UK Politics / Reply to Ann (was Re: Is Umbridge a commentary on British govt. ed

[Goddlefrood]

> Geoff:
> The reality is that that, under the first past the post system, 
> many MPs are elected with way under 50% of the support of their 
> constituencies and the representation of the parties does not 
> reflect their share of the vote.
 
Goddlefrood:

That tends to happen where there's more than two parties 
contesting elections, there's not much wrong with it. The 
expressed view that many European countries function perfectly 
well with coalitions is not a position I could agree with. 
Constitutionally they have to have coalitions, because in 
certain countries they have to allocate a number of seats 
in Government, as opposed to in Parliament, to any party 
getting a particualr proportion of the vote (usually over 
10 % of the seats). Anyway, sovereignty has been all but 
taken away by the EU or EC or whatever they are calling 
themselves these days.

> Geoff:

> Additionally, we have, as a result, a confrontational style 
> of politics where two parties cannot put forward similar 
> policies without one accusing the other of swiping their 
> ideas.

Goddlefrood:

It used to be called playing politics (although what exactly 
politicians are supposed to do except play politics is a moot 
point). There's actually been somewhat of a consensual situation 
in British politics since the Labour Party restyled itself and 
borrowed the Conservative's policies. 

I'm now off to clear a pub by talking some more about politics 
:-O.