The election's stats clearly prove why PR is so essential for the Lib Dems & Britain as a whole

[Turborama]

If overall percentages equated to seats, the Conservatives would have 235, Labour 191 and Lib Dems 149.

As it stands now,

Votes and seat for each of the main 3 parties:

Conservatives - 305 Seats from 10,681,417 Votes

Labour - 258 Seats from 8,601,441 Votes

Liberal Democrats - 57 Seats from 6,805,665 Votes

Votes needed per seat for each party were:

Conservatives - 35,021

Labour - 33,338

Liberal Democrats - 117,339

Another example of how unfair the voting system is in the UK, the Green Party had 269,866 total votes but only got 1 seat.

If Clegg fluffs this up by falling for Cameron's bait and switch instead of taking the chance of a lifetime offered to him by Brown, he and his party are toast. Also, it's my opinion that he would have possibly screwed up forever the best chance Britain has of reforming one of the most unfair voting systems in the world.

(Stats sourced from the analysis in this blog: http://worldpoliticsblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/clegg-the-kingmaker)

[FunkyLeprechaun]

1. The big problem with PR

Is it gives parties such as BNP a chance at representation in Westminster.

What do you think of that?

[non sociopath skin]

2. Seems to me that the problem is less about a voting system to keep them out ...

... than about good, sound political campaigning against them and their noxious ideas.

Seems to have worked in Barking.

The Skin

[tjwmason]

6. Exactly.

Their ideas need to be beaten, and it can be done. The electoral system should not be decided on the basis of who can be excluded.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

3. it's fine with me

If BNP MPs show their true colours in Parliamentary discourse, the public would turn even more against them.

On the other hand, a failure to adhere to grassroots fascist views in the Commons would have the rank-and-file knuckle-draggers baying for blood, where a BNP civl war would ensue.

[LeftishBrit]

4. I think that there are different forms of PR.

Some countries do get dragged down by a system that lets practically every tiny party in, and enables them to hold the government hostage. But you can avoid it to a large extent by keeping a relatively high threshold for parties to achieve before they can get in.

[TheBigotBasher]

5. There is a bigger shame in them being Members of the

European Parliament than them becoming an MP. They would gain maybe oe or two seats out of 600 and would therefore ave no power at all.

In Europe they represent British people internationally. That to me is the biggest disgrace.