Comments on: Scotland decides, er, what? http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/ “ferocity with a purpose” Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:30:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: James Graham http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/comment-page-1/#comment-51607 James Graham Sat, 05 May 2007 11:41:35 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/#comment-51607 Arrow's Impossibility Theorem goes right over my head, but I certainly agree that the multi-option referendum proposal needs some careful thought. For one thing, who is going to pay for the referendum campaign? Unless we have a couple of useful millionaires in our back pockets, we have to recognise that the seperatists are going to use the likes of Souter to outspend us. With Labour and the Tories sitting on the sidelines, it would be a straight SNP/Lib Dem fight. It would be risky - but also potentially high gain. Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem goes right over my head, but I certainly agree that the multi-option referendum proposal needs some careful thought. For one thing, who is going to pay for the referendum campaign? Unless we have a couple of useful millionaires in our back pockets, we have to recognise that the seperatists are going to use the likes of Souter to outspend us. With Labour and the Tories sitting on the sidelines, it would be a straight SNP/Lib Dem fight. It would be risky – but also potentially high gain.

]]> By: Joe Otten http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/comment-page-1/#comment-51592 Joe Otten Sat, 05 May 2007 09:20:54 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/#comment-51592 I would argue the small parties were hammered by a kind of butterfly ballot effect. http://joeotten.blogspot.com/2007/05/scotlands-butterfly-ballot.html Also is it only me who thinks that the multi option referendum is, in general, a bad idea. Arrow's Theorem, anyone? I would argue the small parties were hammered by a kind of butterfly ballot effect.

http://joeotten.blogspot.com/2007/05/scotlands-butterfly-ballot.html

Also is it only me who thinks that the multi option referendum is, in general, a bad idea. Arrow’s Theorem, anyone?

]]> By: Hywel Morgan http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/comment-page-1/#comment-51491 Hywel Morgan Fri, 04 May 2007 22:36:21 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/#comment-51491 Ah I see your point - since I switched to a Mac I've lost my very handy D'hondt calculator which is ideal for running those "what if scenarios". A bit harder to do them in your head. West of Scotland seemed very poor - our vote was markedly down in Greenock for example even though Ross Finnie was our candidate. Ah I see your point – since I switched to a Mac I’ve lost my very handy D’hondt calculator which is ideal for running those “what if scenarios”. A bit harder to do them in your head. West of Scotland seemed very poor – our vote was markedly down in Greenock for example even though Ross Finnie was our candidate.

]]> By: James Graham http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/comment-page-1/#comment-51483 James Graham Fri, 04 May 2007 22:03:09 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/#comment-51483 My point about the West of Scotland is that, had we merely retained our share of the vote there, the annihilation of the SSP combined with the SNP gaining Cunninghame North would have guaranteed us an extra seat. Even in the North East, our vote share didn't go down by the same amount. The bottom line is, had our vote share held up in BOTH those regions, we would have made a net gain of 1 and leapfrogged the Tories. That should have been a small ask. My point about the West of Scotland is that, had we merely retained our share of the vote there, the annihilation of the SSP combined with the SNP gaining Cunninghame North would have guaranteed us an extra seat. Even in the North East, our vote share didn’t go down by the same amount.

The bottom line is, had our vote share held up in BOTH those regions, we would have made a net gain of 1 and leapfrogged the Tories. That should have been a small ask.

]]> By: Hywel Morgan http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/comment-page-1/#comment-51451 Hywel Morgan Fri, 04 May 2007 19:10:55 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/#comment-51451 Or.... Salmond realises he can't get his way, decides he prefers Westminster after all so resigns his Gordon seat. We win the by-election and its 46 all :-) Or…. Salmond realises he can’t get his way, decides he prefers Westminster after all so resigns his Gordon seat. We win the by-election and its 46 all :-)

]]> By: Hywel Morgan http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/comment-page-1/#comment-51450 Hywel Morgan Fri, 04 May 2007 19:08:59 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/05/04/scotland-decides-er-what/#comment-51450 "What stopped the Lib Dems from making no losses was a whopping 4% dip in the West of Scotland, which apparently cost us an MSP." We won a list seat in West Scotland. The loss - if you can identify it in this way - would seem to be Argyll & Bute which wasn't compensated for by a list seat like Gordon and Roxburgh were. “What stopped the Lib Dems from making no losses was a whopping 4% dip in the West of Scotland, which apparently cost us an MSP.”

We won a list seat in West Scotland. The loss – if you can identify it in this way – would seem to be Argyll & Bute which wasn’t compensated for by a list seat like Gordon and Roxburgh were.

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