Reform did not decide the 2024 election. It's true they ate in to the Tory vote, but they've also eaten in to Labour too seeing as they tore in to the heartlands in 2019.

 

Yes FPTP isn't the best, but not sure PR is either. Just leads to way more coalitions and even more less qualified people to have a platform or run the country. People find it hard to accept that the United Kingdom is predominately right-wing leaning. Changing the system is just going to allow the country to lurch further to the right. I'm sure all those independent MPs hate FPTP too!

I don't know what more people expected? Yeah your life won't change significantly overnight, but you this country will be in a much better place in 5 years time than we already are. Even listening to Jeremy Hunt's winning speech, he almost alludes to the fact the Tories have underfunding the NHS.

 

Reform did decide this election by standing in almost all seats compared to 2019 where Labour would have got in if Reform stood in Tory held seats rather than carefully choosing where to stand to benefit right-wingers.

 

You don't think votes actually representing the electorate is the best thing? You can see the failure of FPTP in turnout figures for election. Also the right only got 38% of the vote in this election for Conservatives and Reform - a majority of people voted for supposedly left-wing (I'd argue against Labour being left-wing in it's current state) parties (56% for Labour, Lib Dem. Green, SNP and Plaid) so it doesn't follow that PR would lurch the country to the right - it would just mean more parties represented in power and people's votes actually meaning something. The most stable government since 2010 was actually the coalition - so we know coalitions work - they also moderate the excesses of other parties in the coalition.

 

Listening to the new chancellor bang on about private investment and there being no money - i.e sticking to the fiscal rules rubbish - I'm convinced the country will be a worse place in 5 years. PR could have prevented that.

Edited July 5, 2024Jul 5 by DoBelieveTheHype

North West Cambridgeshire is my contituency, historically has always been a Tory seat since its inception in 1997, with our previous MP being there for 19 years! Incredible that Sam Carling has not only become the first Labour MP for us, but one of the youngest too at 22! 39 votes in it between him and Shailesh (the exiting MP/Tory) which just shows how much hold the Tories still have on the electorate where I live but thankfully it was just enough to oust them. He'll have some big shoes to fill really as we were a huge constituency before the resizing last year (still pretty big though) but Sam seems rather headstrong.

They should call a press conference TONIGHT or in next few days. Rachel Reeve in the press office. Have her, with graphs, explaining the fidcal difference now vs last Lab government, how there's no mpney left. Losds disappeared with nothing to show for it, and how it will take a long time to fix. Thst the country is in dire straits thanks ro Tories etc.

 

Tories would do it! It's politics 101.

North West Cambridgeshire is my contituency, historically has always been a Tory seat since its inception in 1997, with our previous MP being there for 19 years! Incredible that Sam Carling has not only become the first Labour MP for us, but one of the youngest too at 22! 39 votes in it between him and Shailesh (the exiting MP/Tory) which just shows how much hold the Tories still have on the electorate where I live but thankfully it was just enough to oust them. He'll have some big shoes to fill really as we were a huge constituency before the resizing last year (still pretty big though) but Sam seems rather headstrong.

 

Oh wow that's super close! Is that the smallest winning margin of this election? :o

Well, shit, Bromley stayed Tory by less than THREE HUNDRED VOTES, seriously if it wasn't now, it will never happen, I am often ashamed of how Tory this borough is for one so close to London (Reform a fait bit behind thankfully) x

 

But I think the positives outweigh the negatives - that's a great result for Labour, if disappointing turnout and vote share. I hope now that they're safely in, they can actually deliver some change and stop walking on eggshells to avoid being seen like Corbyn or whatever (love seeing him get in and defying the media thirsting for his defeat), this was actually a really good night for left wing parties, yes Reform benefitted clearly from the Tory fallout, but that's not a lot of seats overall and some of the Independent wins show that there is an appetite for a more progressive stance. They know how quickly the tides can turn (there was talk of Johnson being in power for ten years last election), so I really hope they can make some positive changes to avoid a populist right movement. I certainly think these results could warrant a discussion in changes to the voting system.

 

But at the very least, we have gotten rid of a government that cares nothing for the people if it doesn't line their own pockets, being openly corrupt with appointments and peerages, partying and breaking the rules during a global pandemic while telling everyone else they can't see their loved ones and prioritising much needed PPE to their corporate mates, turning a blind eye to the struggling NHS and spending a ton on heartless schemes like the Rwanda policy, spending unneeded amounts of time on pointless culture wars aimed at a marginalised group of people who just want to live free of discrimination and restricting public service institutions' ability to report honest and truthful news and having their corporate friends in newspapers spread misinformation on a daily basis. As uninspiring as Labour may be, I straight out refuse to think they will be any worse than the morally corrupt scumbags that have come before. We need to take the positives here.

