# BritDopers (and nosy foreigners) - The general election 2010 **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 6, 2010, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133 "2010-04-06T11:13:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 29
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/561 "2010-05-07T09:47:18Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > It’ll be the person picked by the (by _miles_) best politician in Britain. That’s Peter Mandelson, obviously. I hesitate to second guess The Dark Lord, but David Milliband if he’s got a chance of PM or a significant role in a coalition, Alan Johnson if a sacrifice is required. Alastair Darling maybe - might be an appropriate leader in these times (I assume he won his seat last night?) He’s not indicated any PM / party leadership ambitions thus far though - maybe that makes him the perfect man for the job. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/562 "2010-05-07T09:51:52Z")
Looks like Clegg’s leaning towards a Con-Lib pact, though. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/563 "2010-05-07T09:58:02Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > Bolton West held Labour by 92 votes. I feel my vote was certainly not wasted this year! Yeah, it also had a 67% turnout. Is there a constituency with a higher turn out this year? ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/564 "2010-05-07T10:03:27Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Yeah, it also had a 67% turnout. Is there a constituency with a higher turn out this year? I managed to turn out despite being in Moscow at the time (by proxy) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/565 "2010-05-07T10:06:18Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Yeah, it also had a 67% turnout. Is there a constituency with a higher turn out this year? Yes, I noticed several on 70% or more through the night. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/566 "2010-05-07T10:06:18Z")
Con-Lib pact, with electoral reform high on the agenda, do you reckon? Looks likely to me. To be followed by a new election as soon as they can rationally get away with it… ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/567 "2010-05-07T10:09:28Z")
> [@nicole1912](#): > > Con-Lib pact, with electoral reform high on the agenda, do you reckon? Looks likely to me. To be followed by a new election as soon as they can rationally get away with it… the Cons or Lab may offer a referendum on the subject to get the Lib Dems onboard. It remains to be seen whethe rthe populace wants PR though. I have serious doubts regarding how MPs are selected under PR which I would need addressing before I could vote for PR. In the current system if an MP is a corrupt sh\*tbag, and is in your constituency, you vcote him out. How would this work with PR? Wouldn’t high ups in a party be guaranteed first dibs of seats no matter how objectionable they may be? and just in on the BBC BREAKING NEWSLib Dem leader Nick Clegg says he sticks to his view that the party with most votes and seats - the Conservatives - should seek to form a government ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/568 "2010-05-07T10:12:13Z")
The uncharitable view would be that he is trying to get Gordon to offer more plums to go into coalition, but after making a statement like that I don’t see how he could turn about and jump into bed with Labour. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/569 "2010-05-07T10:15:27Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > The uncharitable view would be that he is trying to get Gordon to offer more plums to go into coalition, but after making a statement like that I don’t see how he could turn about and jump into bed with Labour. Would be difficult. Though it wouldn’t be impossible - bigger insults have been forgiven in the name of power, after all… (The whole national interest thing allows a lot of wiggle room, IMO.) ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/570 "2010-05-07T10:16:01Z")
The way the results have turned out, parliment couldn’t be much more hung. Lab + Lib-Dem just short of a majority, as are Con + DUP. Con + Lib-Dem is the only clear majority, but that seems unlikely as they are quite far apart politically, and crucially the tories are opposed to electoral reform. My best guess is that Lab + Lib-Dem will try to form a minority government, and will rely on the smaller parties to not bring them down in a confidence vote. I expect there will be another election in a year or two. The Lib-Dems must be very disappointed. A few more seats and they’d be in a very strong position. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/571 "2010-05-07T10:24:19Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > I have serious doubts regarding how MPs are selected under PR which I would need addressing before I could vote for PR. In the current system if an MP is a corrupt sh\*tbag, and is in your constituency, you vcote him out. How would this work with PR? Wouldn’t high ups in a party be guaranteed first dibs of seats no matter how objectionable they may be? I’m guessing that rather than a pure PR system we’d get a [single transferrable vote](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_transferable_vote)/[instant run-off vote](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_runoff_voting) system, similar to the current voting system for Mayor of London. It would keep some local control in the mix without relying on the current FPTP system. > [@](#): > > Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg says he sticks to his view that the party with most votes and seats - the Conservatives - should seek to form a government Hmm. Clegg might be hoping to force the Tories into a minority government which will struggle, necessitating a new election in a period of time long enough to allow the voters to remember why they hate the Tories but short enough for them to remember why they hate Labour. That sort of clever political brinksmanship seems a bit beyond their usual level of strategic thinking however, so I suspect they’re just being coy or petulant, figuring that the Conservatives will come knocking when they really need the help which will put the LibDems in a better bargaining position. ---
