WI the proportional representation in Britain

74-75..

Sounds like the title of a song :)

It has to be remembered that the circumstances of the February 1974 election were hugely unusual. The country was in the grip of widespread industrial unrest especially a miners' strike which had led to power cuts and the introduction of the infamous "3-day week".

It was the replacement of the Conservatives by a Labour Government led by Harold Wilson that brought the strike to a conclusion. Had the Conservatives and Liberals formed a Coalition, they would have also faced the issue of the miners' strike. I'm not sure how this could have been resolved.
 
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The Conservative Right the Monday Club in particular could have done what the SDP did to Labour in OTL and break with the Tories joining the Ulster Unionists and National Front with perhaps Enoch Powell as leader adopting the Unionist party name nation wide.

Lots of factors there and nearly to many possibilities.


Apart from immigration (& that's pushing it) what do right wing Conservatives & the NF have in common exactly? Their social & ecenomic policies are complete opposites. Why would any break away faction from the Conservative party (or any other party for that matter) wish to have any association in the minds of the electerate with the NF?
 
Apart from immigration (& that's pushing it) what do right wing Conservatives & the NF have in common exactly? Their social & ecenomic policies are complete opposites. Why would any break away faction from the Conservative party (or any other party for that matter) wish to have any association in the minds of the electerate with the NF?

Thatcherism was such a big thing on the Conservative Party Right back then.
The Monday Club MP's where infavour of reform of the Nationalised industries and cruching the communist unions but not mass privatisation of British companies.
The NF name wasnt as bad in 1974 as it is now either.
This is long before the party was taken over by skinheads and hooligans.
 
Not sure I buy the argument as purely a protest vote. A lot of people vote "Any but Labour/Tories". They have a party they hate and will vote for any party that isn't them that has at least a chance of winning. So there are also a lot of Labour/Tory protest votes. Anti-EU parties on the left and right would pick up a lot of votes with PR in the UK.

I would also disagree with the Liberal vote having such a high protest factor. Under the current system that means it is largely wasted while in many areas voters have at least the believe that they can achieve an aim, namely keeping out the party they hate/fear most, by voting for the other main rival.

With PR, especially under STV, this is radically different. People can actually vote for a party they prefer with much more chance of it being elected. I used to canvass back in the 80's and was often told, we would vote for you if we thought you could win. With STV, winning, that is getting at least one representative, in each constituency, is very likely in most of them so you have a good chance of an increased vote for the party. Alternative the often used taunt that a note for the Liberals is a wasted vote would be much harder for the other parties to use.

Steve
 
I would also disagree with the Liberal vote having such a high protest factor. Under the current system that means it is largely wasted while in many areas voters have at least the believe that they can achieve an aim, namely keeping out the party they hate/fear most, by voting for the other main rival.

With PR, especially under STV, this is radically different. People can actually vote for a party they prefer with much more chance of it being elected. I used to canvass back in the 80's and was often told, we would vote for you if we thought you could win. With STV, winning, that is getting at least one representative, in each constituency, is very likely in most of them so you have a good chance of an increased vote for the party. Alternative the often used taunt that a note for the Liberals is a wasted vote would be much harder for the other parties to use.

Steve

I know quite a few people who vote Liberal just because they hate the other two or to get the Tories or Labour out in a said area.
Under STV it's likey we would have a strong Far Right Nationalist party and a strong Socialist party
 
I would also disagree with the Liberal vote having such a high protest factor. Under the current system that means it is largely wasted while in many areas voters have at least the believe that they can achieve an aim, namely keeping out the party they hate/fear most, by voting for the other main rival.

With PR, especially under STV, this is radically different. People can actually vote for a party they prefer with much more chance of it being elected. I used to canvass back in the 80's and was often told, we would vote for you if we thought you could win. With STV, winning, that is getting at least one representative, in each constituency, is very likely in most of them so you have a good chance of an increased vote for the party. Alternative the often used taunt that a note for the Liberals is a wasted vote would be much harder for the other parties to use.

Steve

Last poll on asking Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, or what. 2001.

Labour - 41%
Conservative - 25%
Liberal - 10%
Other - 4%
Dont Know - 6%
None of these - 12%
Refused - 2%

Shows very weak Liberal party identification.
 
I know quite a few people who vote Liberal just because they hate the other two or to get the Tories or Labour out in a said area.
Under STV it's likey we would have a strong Far Right Nationalist party and a strong Socialist party

Joe

There are also a lot of people who vote Labour to defeat the Tories and vice-versa because they see no other alternative under the current system.

Quite likely we would have stronger, although still relatively small far left and right wing groupings. However who do you think their existence would weaken?

Steve
 
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