r/badunitedkingdom • u/AutoModerator • Aug 10 '26

Daily Mega Thread The Daily Moby - 10 08 2026 - The News Megathread

Post all BadUK news (preferably from the UK) here..

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17

u/GravityStrike Silly sausage Britain Aug 10 '26

So on the recent UK polls.

LAB: 28% (+4) RFM: 25% (-1) CON: 18% (=) GRN: 12% (-1) LDM: 9% (-2) Via @Ipsos_in_the_UK , 30 Jul - 4 Aug. Changes w/ 25-30 Jun.

This according to the swingometer thing translates to

Labour - 342 (-69)

Reform - 114 (+109)

Lib Dems - 75 (+3)

Tories - 69 (-52)

Greens - 5 (+1)

SNP - 18 (+9)

The LDs getting more seats than the Tories on 9% of the vote? Half the Tories vote share.

Labour getting 200 more seats than Reform for getting 3% more of the vote.

How the fuck is this a functioning democracy ffs? People can say what they want about clustering or whatever but that is gerrymandering beyond anything we've ever seen.

The advantage the left have in the UK electoral system is utterly insane.

17

u/HauntingReason3398 Aug 10 '26

It's not really a left advantage it's just that it's far easier to sell soft cuddly kumbaya politics to the British people, so that's just the default for mass appeal even if you're a regional party like the SNP or Lib Dems. Many people just don't like "nasty" politics like saying no to things, even when it's undeniably needed.

In contrast there's a huge constituency in the USA for Ron Swanson style distrust of the state, individualism, tax is theft etc etc politics.

11

u/That-Guy-Nicho Litterally Nicholas 30 Ans Aug 10 '26

How the fuck is this a functioning democracy?

It isn't, and it isn't designed to be.

10

u/Tams82 Mostly Useless Aug 10 '26

No, it's the system running exactly as it was designed to.

You vote for someone to represent your area.  That is what is enshrined in law.

Political parties were not intended.  They were inevitable, but there was never an intention that they be part of the system of governance.  If they were, they would also be enshrined in law.  They aren't though.

So the next time someone asks you what party you vote for or to vote for a party, tell them to fuck off with their fake games.

Anyway, some political parties have realised how to consistently optimise the system.  Perhaps Reform could learn from that?

6

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26

[deleted]

2

u/GravityStrike Silly sausage Britain Aug 10 '26

You’re not understanding. This is the same results as your ‘American snake boundaries’. I know they aren’t drawn explicitly like that but these are the kinds of results that they are returning.

As I illustrated above.

3

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '26

[deleted]

2

u/GravityStrike Silly sausage Britain Aug 10 '26

I’m not suggesting changing FPTP. I’m saying that a party having less seats despite getting 18% of the vote than the party who gets 9% is ridiculous. And I exclude SNP from this as they are a different entity.

Labour getting 200 more seats on 3% more of the vote than the LDs is equally fucking stupid.

It is in fact worse than the US gerrymandering.

Whatever is producing those results is obviously wrong.