this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2024
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UK Politics

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It's time to see if the polls are right.

Previously: the voting megathread

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Anyone got that link that recalculates the results of the GE by different voting systems? For example if we had a form of PR how would this election turned out? I swear it was posted here a few days ago.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

Direct proportional representation is easy enough. Just look at the number of votes each party got, and assign that percentage to their overall parliamentary representation. That roughly gives you the answer.

IRV is more interesting, but more complicated. It relies on some assumptions (e.g. Green, SNP, LibDem, Labour all preference each other 100%, Conservatives & Reform preference each other 100%) and takes a lot of effort to do on a seat-by-seat basis. And of course it all assumes ceteris paribus, when in actuality people would vote differently if the voting system were different.

As one example, here's the seat of Tatton:

Under IRV, with the above assumptions, Labour's Ryan Jude would have won with 26,005 votes to Conservative Esther McVey's 25,904. But tweak those assumptions just slightly (give 90% of LibDem votes to Labour, 10% to Conservatives) and it could go the other way (26,365 CON to 25,544 LAB). There are dozens or scores of seats where these sorts of interesting hypotheticals can be asked and analysed. IRV is actually, in my opinion, the next-worst voting system after FPTP (if you exclude weird and rarely-used ones like approval voting, range voting, etc.), but it's one of the most interesting to do analysis with.

STV is an utterly impossible comparison to make, because it relies on multi-seat electorates, which would probably be done by merging existing electorates into groups of 3–8. STV is a more generalised case of IRV so if you decided on how to do those merges, then you can get even more interesting analysis. As one example, if we imagine a merged electorate involving West Ham, East Ham, Ilford North, Ilford South, Leyton & Wanstead, and Stratford & Bow. Some assumptions are necessary to make this work, my assumption is that anyone whose party name says "workers" or "socialist" preferences Green and then Labour, while those mentioning religion preference Conservative, and if I don't know, I'm giving them to LibDems then Labour. I'm also assuming all voters for a named party vote as a block, preferencing the same candidate 1st, 2nd, etc., while independents get the votes as they were actually given. This is somewhat realistic because ballot paper design can be set up to encourage this in an STV context (see how Australia does it with "above the line" voting in the Senate, for an example). I've merged the minor parties named "workers" or "socialist" into a single party.

A detailed explanation of my calculation is contained here.In our merged hypothetical under STV, they win 3.03 quotas on first preference, Conservative wins 0.88, Reform 0.41, LibDem 0.28, Green 0.78. So Labour immediately win 3 seats, before 0.03 quotas are distributed lower down in their party. After numerous more rounds (my attached spreadsheet simplifies multiple rounds that by eye would obviously not result in a new quota being reached being merged down into 1), the LibDems win a quota. I've decided to distribute their excess 50/50 to Green and Conservative, since Labour has already been eliminated. To be frank, after that I'm not sure what to do. LibDems having been eliminated, the 3 remaining independents can't go to them as was my initial plan (the basic thinking being independents are probably more centrist, but LibDems and Labour being eliminated already. I've decided to give them 50/50 to Conservative and Green, but the reality could be so, so much more complex. After one of those is eliminated, Conservatives get a quota. One final independent distributed to Conservatives/Green and the Greens win the last quota.

This is Labour heartland and in FPTP Labour won all 6 of these seats. My calculation ends up with 3 Labour, 1 LibDem, 1 Conservative, and 1 Green.

MMP ends up with basically the same overall result as direct proportional, but can be interesting in terms of independents & very minor parties and resulting overhang seats.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Given, many systems require more than just marking one box. While, even those that do not, would drastically change how people choose their vote.

I am unsure any such site can give a realistic result from available data?

Edit:

If we just assume proportional based on % of vote yesterday.

Tor 22.9% Lab 35.2% LDe 11.3% Ref 14.5% SNP 2.5% Oth 13.6%

It is bloody hard to see how either party could form a viable 50% Lab LD SNP and a few independents would take it over 50. But honestly, it is hard to imagine that working with the politicians voted yesterday. Tory Ref would need all independents. So less likely to work.

But as I said. Voters would go to the polls with very different ideas about how to vote.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Tory Ref would need all independents

"Other" is not all independents. 6.8% of the vote share was Green, and 0.8% is between Workers Party and Social Democratic Party who, based purely on the names, I cannot possibly imagine would ever back the Conservatives. Unless LibDems were to support that coalition (which, after the 2010 Government I cannot imagine they'd be super keen on), there is no path to a Tory Government from these results under a proportional system. Labour can form a Government with just LibDem, SNP, and Green parties.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Exactly, total up left(ish) votes and you get about 54% ✊️

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

An independent (SNP) and unionist (Labour) party would be hard-pressed to form a government.

But again the whole idea of the votes being identicle under a vastyyly different system

Honestly the big question would be how government is formed. With seat numbers matching % of vote. under our current system. Labour could run a weak gov by depending on greens snp and others never supporting a tor ref vonc.

But with centre right lab, it is likely only ld and lab would be garmented to support most policy votes. Others, often refusing because it's not left enough and not right enough at the same time.

Unfortunately, while the right has clasped over this election. The right has a long history of unity to fight the left.

the left much the opposite in fighting the right.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (2 children)

An independent (SNP) and unionist (Labour) party would be hard-pressed to form a government.

Would they? Outside of the question of independence, the two parties agree on more than not, don't they? If they alternative is no functioning government, couldn't you see Labour giving some minor concession to the SNP (like maybe allowing Holyrood to have power over one or two of the things that was recently denied by the Supreme Court) in exchange for the SNP's support in Confidence?

the big question would be how government is formed

I'm not really sure what you mean. (It doesn't help that the rest of that paragraph is ridden by typos to the point of being unintelligible. Sorry.) Government would be formed the same way they do it in Germany or New Zealand or any of the many other countries with proportional systems. They would find a way to reach a majority by agreeing on whatever compromises are palatable to both sides. In a hypothetical where the SNP had way more seats, Labour might have to agree to a second independence referendum. If they really needed Green support they might agree to pass strong climate legislation. They might have to give the LibDems a couple of significant cabinet positions. Proportional systems force politicians to actually do politics and pass legislation that is supported by a majority of people, instead of giving a single party a majority of seats based on a minority of people supporting them.

[–] Noel_Skum 2 points 5 months ago

Your final sentence is painfully true.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Would they?

SNPs manifesto included it as a key point. So actual coalition government. Well look at how lib dems got hit over student fees. SNP voters would feel the same having voted for an independence party.

Hence why labour have faced the question at all past elections where a win os less probable amd denied they would form such a coalition.

But as said. A confodence amd supply agreement where snp agree to non confidence votes. Is probable on such situs.