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A few words from your non-resident cheerleader on the political infighting among the remain parties in the UK. They look a bit different from Denmark, and though I can't resolve the conflicts, I may add a bit of perspective. #FBPE #FPHD #StopBrexit
A few words from your non-resident cheerleader on the political infighting among the remain parties in the UK. They look a bit different from Denmark, and though I can't resolve the conflicts, I may add a bit of perspective. #FBPE #FPHD #StopBrexit
The Danish electoral system is very heavily based on proportional representation. A party has to pas a 2% minimum vote share to be represented, but that's it.
Thus, from a Dane's point of view the UK-system looks designed to waste as many votes as at all possible.
That's, of course, not random as it keeps the parties in power in power.
That's, of course, not random as it keeps the parties in power in power.
This is, obviously true in the elections for the Westminister parliament, but it is evident even in the EU-parliament elections.
From my perspective it's pretty simple: The UK has 73 seats, so a vote share of 1,36986301369863 is a seat. It we are conservative, we might want to say that a party has to be able to get two seats to be represented, but that would still only be a limit og 2,7.
Heck, we can go restrictive and say 4%, if you like. It's not all the same to me, but if you are conservative by nature, by all means go there.
The long and short of it is: The Greens, the Lib-Dems, even probably TiG; should have any difficulties clearing this barrier. They are getting blocked out artificially.
Add to this: A bad election and you are out. Where parties in a PR-system can take heavy poundings and still stand, in either of the UK-versions. A smaller party taking a bad beating is out and dead.
So, before the infighting between the parties start, remember this: Don't hate the player, hate the game. The system is stealing your votes - in either version - and redistributing them to larger parties.
This is not an accident, this is by design.
(working, thread continues later)
Back.
Ok, there was a "not" missing in this tweet.
Ok, there was a "not" missing in this tweet.
But you got that I take it.
So, to get back on track:
From a Danish perspective nothing is LESS surprising than parties actively trying to lead an election campaign against other parties.
From a Danish perspective nothing is LESS surprising than parties actively trying to lead an election campaign against other parties.
TiG aside, I know too little. If you take a look at the Greens and the Lib Dems, they do belong to quite different political groupings. I respect both, but they are not the same.
(Come to think of it, you might say that I love both as a matter of biology, my mother is a MEP for the Greens, my sister an MP for the Lib Dems. So, no antagonism there.)
((Me, personally? I'm a Green, but that's not it right here.))
The Lib. Dems belong in a proud tradition of European liberals that can claim, not without merit, to have been carriers of central European values and of a broad swath of progress in Europe and elsewhere.
You can safely assume that with a less biased electoral system they would have been in power as a major partner in government several times during the last decades.
The Greens, on the other hand, are a new and rising power in European politics. They see something systemically wrong with society and try to address those wrongs through parliamentarism and democratic action.
They are not revolutionary in the usual sense, but they do aim for systemic change in a more radical way than do the Lib Dems.
They are a rising force in European politics and growing stronger. Without the bias of the UK electoral system you'd expect to see them as a major opposition party dancing around the edges of Labour and of the Lib.Dems.
And here's the kicker: You would not expect the two to work together in an election under any even marginally normal circumstances. You'd expect each to campaign for itself, make its's own case.
You WOULD expect them to be able to negotiate, agree on much and get along fairly well after an election, but that's a different question, and their relative strength in these negotations would be largely determined by their respective catch of the votes in elections.
So, my - very subdued - conclusion is this: I do understand calls to coordinate between the two parties, and I do understand the dire needs of the UK in its present predicament. They are reasonable, and they are necessary.
But do realise that coordination and collaboration in an election is not a given for these two parties. It's a very big ask. So if you can, contain your frustration, contain your anger; inform yourself, work constructively.
Me personally? Well, I vote in Denmark, and I'll vote Green - I mean how often do you get to actually vote for your own mother? - but in the UK I'd vote for a Lib.Dem in a heartbeat, if that person had the better chance of getting elected.
Thread ends.