 

Some other nice highlights naturally include Truss, Schapps and Rees-Mogg losing their seat (Mordaunt was actually one of the saner of the bunch, but certainly not crying to see her go), although a bloody shame that Badenoch and Braverman got their seats. Great night for the Lib Dems and Greens getting one more seat than predicted too. I don't think Reform are anything to worry about yet, they clearly hit a certain demographic but 4 seats (maybe 5) is pretty poor considering the predictions at the start of the night, and their vote share still wasn't anywhere near the main two. Farage will rant and rave all he wants, but under a microscope, they really have no clue what they're doing.

Oh wow that's super close! Is that the smallest winning margin of this election? :o

 

Quite possibly, I don't think anyone has looked at the data like that yet to see if it's the smallest margin. We had to have a recount at 4am as the initial margin was 23 votes!

Peterborough, the other constituency for the city, also had to have a recount and also meant an improved margin for Labour from 100 to 118.

I'm interested to see what people saying this is a bad result etc. would've expected a 'good result' to look like, Labour getting close to 500 and Lib Dems official opposition? It was never gonna happen, we will always have a core right leaning voterbase. Yes there's still potential issues, but they have been in government for less than a day, let's stop doommongering for one minute x

Quite possibly, I don't think anyone has looked at the data like that yet to see if it's the smallest margin. We had to have a recount at 4am as the initial margin was 23 votes!

Peterborough, the other constituency for the city, also had to have a recount and also meant an improved margin for Labour from 100 to 118.

 

Labour won Hendon by 15 votes

Labour: 15,855

Conservative: 15,840

 

Also won Poole by 18 votes

 

Labour: 14,168

Conservative: 14,150

 

Was a lot of close ones this time

 

I'm interested to see what people saying this is a bad result etc. would've expected a 'good result' to look like, Labour getting close to 500 and Lib Dems official opposition? It was never gonna happen, we will always have a core right leaning voterbase. Labour have been in government for less than a day, let's stop doommongering for one minute x

 

Labour getting 40% of the vote and the same amount of seats would have been a good result. Getting just 1/3rd of the vote means they could very easily be back in opposition in 2029 and there's questions about their legitimacy as governing party. As already pointed out in this thread - left leaning parties (not left-wing) got a majority of the vote yesterday - so this right-leaning country bollocks is for the birds.

 

Electoral reform would give us progressive governments. Rather than a rag-tag band of red Tories.

I don't think Reform are anything to worry about yet, they clearly hit a certain demongraphic

This is an apt typo :kink:

 

Sadly my constituency (South Northamptonshire) didn't pull off the the preferred side of the toss-up prediction and stayed Tory :( but the gap between them and Labour was a lot smaller than last time, small victories

I'm interested to see what people saying this is a bad result etc. would've expected a 'good result' to look like, Labour getting close to 500 and Lib Dems official opposition? It was never gonna happen, we will always have a core right leaning voterbase. Yes there's still potential issues, but they have been in government for less than a day, let's stop doommongering for one minute x

 

Amen sister.

 

Labour won Hendon by 15 votes

Labour: 15,855

Conservative: 15,840

 

Also won Poole by 18 votes

 

Labour: 14,168

Conservative: 14,150

 

Was a lot of close ones this time

 

It really goes to show how crucial one vote can be. Also glad Labour were on the right side of both votes there. :D

Oh wow that's super close! Is that the smallest winning margin of this election? :o

 

20 between Tory parschute man and Labour

Bet you're happier watching Blairites back in charge rather than the Tories though? :lol:

How do you know if it wasn't for the Reform Party Labour wouldn't be in power? Labour have been well ahead in the polls, if anything Reform have eaten in both the Tories & Labour over the coming weeks. People have used their vote as a protest, which is worrying, but that's a challenge for the future, but one the strategists have to be wary of.

 

I always try to devide them up between Blairites and Brownites which makes me feel better and think of the ‘This is the Britain we have been building’ speech from 2009/10. Hate the likes of Kendall and McFadden the former will end up being given a private sector consultancy job following her time in government a bit like Geoff Hoon. Technocrats and no more.

