Great to see a return of the blog! Thank you for such a clear presentation of how FPTP is now working so well for Reform, giving it a disproportionate number of seats for its vote once the 30% threshold is reached.
Why do you use the term “First Past The Post” when it is no such thing?
For a start, show me the post before the vote starts?
FPTP implies an utterly spurious sense of fairness; an attempt to sound like something everyday and familiar like a horse race. It is, as your post illustrates a deeply weird, flawed, and often arbitrary system of Xs presumably adopted when literacy was low.
The question you raise is important. If the opposition to reform do not realise they must cooperate and put narrow local self interest first then reform can win the next general election but with tactical voting and at the very least informal local understandings progressive forces can grind reform into the dust.
Isn’t the one common outcome of all scenarios that the Tories are toast? I’m slightly schizoid when it comes to contemplating the death of the Conservative Party and the rise of Reform. Oh for the old boring two party politics of my youth. You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.
What a dreadful voting system FPTP is for a five party contest.
It's about time England and Wales aped Scotland and NI, and introduced STV for local government.
Great to see a return of the blog! Thank you for such a clear presentation of how FPTP is now working so well for Reform, giving it a disproportionate number of seats for its vote once the 30% threshold is reached.
Hello Rob, Great clear article thanks.
Why do you use the term “First Past The Post” when it is no such thing?
For a start, show me the post before the vote starts?
FPTP implies an utterly spurious sense of fairness; an attempt to sound like something everyday and familiar like a horse race. It is, as your post illustrates a deeply weird, flawed, and often arbitrary system of Xs presumably adopted when literacy was low.
Barry
Great piece Rob. Shared it on GET PR DONE! Facebook group and added the "everyone" tag and so could go to 2700 peeps. Alan Story, THE LEFT LANE
(This has proved to be a well-read piece: https://theleftlane2024.substack.com/p/why-the-rift-whats-the-road-ahead)
The question you raise is important. If the opposition to reform do not realise they must cooperate and put narrow local self interest first then reform can win the next general election but with tactical voting and at the very least informal local understandings progressive forces can grind reform into the dust.
Isn’t the one common outcome of all scenarios that the Tories are toast? I’m slightly schizoid when it comes to contemplating the death of the Conservative Party and the rise of Reform. Oh for the old boring two party politics of my youth. You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.