As Iain Dale points out, the Tories were denied a majority due to Scottish and Welsh voters. The numbers are as follows:
Votes - Scotland:
Labour - 1,035,528, which translates into 41 seats
Conservative - 412,855, yet only 1 seat
Votes - Wales:
Labour - 531,601 - 26 seats
Conservative - 382,730 - 8 seats
Mr Dale then goes on to call for a 'mainstream' discussion about creating an English parliament. However, this goes bizarrely against a normally unionist Conservative ethos. It's as if the Tories are willing to buy into any daffy theory about why they failed to win a majority rather than admit that FPTP is offering them no advantages.
The Conservatives are a non-entity north of the border - however there are Scots who vote Tory and their votes are wasted unless some form of proportional representation is introduced. This bizarre logic is harming the Cons - as I type this they dither about a pact with the Lib Dems, borne out of a needless fear for an electoral reform which, had it been used in this election, have gained them more seats in Scotland. Indeed, how can anyone cry out for a devolved English parliament (when has devolution been in the conservative lexicon, anyway) when a Scottish electorate that has so thoroughly rejected the conservatives in the polls is unable to keep them out of government?
Sunday, 9 May 2010
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