The seats which could decide the next election

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25726270

A guide to life in a marginal constituency http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25664580

ERS: "The worst of both worlds - why FPTP no longer works."

http://www.ippr.org/images/media/files/publication/2011/05/Worst%20of%20Both%20Worlds%20Jan2011_1820.pdf

'via Blog this'

Map showing constituencies that have more/less than 50% support for their MP...

Why First Past the Post is bad for democracy:

'via Blog this'

Interactive map: First Past the Post wastes our votes

First Past the Post wastes our votes:

The darker the constituency the higher proportion of votes.

'via Blog this'

Safe seats map: ERS

Click here - How safe seats fail voters:

Two maps via this link.
1. Map 1 showing when each seat last changed hands at an election. The darker the colour of the constituency the longer it has been a safe seat. When did Ashford last change parties? Which is the oldest safe seat in the UK?

2. Map 2 showing safe seats at the 2010 general election. If a seat is given a party colour (red = Lab, blue = Cons, Orange (!) = LDems, Yellow = nationalist parties e.g. SNP, Plaid Cymru) then it counts as a safe seat for that party. If it is one of the shades of green then it counts as a marginal at the 2010 election.



'via Blog this'

General Election 2010: is first-past-the-post on its last legs? - Telegraph

General Election 2010: is first-past-the-post on its last legs? - Telegraph:

'via Blog this'

BBC Sixth Form video on Electoral Systems

Eletoral reform with lego

Dazzlingly charismatic professor uses plastic to explain electoral reform. It doesn't get better than that!

By-election December 2011

Feltham and Heston byelection: Labour wins, but turnout tumbles CLICK HERE.

Belgium's relief, Belgium's woe

The horrific events in Belgium are a test for their new PM, Elio Di Rupo.  Belgium has finally got a government (6 party coalition) after post election coalition deal talks that lasted 541 days! The election was June 13 2010 and the new govt was sworn in on Dec 6th 2011.

Is this a result of Belgium's use of PR (open list system)?  Well, this is unusually long period for talks -  a world record and Belgium is historically much quicker at forming coalitions.  Furthermore, it should be said that other countries like Germany (which uses the hybrid FPTP/PR system, AMS) usually form their coalitions much quicker. Ultimately the sticking points in the coalition talks were over the use of language in Belgium (Flemish/Dutch vs. French Walloon). So, it's unfair to say it's all the fault of PR. Nevertheless, the formation of coalitions can be lengthy and destabilising.

Would FPTP have helped? Would it have given a winner's bonus to the biggest single party? The answer is probably not by enough to avoid the need for a coalition. Remember FPTP only tends to do that when there are two clearly dominant parties. The vote for parties in Belgium in 2010 was along the lines of 17%, 14%, 11%, 9%, 9%, 9%, 7%, 5%, 5%, 5%, with a few smaller parties added in. So for the leading party to have won under FPTP in Belgium in 2010, it would have to enjoy a particularly favourable constituency system to have avoided the need for a coalition. Even if the leading party had somehow managed to form a single party governement, would that have been fair? Might the presence of a single party government for which less than one in five people voted, have been even more destabilising than a 6 party coalition?

In light of this, it could be argued that FPTP works best in countries where 2 parties clearly dominate . The question is, does the UK fit that description for the last few elections? Might it go back to a 2 party system at the next election? Might my scheme of work for next year have to be completely altered because of Nick Clegg!!!??? I didn't think this post on Belgian politics would be this long when I started it. If you're still reading, here's a tip: Rhetorical questions - fair game for bloggers/teachers, no good for essays.