political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
There's scope for a picture research project here. I remember reading somewhere that the biggest grins on Olympic podiums are on the faces of the gold and bronze medal winners - with the silver medallist typically looking very glum. So the question is whether this also applies to the faces of 1,2 an 3 after election declarations. Ideal project for students of media studies at the University of Slagheap-under-Lyme, if you ask me!
Indeed, Annunziata....although to be fair she did do an entire Telegraph column talking about sclerosis of the liver rather than cirrhosis, so, well, spelling ain't quite her thing.
Fun to see that I've also a personal connection with the third in the list as well as the first.
Annunziata. Shame really. Would have been so useful to have more than one Rees-Mogg in the Haise - how else are we to hear the right sort of accent in the tearooms?
This wasteful piling up of votes isn't going to change under AV. The only difference will be the winners might be different from the ones listed here, and that might make it even more galling for whoever ends up losing.
We need to get the Tories to see sense and go for MMP (the Scottish/German system). There'll still be constituencies, albeit bigger ones, and both David Heath and Nancy Mogg would probably have been elected.
@Peter - I think Iain is lying low on that one, as with so many of his "predictions"!
Whilst we're on the subject of forecasts, who do we think is going to win the Labour election? Is Ed Milliband going to move to front-runner after the Welsh Windbag's support for him today? Eddie seems to me marginally less irritating that Davie, so perhaps his second odds at the bookies are looking good?
Seeing as it's still possible that we'll have another election before the boundaries are reviewed and the system is changed, I've listed all the under-5% marginals at http://ukelect.wordpress.com/
Nice table Iain but I think you may assume that most of your readers have IQs more than their shoe size and already realise that New Labour distorted the drawing of constituency boundaries to give it an undemocratic advantage. Try hitting Nick Robinson and any other honest/semi-honest journalists over the head with it (one sheet of paper not a tablet of stone, of course).
Nice table Iain but I think you may assume that most of your readers have IQs more than their shoe size and already realise that New Labour distorted the drawing of constituency boundaries to give it an undemocratic advantage. Try hitting Nick Robinson and any other honest/semi-honest journalists over the head with it (one sheet of paper not a tablet of stone, of course).
Most of these second places got more votes than the Western Isles has voters! We need a map like the BBC hexagon map execpt using the inverse of the number of voters, that way Western Isles will be 5 times Isle of wight
There's scope for a picture research project here. I remember reading somewhere that the biggest grins on Olympic podiums are on the faces of the gold and bronze medal winners - with the silver medallist typically looking very glum. So the question is whether this also applies to the faces of 1,2 an 3 after election declarations. Ideal project for students of media studies at the University of Slagheap-under-Lyme, if you ask me!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was spelled "Annunziata" and not "Annunsiata"? (That's enough silly posh names. Ed.)
ReplyDeleteSurprised by some of those - the LibDems will be redoubling their efforts next time! In the Oliver Letwin one in particular.
How good to see that Dr. Evan Harris finished out of the money.
ReplyDeleteI hope Nancy Mogg does make it to Parliament eventually.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Annunziata....although to be fair she did do an entire Telegraph column talking about sclerosis of the liver rather than cirrhosis, so, well, spelling ain't quite her thing.
ReplyDeleteFun to see that I've also a personal connection with the third in the list as well as the first.
i feel sorry for this lot.
ReplyDeleteperhaps the electoral system should
be like the world cup where the best second place teams get through to the next round.
Annunziata. Shame really. Would have been so useful to have more than one Rees-Mogg in the Haise - how else are we to hear the right sort of accent in the tearooms?
ReplyDeleteIain - are you going to publish your seat predictions that you made back in January - would be good to see them?
ReplyDeleteThis wasteful piling up of votes isn't going to change under AV. The only difference will be the winners might be different from the ones listed here, and that might make it even more galling for whoever ends up losing.
ReplyDeleteWe need to get the Tories to see sense and go for MMP (the Scottish/German system). There'll still be constituencies, albeit bigger ones, and both David Heath and Nancy Mogg would probably have been elected.
@Peter - I think Iain is lying low on that one, as with so many of his "predictions"!
ReplyDeleteWhilst we're on the subject of forecasts, who do we think is going to win the Labour election? Is Ed Milliband going to move to front-runner after the Welsh Windbag's support for him today? Eddie seems to me marginally less irritating that Davie, so perhaps his second odds at the bookies are looking good?
Seeing as it's still possible that we'll have another election before the boundaries are reviewed and the system is changed, I've listed all the under-5% marginals at http://ukelect.wordpress.com/
ReplyDeleteNice table Iain but I think you may assume that most of your readers have IQs more than their shoe size and already realise that New Labour distorted the drawing of constituency boundaries to give it an undemocratic advantage.
ReplyDeleteTry hitting Nick Robinson and any other honest/semi-honest journalists over the head with it (one sheet of paper not a tablet of stone, of course).
Nice table Iain but I think you may assume that most of your readers have IQs more than their shoe size and already realise that New Labour distorted the drawing of constituency boundaries to give it an undemocratic advantage.
ReplyDeleteTry hitting Nick Robinson and any other honest/semi-honest journalists over the head with it (one sheet of paper not a tablet of stone, of course).
Most of these second places got more votes than the Western Isles has voters!
ReplyDeleteWe need a map like the BBC hexagon map execpt using the inverse of the number of voters, that way Western Isles will be 5 times Isle of wight