6 counties election

[Billys Boots]

You can also see why a Labour Party moving rapidly from left-to-centre would be more comfortable with the concept of competing in a PR-system than the Tories - even though Clegg would appear to a more 'comfortable' (ouch) bedfellow for the Conservatives. 

[A Quinn Martin Production]

William Hills have closed the book on a Lib Con deal.  BBC reporting that Labour are about to announce that talks with Libs are over.  Cons/Libs will not need NI MPs...so here come the big cuts!!

[ziggysego]

William Hills have closed the book on a Lib Con deal.  BBC reporting that Labour are about to announce that talks with Libs are over.  Cons/Libs will not need NI MPs...so here come the big cuts!!

Signs that it may soon all be over
Nick Robinson | 15:13 UK time, Tuesday, 11 May 2010

• A senior Lib Dem who's sympathetic to Labour who just told me the deal couldn't be done.

• News that, at last night's Liberal Democrat parliamentary meeting, not one but all four party negotiators reported back their fear that Labour was not serious about negotiations and was, instead, turning its minds to the forthcoming leadership contest.

• The fact that Vince Cable, who's so far kept his counsel, told the same meeting that though he had roots in the Labour Party he too feared that there might be only one serious offer.

• Andy Burnham apparently joining David Blunkett, John Reid, Tom Harris et al in telling his party that they should accept they have lost.

• The resumption of talks between the Tories and the Lib Dems.

• The sight of Gordon Brown's allies heading to Downing Street perhaps for one last farewell.

• The clincher for many, though, will be the sight of John Prescott calling for something he spent years fighting against - an alliance with the Liberals.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

William Hills have closed the book on a Lib Con deal.  BBC reporting that Labour are about to announce that talks with Libs are over.  Cons/Libs will not need NI MPs...so here come the big cuts!!

Signs that it may soon all be over
Nick Robinson | 15:13 UK time, Tuesday, 11 May 2010

• A senior Lib Dem who's sympathetic to Labour who just told me the deal couldn't be done.

• News that, at last night's Liberal Democrat parliamentary meeting, not one but all four party negotiators reported back their fear that Labour was not serious about negotiations and was, instead, turning its minds to the forthcoming leadership contest.

• The fact that Vince Cable, who's so far kept his counsel, told the same meeting that though he had roots in the Labour Party he too feared that there might be only one serious offer.

• Andy Burnham apparently joining David Blunkett, John Reid, Tom Harris et al in telling his party that they should accept they have lost.

• The resumption of talks between the Tories and the Lib Dems.

• The sight of Gordon Brown's allies heading to Downing Street perhaps for one last farewell.

• The clincher for many, though, will be the sight of John Prescott calling for something he spent years fighting against - an alliance with the Liberals.

It will be interesting to see how Ritchie, McDonnell & Durkan will stop the cuts in NI with their power base of 3.  We'll be there...watching things happen

[Maguire01]

Cons 36% of vote but 47% of the seats
Labour 29% of vote but 39.5% of the seats
Libs 23% of vote but only 8.76% of the seats
The rest 12% of vote but only 4.3% of the seats!!

Has anyone worked out how PR would impact on the 18 seats here? You'd imagine the UUP would pick up at least one or two anyway.

[Gaffer]

William Hills have closed the book on a Lib Con deal.  BBC reporting that Labour are about to announce that talks with Libs are over.  Cons/Libs will not need NI MPs...so here come the big cuts!!

Signs that it may soon all be over
Nick Robinson | 15:13 UK time, Tuesday, 11 May 2010

• A senior Lib Dem who's sympathetic to Labour who just told me the deal couldn't be done.

• News that, at last night's Liberal Democrat parliamentary meeting, not one but all four party negotiators reported back their fear that Labour was not serious about negotiations and was, instead, turning its minds to the forthcoming leadership contest.

• The fact that Vince Cable, who's so far kept his counsel, told the same meeting that though he had roots in the Labour Party he too feared that there might be only one serious offer.

• Andy Burnham apparently joining David Blunkett, John Reid, Tom Harris et al in telling his party that they should accept they have lost.

• The resumption of talks between the Tories and the Lib Dems.

• The sight of Gordon Brown's allies heading to Downing Street perhaps for one last farewell.

• The clincher for many, though, will be the sight of John Prescott calling for something he spent years fighting against - an alliance with the Liberals.

It will be interesting to see how Ritchie, McDonnell & Durkan will stop the cuts in NI with their power base of 3.  We'll be there...watching things happen

You' ll be delighted when they fail.

When we are getting hammered by the cuts you'll be laughing your head off as you suffer like everybody else!!!

cut.......nose........face

[ardmhachaabu]

It will be even more interesting watching adams et al explain how their abstentionist policy is helping to argue against cuts

[Nally Stand]

It will be even more interesting watching adams et al explain how their abstentionist policy is helping to argue against cuts

And yet even MORE interesting to see how you answer the questions I posed on the Fermanagh/South Tyrone Thread.
Or are you ignoring me again because you dont have answers?

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Cons 36% of vote but 47% of the seats
Labour 29% of vote but 39.5% of the seats
Libs 23% of vote but only 8.76% of the seats
The rest 12% of vote but only 4.3% of the seats!!

Has anyone worked out how PR would impact on the 18 seats here? You'd imagine the UUP would pick up at least one or two anyway.

Maguire1 as best as I can, same breakdown:

DUP - 25% of the vote, 44.5% of the seats
Sinn Féin - 25.5% of the vote, 27.7% of the seats
SDLP - 16.5% of the vote, 16.7% of the seats
UUP/Cons - 15.2% of the vote, 0% of the seats
Alliance - 6.3% of the vote, 5.5% of the seats
Others - 11.5% of the vote, 5.5% of the seats

[armaghniac]

DUP - 25% of the vote, 44.5% of the seats
Sinn Féin - 25.5% of the vote, 27.7% of the seats
SDLP - 16.5% of the vote, 16.7% of the seats
UUP/Cons - 15.2% of the vote, 0% of the seats
Alliance - 6.3% of the vote, 5.5% of the seats
Others - 11.5% of the vote, 5.5% of the seats

Overall in NI nationalists, unionists and Alliance are pretty proportional as it happens in this election. It would depend how a PR system would work for Westminister. Single seat PR would not have made much change unless a unionist sneaked in for East Belfast. That said some of the Ringland voters would have transferred to Long. The only difference in single seat PR is that people would vote for their party before transferring to the person on their side e.g. SF voters in South Belfast or SDLP voters in FST.

[slow corner back]

The proposed system is AV and not PR. It will mean that McDonnell will have a tight squeeze in SB but I suspect he might well hold on. Gildernew is safe in FST. Ritchie and Durkan are safe as houses since they can now pick up all the unionist transfers to stop SF. Gerry Kelly will never take NB for the same reason. Long should hold on in EB as the alliance are transfer magnets. McCrea would be in trouble in SA and possibly Simpson in UB.

[Ulick]

[Maguire01]

Only one left to post then. You're doing well not to spoil us with all 3 at the same time.

[Ulick]

Only one left to post then. You're doing well not to spoil us with all 3 at the same time.

Trying to string them out until I can get video footage of the real thing.

[whiskeysteve]

Ramming fecking propaganda down our throats are you. im voting SDLP - God bless the Queen.