 

But happy to give the Bridget Phillipson and Rachel Reeves of this world a chance.

Labour getting 40% of the vote and the same amount of seats would have been a good result. Getting just 1/3rd of the vote means they could very easily be back in opposition in 2029 and there's questions about their legitimacy as governing party. As already pointed out in this thread - left leaning parties (not left-wing) got a majority of the vote yesterday - so this right-leaning country bollocks is for the birds.

 

Electoral reform would give us progressive governments. Rather than a rag-tag band of red Tories.

 

Preach!!! We would have had Coebyn under s different system, even in 2019.

I always try to devide them up between Blairites and Brownites which makes me feel better and think of the ‘This is the Britain we have been building’ speech from 2009/10. Hate the likes of Kendall and McFadden the former will end up being given a private sector consultancy job following her time in government a bit like Geoff Hoon. Technocrats and no more.

 

But happy to give the Bridget Phillipson and Rachel Reeves of this world a chance.

 

Liz Kendall at the DWP and Wes Streeting at health are worryingly right-wing appointments.

if Tom Tugendhat is the next conservative leader then you have my fellow constituents to blame

green and labour combined here wouldn’t have deseated him either

 

great to see the back of Truss and Rees Mogg though

I'm interested to see what people saying this is a bad result etc. would've expected a 'good result' to look like, Labour getting close to 500 and Lib Dems official opposition? It was never gonna happen, we will always have a core right leaning voterbase. Yes there's still potential issues, but they have been in government for less than a day, let's stop doommongering for one minute x

 

People are never happy. We've a Labour government in charge and now everyone from the left want us to borrow money left right and centre and the right want us to dismantle the NHS and privatise everything to save cash. All fantasy stuff.

 

We actually have some serious politicians in charge. These things 12-18 months to see the benefits of. We've a Labour government back in power, loads of reasons for positivity. The team behind Starmer just need to play a careful game here, as they're going to have to lurch to the right to keep the Reform/Tory vote in check, but admittedly they also need to try and lure back some Left votes too, albeit I don't think they can do both without failing spectacularly. My best guess is they will wait and see what the new Tory leader brings first.

Reform take a 5th seat with South Basildon and East Thurrock.

 

That leaves 1 to be declared - which will be tomorrow.

Labour getting 40% of the vote and the same amount of seats would have been a good result. Getting just 1/3rd of the vote means they could very easily be back in opposition in 2029 and there's questions about their legitimacy as governing party. As already pointed out in this thread - left leaning parties (not left-wing) got a majority of the vote yesterday - so this right-leaning country bollocks is for the birds.

 

Electoral reform would give us progressive governments. Rather than a rag-tag band of red Tories.

 

Right-leaning governments have historically done much better and ruled for far longer than left-leaning governments over the past hundred years in the UK. Left-wing parties can still have positive moments, much like last night, but they've been very short lived and never given a proper chance to flourish under the systems we have. I would love things to be different and certainly London paints a progressive picture, but there's still a clear split.

 

I do agree that our current voting system is outdated as hell. I hope it could at least be discussed, but the public widely rejected a move to PR on the last vote in 2011 so it'll take some time to really bring it forward.

I'm interested to see what people saying this is a bad result etc. would've expected a 'good result' to look like, Labour getting close to 500 and Lib Dems official opposition? It was never gonna happen, we will always have a core right leaning voterbase. Yes there's still potential issues, but they have been in government for less than a day, let's stop doommongering for one minute x

 

WELL...

 

One can go on about Labour playing the system effectively and still see that this was the least representative election in a long while - that votes in the right place matter more than vote numbers. Corbyn was more popular than Starmer by raw vote numbers, both times, which means a stronger base and more leeway given in any potential government, and any talk about how 2017/2019 were 'rejections' of the Labour left is nonsense - more people voted for them! in any sane system that would have gotten them better results than Starmer's Labour. That the Labour left were not good at playing the system, I'll grant you. But I think this result shows we have a stronger left-leaning voterbase than many people often give Britain credit for - they can definitely give Labour pause, and demographically, unlike many other countries, we're actually still on for the voterbase becoming somewhat more left-wing over time. The Tories and Reform have now split the right and they're not easily coming back together.

 

Basically a good result but with some massive caveats and an awareness that Labour absolutely must not just now look to their right.

 

If Starmer delivers, and I hope he will, then he can retain this very shallow coalition. If not, the majority will not hold for the next election.