2024 General Election Thread

[jlo]

It appears that Labour got around 34%. Is that the lowest ever percentage for a party that wins a UK general election, with an overall majority?

It's irrelevant though as much as people try to create a narrative that it matters. It's where you win in this voting system. America isn't too dissimilar in that regards, where popular vote can still lose the overall election. Plus we have how many major/minor parties now competing and diluting the vote compared to the past?

 

[BillyDee]

We had a referendum on PR. I think this country has probably had enough of referendums just for now, but it may get revisited again in a few years. Preferably after Reform have disappeared into the night.

We did not. We had a referendum on Alternative Vote.

 

[pr0sl0]

Labour picked its battles and used votes efficiently to topple vulnerable tories who only had small majorities because the 2019 election was a bit of an oddity.


We are definitely looking like more than 2 parties, and FPTP is handling it just fine and dandy. Vote percentage isn't the be all and end all.

I'd strongly disagree that a party winning 2/3 of seats with 1/3 of the vote is a healthy democracy in action.

Representation is inherent to democratic politics - people have to be able to vote for who represents them in a way that makes their choice count in a substantive way, and the government has to represent enough of a % of the views of the electorate to be perceived as legitimate. I'm not sure that this result is going to meet that threshold unless Starmer plays an unprecedented blinder.

 

[AndyWolves]

How do i reconcile wanting an effective democracy where everyone gets an equal say but also thinking everyone who voted Reform is wrong and are probably cunt bags?

 

[Del Woppio]

Another thing that the vote numbers tell us is how effective and efficient tactical voting is now

 

[Walshes Wolves]

The only other election that comes close is 2005, when Blair won with 36%.

Historically, 34% is the kind of vote share that means you've suffered a landslide loss. All things are relative, of course, but the disconnect between popularity and seat share is so stark here as to be an unavoidable issue, and it's no surprise that the mood in the party is clearly less jubilant than in 1997. I think that Ming vase strategy isn't going anywhere.

Thank you for your reply. The frightening thing is, if France had our type of voting system, Le Pen and her fascist party, could now be in power, as she had a very similar result to the Labour Party, which is frightening. We might knock our system, but it appears to keep extremists out.

 

[pr0sl0]

Thank you for your reply. The frightening thing is, if France had our type of voting system, Le Pen and her fascist party, could now be in power, as she had a very similar result to the Labour Party, which is frightening. We might knock our system, but it appears to keep extremists out.

To be fair, France's system is probably worse than ours in some ways - forces people into choosing between the lesser of two evils over and over, which is never exactly encouraging. Combines a lot of the flaws of both the UK and US systems, which is some going.

 

[Trips]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1809161928612139319

 

[pr0sl0]

Another thing that the vote numbers tell us is how effective and efficient tactical voting is now

The Lib Dems have been ruthless. It's so impressive.

I know a lot of us were getting carried away hoping that they might end up the official opposition, but only 50 seats between them and the Tories... you usually get 10-20 byelections, retirements, deaths, party switches per parliament, that gap could well close just like Johnson's majority shrank.

 

[Kenny]

PM SKS's opening line better be "FUCK THE TORIES...

 

[AndyWolves]

Is it possible to open an anonymous TWF poll to see how people voted?

 

[Kenny]

Is it possible to open an anonymous TWF poll to see how people voted?

Should be private if the box marked below is unticked

 

[AndyWolves]

Should be private if the box marked below is unticked

View attachment 10931

I didn't actually want to do anything approaching effort!

 

[Kenny]

The spirit of the Tory Government lives on...

 

[Kenny]

Poll now added to this thread

 

[catfishwolf]

The Lib Dems have been ruthless. It's so impressive.

I know a lot of us were getting carried away hoping that they might end up the official opposition, but only 50 seats between them and the Tories... you usually get 10-20 byelections, retirements, deaths, party switches per parliament, that gap could well close just like Johnson's majority shrank.

I’m in Essex and must have had 10+ LD flyers through the door. 1 each from labour and reform, and 3 or 4 from the tory incumbent who highlighted local stuff she’d done and ignored the party stuff.
Lib Dem candidate won (local councillor), by about 5000 votes, first time we’ve been away from tory since the 1950s!
Labour vote share dropped a lot, people definitely lending a vote to gtto - focus of LD leaflets was 1. She’s local, 2. Labour can’t win here, but LD can.

I’m over the fucking moon. First time I’ve ever voted for the winner

 

[darlowolf64]

Poll now added to this thread

Come on... who's going to be the first to own up to voting tory?

 

[Kenny]

Come on... who's going to be the first to own up to voting tory?

Well your MP held his seat, so if I am going to make a guess...

 

[Dire Wolf]

Come on... who's going to be the first to own up to voting tory?

Well I made it clear I hadn't voted Labour, soooo...

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

A personal highlight from last night for me was Neil Kinnock comprehensively putting the boot in on that piece of work Galloway. Absolutely dripping with contempt.