Being nice to Tories

Proportional Representation : Labour Party : Conservative Party : Liberal Democrats.

One of my colleagues - well, one of my minions, actually - chortled to himself the other day. All will be clear. You see, I was ranting about how much I hate the lib-dems "If I had a Tory, and a Lib Dem, and one bullet, if I couldn't persuade them to put their heads together, I'd pop the Lib-Dem." Quothe I, 'tis an old routine, "The Tories are scum, but at least their honest scum." My minion is training to be a barrister - one day he will earn triple my salary and vote Tory. I'll allow him his chuckle.

Anyway, this report (PDF) from the admittedly pro-PR Electoral Reform Society suggests that the current electoral system is biased against the Tories - the twin evils of first past the post - geographic lumpiness (concetntrations of votes in certain areas) and differential turn-out conspire to mean the Tories need an over 10% swing just to get back in.

This is, frankly, ridiculous. In some seats less than half the votes the average Tory requires to win a seat marginally turns into a safe seat fo Labour (see Liverpool, passim). Perhaps if the Tories win enough votes to mean Labour loses overall majority they might well have the sense to go into coalition with the Lib-Dems and reluctantly (!) give the Lib-Dems the PR they crave.

I remember thinking the Tories were onto a great crack winning the whole hearted support of 40% of the population in Southern England, great divide and rule tactic. it seems, though, that Labour has outdone them. Paul Boetang's infamous 'Its not the electoral system, its about getting the right result' doesn't just apply to Labour's internal elections, they really are hell bent of clinging onto power by fair means or foul.

Their heartland vote can continue to wither on the vine - they have by far more seats where they lead by double the second party's vote than any other party. Their aim is hegemonic, a dominant party state, they failed to do that through big tent deals with the Lib-Dems, so they'll cling on regardless.;

Kick it till it breaks? Maybe.