It's just a quirk of First Past The Post

Minority parties are usually dispersed across the nation and so don't have a strong concentration in many places, which in a FPTP system means few seats

The SNP is (obviously) concentrated in one area and is therefore able to win lots of seats under FPTP. If all the Greens happened to live in only 70 constituencies they would get a lot more seats.

The only way to change that would be to move to Proportional Representation, which is another whole argument ...

Incidentally I don't think that Scottish Westminster seats have fewer voters than the rest of the UK, but I can't be bothered to GIYLF it!

Posted By: Old Git on April 1st 2015 at 09:07:07

Message Thread

Reading all the opinion polls I can't quite get my head around the fact the SNP (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 1, 08:58:05
- When there's a hung parliament again, the Tories must hate the fact that Labour will have (NCFC) - pants, Apr 1, 10:28:31
  - I think everyone will hate it (NCFC) - ghostof barry butler, Apr 1, 15:59:21
  - They wouldn't necessarily need a coalition (NCFC) - Sellbydave, Apr 1, 14:22:20
  - I wouldn't mind it - they'd last 2 years max before a re-election is called (NCFC) - CWC, Apr 1, 11:18:55
    - Don't they have to have 5 year terms now? (n/m) (NCFC) - Ben, Apr 1, 12:34:39
      - can dissolve early if 2/3 vote for it or if they lose a vote of no confidence (n/m) (NCFC) - CWC, Apr 1, 12:51:11
    - On the flip side, if you have a different government other than the Tories (NCFC) - pants, Apr 1, 11:33:15
      - As the parties morph into whatever it takes to win the election I don't think it really ma (NCFC) - Men without hats, Apr 1, 12:11:39
      - ok, that begs the question (NCFC) - CWC, Apr 1, 11:44:29
        
        A lot of the good things from the last five years are due to Brown's legacy (NCFC) - pants, Apr 1, 11:47:41
      - or rich - or both (NCFC) - Jumbo1, Apr 1, 11:34:21
    - A coalition of the SNP and Labour would seriously harm Labour's future chances (NCFC) - phrankin, Apr 1, 11:28:30
  - They won't based on the most recent polls but if that did happen then (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 1, 10:40:21
    - I've stuck a tenner at fives on a Tory majority (NCFC) - norway, Apr 1, 10:50:02
      - Maybe. You feel this tv debate is probably pretty crucial for Miliband (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 1, 10:53:49
        
        Cameron froze against Paxman, Miliband didn't. (NCFC) - norway, Apr 1, 10:57:31
        
        Confirmation bias (n/m) (NCFC) - Old Git, Apr 1, 11:20:47
        
        No. (NCFC) - norway, Apr 1, 11:49:45
        
        I just laughed when Miliband did his "who cares" and "hell yes i'm tough enough" lines (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 1, 11:06:32
        
        Confirmation bias (n/m) (NCFC) - Old Git, Apr 1, 11:21:04
  - All of England should hate the idea of the SNP being in power (NCFC) - Ben, Apr 1, 10:39:29
    - depends on if you hope for radical change - the break up of the union would certainly be t (NCFC) - Ralf Scrampton, Apr 1, 10:58:22
      - Or just Scotland getting more and more money from England every time Labour want to win a vote (n/m) (NCFC) - Ben, Apr 1, 12:30:17
- Which way did you vote in the AV referendum? (n/m) (NCFC) - Arizona Bay, Apr 1, 09:24:57
  - AV marginalises small parties almost as much as FPTP (NCFC) - phrankin, Apr 1, 11:03:51
  - I didn't vote in it. Would be interesting to see the outcome of such a vote now (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 1, 09:58:23
    - Did you not notice the Lib Dems winning less than 9% of seats at the last election (NCFC) - norway, Apr 1, 10:05:07
      - To be fair it is potentially a less equitable outcome for the country because (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 1, 10:48:15
        
        you do know there were elections before 2010 don't you? (n/m) (NCFC) - Ralf Scrampton, Apr 1, 10:49:45
        
        Yes I do. Why so hostile? I am well aware that under the FPTP system (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 1, 10:59:34
        
        you are using it for cheap points scoring though with your crying over how it might be unf (NCFC) - Ralf Scrampton, Apr 1, 11:33:34
        
        It would be unfair. (NCFC) - Garry Brooke, Apr 1, 11:49:16
        
        It's no more unfair for Scotland's SNP MPs to inflict a Labour government on England than (NCFC) - Old Git, Apr 1, 12:02:55
        
        and has already been unfair on the country of Scotland (NCFC) - Ralf Scrampton, Apr 1, 11:52:21
        
        depends on whether you see them as a minority party though? (NCFC) - CWC, Apr 1, 11:22:50
        
        Scotland has always had a voice in the government of the UK! (n/m) (NCFC) - Old Git, Apr 1, 11:43:27
        
        ... (NCFC) - Tombs, Apr 1, 11:04:40
      - more arrows (n/m) (NCFC) - Ralf Scrampton, Apr 1, 10:07:43
  - Arrows (NCFC) - megson, Apr 1, 09:40:38
- i've just had a good look at it for you (NCFC) - Tombs, Apr 1, 09:12:13
- It's just a quirk of First Past The Post (NCFC) - Old Git, Apr 1, 09:07:07
  - Just going to be really galling if that fat c**t Salmond is lording it down in Westminster (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 1, 09:14:17
    - As galling as Cameron and Osborne? With his chum (NCFC) - pants, Apr 1, 10:30:33
    - My curiosity having been aroused (NCFC) - Old Git, Apr 1, 09:49:27
      - Yes i looked at the pop stats as well and it seems they are not (NCFC) - Jim, Apr 1, 10:01:45

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