**Author:** ![CyclopticXander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@CyclopticXander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyclopticXander)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/572 "2010-05-07T10:25:06Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Woah! Let’s not let this get out of hand, the polls shut at 10pm. There’s a tiny bit of discretion about closing the gates or closing the door (obviously this is dependent on the building being used) and letting people within the boundary at 10pm finish up. All the moaning I’ve seen so far is a bunch of people who turned up around closing time and didn’t get in because they were too late - it’s not as if the polling station hadn’t been open for the previous 15 hours. > > If you have first hand evidence of anything else, contact [http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/](http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/) they’ll be enormously interested. They have to investigate absolutely everything. Well I wasn’t there but all of my information has been coming from the live BBC stream. They’ve done several segments about voters turned away, they said at several points that some had been waiting for hours. Clegg himself dedicated a portion of his speech to this perceived injustice. Also a whole lot of Brits on twitter seem to feel that poor planning in fact denied many the opportunity to vote. It really wouldn’t surprise me if it’s all a misconception fueled by a sensationalistic media, but your beef may be with them. Which is weird considering how everyone is constantly telling me about how wonderful and accurate BBC is and how it puts my American media to shame:) ---
**Author:** ![Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walker_in_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/573 "2010-05-07T10:26:00Z")
Sadly mine was a wasted vote, David Tredinnick (Con) held his seat. Joint 1st in 2nd home expenses and was part of the cash for questions scandle but managed to get away with it. The only cause he seems to care about is homeopathy (see his questions [here](http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/david_tredinnick/bosworth)). Only four years until the next chance to get rid of him. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/574 "2010-05-07T10:26:06Z")
I don’t see that the Lib Dems are that far from the Tories. In fact I see quite a bit of overlap with the “nicer” wing of the Conservative Party, the main sticking point being the Euro, but joining that is well off the agenda for the foreseeable future, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/575 "2010-05-07T10:34:29Z")
None of the major parties got what they wanted this time. A new election looms, in six to eighteen months. ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/576 "2010-05-07T10:34:37Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Away and have a wank, you stupid childish cunt freak. This really isn’t necessary. :dubious: **Curtis** may be a rather naive and sheltered young American but that’s a spiteful overreaction to his expression of support for our currently most popular party. > [@amarone](#): > > As of now, the Lib Dems have received 81% of the vote of Labour, but only 19% of the seats. What a lousy system. And the prospects of that system changing have grown considerably dimmer these last dozen hours. ☹ > [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Evan Harris lost his seat. That’s probably the worst individual MP loss this election. Yep. ☹ As explained earlier, Mr. Harris was one of the few MPs firmly on the side of rationality and scientific literacy. Parliament is dumberer for his having left. And look at the numbers! 176 fucking votes difference. FUCK. :mad: > [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Labour held on to Hammersmith. The good news of this election for me personally: both my and my swappee’s tactical votes worked! Sure I’d have preferred a LibDem MP here in Hammersmith but that just wasn’t going to happen. In truth, the Con guy, Shaun Bailey, didn’t seem all that bad a bloke, but I couldn’t vote for his party, hell I couldn’t even understand why he was running under them. And as for the Labour candidate whom I cautiously helped shoo in this time, he’s actually got a decent [rational](http://skeptical-voter.org/wiki/index.php?title=Andrew_Slaughter) record, so I’m happy with my decision. To nitpick your use of ‘held on’… actually we’re a new boundary. They chopped off the lower third or so of the old ‘Hammersmith and Fulham’, left us as ‘Hammersmith’, and combined the other bit with another bit chopped off the old ‘Kensington and Chelsea’ to make ‘Fulham and Chelsea’. The Conservative Greg Hands won our constituency in 2005, so _technically_ Labour won it from them. However Labour would have