Duncan O'Leary
Duncan works on projects looking at public services, skills and work.
at 5:05pm
on Wednesday, 17th November 2004
This seems to throw up a couple of issues:
Firstly, that the first-past-the-post system isn’t preventing the emergence of new parties, but it is providing some real dilemmas about how they define themselves in relation to the more established parties. Are they pressure groups or real alternatives? Or can they be both?
Secondly, whilst the new parties tend not to have any real hope of gaining seats in a general election, they are capable of influencing results. David Davies suggested recently that Ukip might cost the Tories 30 to 50 seats and this phenomenon presents a real problem for both Labour and the Tories – how to maintain the centre ground without losing core support?
Interesting to see a system based on winners and losers coming to terms with some increasing diversity.
This seems to throw up a couple of issues:
Firstly, that the first-past-the-post system isn’t preventing the emergence of new parties, but it is providing some real dilemmas about how they define themselves in relation to the more established parties. Are they pressure groups or real alternatives? Or can they be both?
Secondly, whilst the new parties tend not to have any real hope of gaining seats in a general election, they are capable of influencing results. David Davies suggested recently that Ukip might cost the Tories 30 to 50 seats and this phenomenon presents a real problem for both Labour and the Tories – how to maintain the centre ground without losing core support?
Interesting to see a system based on winners and losers coming to terms with some increasing diversity.
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