2015 General Election

2015 GENERAL ELECTION for AS Politics

Result headlines:

Labour 30% = + 0.5%   Seats: 232  

Tories 37% = +1.5%   Seats: 331   Overall majority of 12

LD 8% = -15.2%   Seats: 8

SNP = 4.7%   Seats: 56                                                                                                                     (50/59 Scot seats changed hands)   (Swing in Glasgow N-E – 39% from L to SNP)

UKIP = 12.6% Seats: 1

Cabinet losses: Cable, Davey, Alexander, (McVey attended Cabinet)

Shadow Cabinet losses: Balls, Alexander, Curran

Voting systems issues:

The Electoral Reform Society states that:

Conservatives won over 50% of seats with 37% of the vote and 24% of possible voters

If PR system used UKIP = 82 seats and Greens = 24

• For 1 seat UKIP = nearly 4 million votes

• For 1 seat Tories = 34,000 votes

63% of voters voted for a losing candidate - ‘wasted votes’

49% of MPs won less than 50% of vote in constituency – ‘legitimacy’?

Half of Scots did not vote SNP but SNP won 56/59 seats – FPTP rewards concentrated support

In Belfast South – SDLP won with 24.5% of the vote!

Most marginal constituency in UK: Derby North – 42 votes (C over L)

Probably safest seat is Easington for Labour on 61% of vote

Participation/turnout issues:

National turnout: 66%   (Scot turnout: 70% = evidence of empowerment by the referendum?)

No statistics as yet re age/social…