Labour had less people vote for them in 2024 than in 2019.

How is it possible they got a landslide victory, not a landslide defeat?

Firstly, the maths. Lanour's vote share went up from 32% to 34% but the overall election turnout was much lower this time (60% vrs 68%). So more people did vote labour in. 2019. The said election result was widely reported as a disaster for labour.

The real story, is of course, the total collapse in the Tory vote. Much of their base stayed at home or voted for Reform. The depth of anti-toryism in the country also meant a lot of tactical voting. 'Anti-tories' didn't care whether it was a Lib Dem or Labour candidate as long as team blue got a kicking. Also, the SNP (deeply affected by their own crisis) suffered to Lanour's gain.

This just shows the real absurdity of our electoral system that you can get a landslide victory and a dominant house majority from a third of the vote.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Northwest · M

People believed the polls and thought: my vote is not going to matter, so I might as well enjoy the nice weather?

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@Northwest I don't think so. It's plausible because we don't get much nice weather. 😜

One of my points is that people were very motivated to get rid of the Tories but not much motivated in a positive sense by labour.

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@Northwest that may be true, but, historically that one vote magnified by similar ones products less democracy. On the US, in 2016, a few more votes, in the right states, would have altered history!

Northwest · M

@samueltyler2 Same in 2000 but a massively different scale. A hundred or so votes, in Florida, could have meant that:

- The "Bin Laden is up to something" memo could have been acted upon.

- Iraq would not have been invaded.

- There would be peace between Israel and Palestinians.

- The tectonic shift caused by the refugee crisis would not have happened, and the neo-Nazi movements in Europe, and the USA would not have happened.

- We could be breathing cleaner air.

samueltyler2 · 80-89, M

@Northwest actually the votes were probably there in 2000, the decision was not made by actually recounting the ballots, the hanging chad problem, but by SCOTUS and Al Gore being a gentleman.