Wednesday 24 June 2015

24.5 and 36.9% two numbers which show up our rotten electoral system.

The argument for a fairer electoral system has bee n highlighted by the Result last may and one Constituency in particular where the SDP's Alistair  McDonald one with less than 25% of the vote.


General Election 2015: Belfast South [2][3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
SDLPAlasdair McDonnell9,56024.5-16.5
DUPJonathan Bell[4]8,65422.2-1.5
AlliancePaula Bradshaw6,71117.2+2.3
Sinn FéinMáirtín Ó Muilleoir5,40213.9+13.9
UUPRodney McCune3,5499.1-8.2
Green (NI)Clare Bailey[5]2,2385.7+2.7
UKIPBob Stoker1,9004.9+4.9
NI ConservativesBen Manton5821.5+1.5
Workers' PartyLily Kerr3610.9+0.9
Majority9062.3
Turnout60.0
SDLP holdSwing
This  narrowly beats tthe 26% that Russel Johnson scraped home with in 1992

General Election 1992: Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber[3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal DemocratSir David Russell Johnston13,25826.0−10.8
LabourDavid John Stewart12,80025.1−0.2
SNPFergus Stewart Ewing12,56224.7+9.9
ConservativeJohn Scott11,51722.6−0.4
GreenJohn Martin7661.5N/A
Majority4580.9−10.6
Turnout50,90373.6+2.7
Liberal Democrat holdSwing−5.3

Though maybe Johnson victory was even more controversial in that 3 parties were in a whisker of taking the seat off him

Bearing in mind that the Conservatives have an absolute majority of just 36.9% how can anyone still argue that First Past the Post is a fair system?.

Supposing there had been a hung parliament and Alistair  McDonald   vote turned out to be vital in who formed the next Parliament . He would have gone with Labour and the Tory press would be wailing.

Is it not time Labour promised STV as a means of reforming our voting system and should it not be a major question put forward to the leadership contenders.


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