had our ‘notional’ seat back in 2005 so I guess that’s a kind of ‘hold’. Meanwhile, Greg Hands went on to win Fulham and Chelsea last night. [This](http://skeptical-voter.org/wiki/index.php?title=Greg_Hands) is his ‘rationality record’. Phew, Hammersmith dodged a bullet there. Thanks, Boundary Commission. > [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Caroline Lucas just won! She’s wrong about everything but still. Agreed. They’re too flaky for me, but I _want_ to see a little representation from smaller parties (heck, I’m supporting PR reform, aren’t I?). This should give the greens confidence to step up their campaigns, and voters confidence to vote for them. In fact, and I know I’ll get flamed for this, perhaps rightly, but I’d even be happy to see the B-fucking-N-cunting-P win one seat, just to provide a more heterogeneous mixture in Parliament. Of course, I wouldn’t want them to win more than one, and I’d prefer they didn’t keep it for more than one round. > [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > When doing that kind of electoral arithmetic there’s a few factors: One seat isn’t getting done for a few weeks because a candidate died, Sinn Fein’s seats don’t count because that party will not sit in Westminster, and the Speaker’s seat doesn’t count either. Tricky innit. One thing that’s always bugged me about the Speaker’s seat. Do the voters there just not give a shit that they have no representation, or what? And what about Sinn Fein? Is refusing to figuratively munch the Queen’s carpet\* really so fucking important that they’ll forgo having a voice in how they are governed? > [@Gyrate](#): > > It’s the standard LibDem effect. Although people may support the LibDems, they: > > 1. are reluctant to vote for a party which they think won’t win (yes, that makes no sense); and > > 2. are afraid that if they vote LibDem it will “dilute” the vote and the party that they REALLY don’t like (usually the Tories) will get in. > > A PR system would correct this, although I doubt you’d see them getting a majority regardless. Reason 1 is indeed a curious, self-referential reason, but in an FPTP system it’s not as idiotic as you may think. For reason 2. As I’ve said above, I am one such voter, LibDem supporter who ticked Labour here. I’ve explained my reasons. Nor, in this instance, am I even minutely responsible for the Lib’s low showing this time, since I only _swapped_ my vote, I didn’t unilaterally change it. (Well unless my ‘partner’ lied, of course, but the beauty of vote-swapping is that deception is counterproductive) But yeah, bring on PR and I’ll start slobbering over Nick Clegg’s cock\* again. \*I’m not sorry. I’d say both of these again. What, you think I _care_ about your mental health? ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/577 "2010-05-07T10:44:44Z")
> [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](#): > > Sadly mine was a wasted vote, David Tredinnick (Con) held his seat. > > The only cause he seems to care about is homeopathy (see his questions [here](http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/david_tredinnick/bosworth)). Oh you poor bastard. My condolences. Well I don’t wish rabies on Mr. Tredinnick, but if he DID happen to get bitten, I hope he would go straight to his homeopathic remedies for prophylaxis. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/578 "2010-05-07T10:53:53Z")
> [@nicole1912](#): > > Con-Lib pact, with electoral reform high on the agenda, do you reckon? Looks likely to me. To be followed by a new election as soon as they can rationally get away with it… The tories will not concede meaningful reform as PR would mean a permanent progressive majority govt. Lib and Labour (even with labour at the nadir) have 55% of the popular vote. They might promise a referendum but would campaign against it. Tories and Lib-dems are not natural allies. Such a coalition would not last and if entered into the tories would naturally look for the chance to call another election. But I can see a tory-Lib coalition being the next govt. (and a second election Nov-Feb). The tories did win the most seats and labour have been rejected so fair enough. But I’d prefer a progressive coalition of the lib-dems, labour, and the non-unionist nationalist parties and the Green if Brown can pt it together. With clegg as PM. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/579 "2010-05-07T10:56:40Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Good to see the Conservatives winning. As you have been told -the Conservative Party would be on the extreme left of the Democrats in the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/580 "2010-05-07T11:07:50Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > The tories will not concede meaningful reform as PR would mean a permanent progressive majority govt. Lib and Labour (even with labour at the nadir) have 55% of the popular vote. People keep saying this, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be like in Germany, with alternating centre-left, centre-right coalitions. Great for the middle party - the FDP in Germany is almost always in government despite only getting I think something like 15% of the vote. I think what would happen under PR is that some of the “right” of the Tory party would defect to a UKIP which would now get a few MPS, and the remaining Tory party would be capable of forming working coalitions with the Lib Dems. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133.md?page=28) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133.md?page=30)