The 2019 General Election Result and Aftermath

[317 forever]

Thinking especially of the South West which has traditionally been Lib Dem, mainly Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. In 2010, a quarter of Lib Dem seats were in the South West and West Country. They had some seats like Bath and Bristol West that were Remain areas and indeed, they lost, won and have retained the former.

However, look at their other seats...

In Cornwall, they had three seats but Cornwall voted Leave by 56.5%

• North Cornwall
• St Austell & Newquay
• St Ives

In Devon, they had two seats that both heavily voted Leave

• Torbay - voted Leave by 63.2%
• North Devon - voted Leave by 57%

In Somerset, it was more mixed with South Somerset (mainly Yeovil) being a heavy Leave by 57.9%. Somerton & Frome straddles both Mendip and South Somerset so hard to say whilst Taunton was Leave 52.9% whilst Wells (in Mendip) voted Remain by 51.1%.

So whilst I appreciate what you're saying and some of the seats like Thornbury or Bristol East or Cheltenham, they could have had a chance with a Remainer ticket, they had no chance in the areas where traditionally have been strong.

Also, might be one for the Lib Dem thread

It was not even necessarily being pro-Remain that was to their detriment. It was their Revoke policy without a People's Vote. While it was not politically unreasonable to advocate a sincere policy supported by 16.1 million voters plus many young voters in particular, it was socially unreasonable to advocate this in defiance of the referendum result. It was therefore no wonder they experience wipeout and no breakthrough in Leave constituencies.

 

[317 forever]

There are still a vast number of safe seats and if you don't support the top two parties at the last election your vote is extremely unlikely to count.

Judging by some seats that changed hands, such as Sedgefield - and in 1997 Romford and Somerton & Frome - there is no such thing as a safe seat. There are just seats where change looks less promising than others.

 

[317 forever]

Is it better to have small single-member constituencies where, whatever the voting system, a very large proportion of the voters are likely to find themselves with an MP with whose views they disagree pretty totally (especially with the extremist big parties we now have), or large constituencies with perhaps half a dozen members elected by STV where the great majority of voters should find at least one MP they feel reasonably represents them? The defenders of the present British wsay of doing things argue for the small constituency and the personal connection with the MP, but how many people have ever met (or even heard in the flesh) their MP and how many MPs genuinely come from and really represent the area and interests of their constituency? My own preference is strongly for STV and the larger constituencies.

Furthermore, in such multi-member constituencies, more people will be willing to vote sincerely, as they see a greater chance of at least 1 MP of their chosen party getting elected. This certainly came into play in the European elections here.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This certainly came into play in the European elections here.

A repeat of which now is now soon to be a forgotten memory.