I don't think it'll be close. It'll maybe better than it seemed a year or so ago, but without Scotland, Labor would need a very significant seismic shift in voting to really threaten the Tories.

Still, recent events have shown that the predictable outcome is harder to call than usual, but I'd be surprised if its closer than the last election.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

I have mixed feelings about proportional representation. It is a fairer system....but then again so is communism.

Rather like communism PR suffers from the reality that humans are the ones implementing it. It produces very weak government that rarely achieves anything apart from a nice gravy train.

Personally, I'd rather have a government that implements its ideas which can then be judged upon them...whether I agree with them or not....first past the post at least does that.

Edited by Stirlingsays (02 Jun 2017 2.37pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

I think my issue mainly relates to how many seats the SNP got in the last general election and how few seats UKIP got (and Green as well to be fair) given the huge number of people voting for those parties.

I actually think that people are so embroiled in party politics now that voting is no different for a lot of people than picking a football team to support. I don't think elected politicians are ever really held accountable for their failure to deliver. I don't doubt that a minority in this country perform adequate research into the previous performance of an elected person, and the projected manifesto of a political party but there'll be a huge percentage of the electorate that have chosen their colours and won't budge no matter how a party performs against their manifesto.

I don't believe there is any voting system that could counteract that, but you have a point that FPTP might be closest of the three tabled systems.

You won't get a dictator or one party state with a fair voting system.

I think where you are its a tory area?

I find myself in a marginal where my vote could matter but its the first time ever all the other times we were in tory areas with large majorities.

If you're responding to me, you're correct. Such a strong Conservative vote here that I'd be surprised if that changed in my lifetime, sounds similar to how yours was.

A brand new independent ran them reasonably close (never really stood a chance though) in the local elections which was nice to see. I had voted for him actually as his campaign literature was great and made sense. In the general election Nicholas Soames won't really be losing much sleep about the potential for the Lib Dems to squeeze him out.

I will be

If punk ever happened I'd be preaching the law, instead of listenin to Lydon lecture BBC4

Any reduction in Tory majority (and that might well be on the cards) will be an utter humiliation for TM and her team...

The Guardian is wrong about everything. Always.

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.

The only thing that mattters is the result on 'Polling Day. As we have found recently, polls have been alarmingly incorrect.I am taking nothing for granted.

So do we think he is in contention I think he is?

Its just impossible to know who will turn out.