Attention Economy


Friday, July 5, 2024

British Elections - Votes versus Seats

Labour election result most distorted in history
With almost all seats counted, Labour has won 411 constituencies – 63.7 per cent of the seats available – with a vote share of just 33.8 per cent.
The 30-point gap between the popular vote and seat share makes this the most skewed result ever, far outpacing the previous 22-point gap recorded in 2001 under Tony Blair.
Labour secured just over 700,000 more votes than Mr Corbyn in 2019, one percentage point more, but managed to pick up more than 200 additional seats.
It hands Sir Keir Starmer a majority similar to Tony Blair’s in 1997, when Labour won 43.3 per cent of the vote. Sir Keir’s vote share is below even the 35.2 per cent which Mr Blair achieved in the 2005 election, when his majority fell to 66 seats.
 
Labour’s precarious triumph
The party’s landslide is astonishing – but it is replete with warnings.