Respect where respect is due? No, but this is far worse for Ed than for Dave: click on image for more info from PoliticalBetting.com about the "most sensational victory in British by-election history. Ever." (says the winner George Galloway). In the 2010 General Election the 'big three' got over 88% of the vote; this time round it was 38%. Can all that be down to tactical voting and dodgy postal voting? Probably yes.
4 comments:
Of the many things Tony Blair did to deliberately screw up our democracy was to deliberately force a huge increase in postal voting. Postal voting had been created to help people who were not fit enough to attend a polling station or who would be away at the time of the election.
Blair knew that there are certain communities whose leaders have a nearly 100% input into the actions of the members of that comunity. By smoozing these leaders, he knew he would get an amazingly high return for Labour candidates if postal voting was expanded to include anyone who fancied to vote that way. Labour got huge swings in certain constituencies especially as they also inflicted mass immigration as a further way to gerrymander the electorate.
Now however, as the extremists are taking more power in these constituencies, the vote has moved away from Labour towards extremist politicians like Galloway. As you sew so shall you reap.
Yes Simon, I agree with all of that including the use of "deliberately".
Disaster for Labour after the budget/pasty/petrol ten days.
Shape of things to come regarding single issue candidates? Probably not although a lot of Conservatives seem to like flirting with the idea of UKIP.
Re postal voting there is real concern in London over the 4 May elections as there is already evidence of potential vote rigging in Tower Hamlets. Reading online this week that one house in Mile End has 12 registered voters where only three people have ever been recorded as living!
I don't think Galloway would ever win a seat in Berkshire or Surrey somehow though - far too white!
you left out Cruddasgate Paul and my picture description two posts below this one :-)
Postal votes should be banned, full-stop unless immobility/illness is proven.
The UKIP thing is funny, the Greens and Respect have shown how to win seats; UKIP (and BNP?) get far more votes but never anywhere near winning a seat.
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