Labour are also under-represented compared to the Tories.
Analysis of the 2019 general election results has shown that the number of MPs d get per seat different parties get varies wildly.
According to the Electoral Reform Society, it took:
864,743 to elect the lone Green MP
642,303 votes for zero Brexit Party MPs
334,122 to elect each Liberal Democrat
50,817 to elect each Labour MP
38,300 votes to elect each Conservative MP
38,316 to elect each Plaid Cymru MP
25,882 to elect each SNP MP
The Green Party and Brexit Party are also likely to have got more votes if a vote for them wasn’t often considered a ‘wasted vote’ in the vast majority of seats.
Willie Sullivan, Senior Director of the Electoral Reform Society, said:
“When it takes nearly 900,000 votes to elect one party’s MP, and just 26,000 for another, you know the system is not just struggling – it’s bankrupt.
“Millions of voters have gone totally unrepresented, with worryingly warped results in many areas. The Conservatives have won a majority on a minority of the vote, with an increase in seat share high above their increase in vote share.
“The SNP have also been highly over-represented, while Liberal Democrat voters have been short changed. Thankfully both these parties support a fair, proportional voting system.”
“People will not tolerate being systematically ignored. This has to be the last election under Westminster’s warped voting system.”
“The Conservatives must recognise they were helped by the Brexit Party standing down in their existing seats, while Labour must recognise that tactical voting under Westminster’s voting system did not save them. It is time for real reform to end the mass disenfranchisement we see under First Past the Post.”
The ERS have launched a petition to introduce proportional representation. Proportional representation is a principle whereby seats are allocated to different parties proportionate to the number of votes they received.
6 Responses to “Tories get 22 times more MPs per seat than Greens do”
nhsgp
Labour had the chance when they were in power. They took advantage of the rules then, instead of changing them
So thye have to live with it.
Tories get 22 times more MPs per seat than Greens do - Politics Highlight - News from the Left and Right
[…] 13 December 2019Politics Highlight Labour are also under-represented compared to the Tories. Author: Joe Lo | Source […]
Robert
A sobering piece – thanks!
But the headline doesn’t make sense. 1x MP = 1x seat. It’s the same thing. Maybe it should say ‘Tories get 22 times more MPs per vote than Greens do.’ Or ‘per 100,000 votes,’ or something.
Report shows electoral system continued to benefit Tories over Labour in 2019 – LeftInsider
[…] For every MP they returned, the Conservatives received 38,264 votes while Labour got 50,855 votes. In percentage terms, they got about 33% more seats per vote. These results are similar to the 2017 election. […]
Lisa Nandy opposes electoral pacts but supports proportional representation | Left Foot Forward
[…] On proportional representation, she said: “It’s something the Greens feel incredibly strongly about for obvious reasons,”. At the last election, the Tories got 22 times as many MPs per vote as the Greens did. […]