So it's over and done and won't be back for another ten years or so (hallelujah). They didn't need to count the second choice votes as:
a.There weren't any, and
b. They weren't needed anyway!
So those who managed to turn out and exercise their democratic rights voted to maintain the status quo, which is the only success from the whole sad and sorry (did I mention costly?) episode. The only thing sadder than the vote was the fact that Clegg has developed and 'anti-Midas' touch in that whatever he appears to be touching is turning to something of much less worth than gold! I think that is a sadder than the fact that many of the Lib Dem types, not realising that they are at least in power (which is a minor miracle considering they're really only a 'protest and lobby group' within parliament at best) are now muttering about 'wicked' Tories and making the coalition struggle. Do that and they'll realise that not only aren't they fit to govern but they'll prove it in a splendid way such that the next election will make last week's polls look like a vote of confidence!
So, we move on and rather than engage in clever mathematical exercises or mutter about 'majorities' and point to 51% we need people to understand that the person who receives the most votes is the popular choice. What we need to do is look at how we can raise the turnout such that the percentage of the population who votes are the 80's and 90's.
We also need to see the parties stand for something other than all stand on the same bit of popular policy ground and claim imaginary differences based on historic traits. After all, Labour is no more the working man's party that the Conservatives these day, it's only the moronic masses who haven't realised that who keep voting because of the 'working class' fallacies! Tories aren't all monied 'yahoo henry' types with loadsamoney either. Liberals (or whatever they're called this week) are always the middle ground party who claim to support 'whatever the others don't' and oppose 'whatever the other support' and they'll raise the taxes!
How about some credible parties with some real policies such that people want to get out and support them. The weird and wonderful parties out there, like the Greens and others, stand for what they stand for and as a result they get people who believe in them vote for them, just isn't enough of them to make a difference! But it's a lesson the others might learn.
Pax
