Today I did some analysis of the 2010 UK general election results published on the BBC Website. It was depressing work.
My initial, crude analysis shows how our current electoral system distorts democracy, over-representing the views of some parties and under-representing the views of others. At a national level there are stark disparities, but once you break down the vote to a regional level, the inequity is magnified. There are a number of shaky assumptions in my analysis, including rounding errors and how to treat votes for independent candidates, but I think the overall picture is valid.
No party benefits universally from the current system - ask a Conservative voter in County Durham, a Labour voter in Suffolk or a voter for any of the other parties practically anywhere else. It is time for change.
I intend to do more analysis and research over the coming weeks and months, but the figures speak for themselves.
Have a look and let me know what you think.
