihilated labour at the polls. The silent majority have spoken and the Tories were their choice.

I don't mind Cameron, I think he is straightforward and relatively honest. People moan about the welfare state, we'll get off your fucking arse and get a job because they are out there.

Milliband was a metropolitan intellectual member of the North London elite, about as far from a decent labour leader as you will see. He was unelectable.

Clegg and the lib dems got punished for being in government, where they found that their protest party ideals were totally impossible to actually achieve.

UKIP tap into every nasty side of the British psyche, nothing positive at all and I'm glad they didn't get w stage to peddle their odious quasi 1950s worldview on us

The greens and the SNP are lefty, bossy and aggressive. Scotland didn't want to be independent, but they do want to start calling the shots in the UK, under the protection of the British economy.

[ryanman]

The first past the post system has always ensured that the make up of parliament is not properly representative or democratic

Green Party - 1,132,607 Votes = 1 MP
SNP - 1,454,436 Votes = 56 MPs

True about FTPT but the comparison to SNP is a bit misleading. Their 1.4 million votes were spread across 59 seats rather than the Green's 1.1mil spread across 650.