One of the least known facts about the last parliament, and which deserved to be more widely publicised, was that the Lib Dems were either in first or second place in 250 constituencies across the UK – which made the media’s tired and almost exclusive concentration on Labour and the Tories for most of the last five years all the more irritating.
Well, for all the disappointment of last Thursday’s election results, the party has by one measure at least made a big stride forward, as Anthony Wells’ UK Polling Report makes clear:
The notional 2005 figures had the Lib Dems holding 62 seats and in second place in 188. Following the 2010 election the Lib Dems hold 57 seats, but are in second place in 242. On the 2005 notional figures the Lib Dems were within 10% of the winning party in 31 seats, now they are within 10% in 45 seats.
So there are now 299 seats in which the Lib Dems are either the incumbents or the challengers: that’s almost half the entire UK.
New post: Lib Dems in 1st or 2nd place in almost 300 seats across UK http://bit.ly/cgkilb
RT @stephentall: New post: Lib Dems in 1st or 2nd place in almost 300 seats across UK http://bit.ly/cgkilb
RT @stephentall: New post: Lib Dems in 1st or 2nd place in almost 300 seats across UK http://bit.ly/cgkilb
Voters choose the Lib Dems as a second choice though – Tory supporters in Labour heartlands, Labour supporters in Tory strongholds.
The first past the post system, ironically, inflates the Lib Dems’ share of the popular vote.
If we did introduce some form of proportional representation I could see the Lib Dems actually losing ground, rather than gaining it. They showed last week that they still struggle to be the first choice of enough voters in any one place.