Fruits and Votes

Planted by MSS
Planted in: EU; U.K.; VOTES

Not only did Labour fall below 20% (as the early returns I referenced last night suggested), it barely cleared 15%. It was the UK Independence Party that came in second.

The Conservatives won the plurality, but not much for them to crow about: 27.7% of the vote and 25 seats–which is 36.2%, for a really high “PR” advantage ratio of 1.31.

The biggest gainer in votes within the UK was the Green party (+2.4%).

Table of results by party at BBC (excluding Northern Ireland).

Propagation: Seeds & scions (3)

07 June 2009

BNP has a seat, Labour may be below 20%

Planted by MSS
Planted in: EU; U.K.; VOTES

Via the BBC:

The BNP [British National Party] has gained its first MEP in what is shaping up to be an historic Labour defeat in the Euro elections.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham said the BNP win was a “sad moment”. The BNP candidate said it was the “first step to freedom” from EU “dictatorship”.

Labour could be on course to dip below 20% of the vote in what Harriet Harman has called a “very dismal” night.

Ouch.

Propagation: Seeds & scions (4)

03 June 2009

European elections

Planted by MSS
Planted in: EU; VOTES

Does anyone want to talk about the European Parliament elections? They start tomorrow, and quite apart from the body actually being elected, they could have some pretty significant impacts on certain European countries’ governments.

Propagation: Seeds & scions (13)

10 May 2009

Where do you stand in the EU?

Planted by MSS
Planted in: EU; POLITICAL PARTIES

There is now and EU Profiler that tests where you stand in relation to parties competing for seats in the European Parliament. You may set it to analyze (oops, analyse) parties in one European country, or Europe as a whole. I figured I might as well do the latter, and the result suggests I should move to Spain, where Izquierda Unida is in about an 87% agreement with me (and this in spite of the fact that the Profiler did not ask where I stand on the issue of a “just and democratic electoral law“).

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Related: Dr. Sean denies he is a British Liberal Democrat, but learns he is an Estonian Green.

Propagation: Seeds & scions (10)

18 November 2007

Thread on the European Parliament

Planted by MSS
Planted in: EU; VOTES

The popular demand simply can’t be ignored any longer. Twice in the last week or so, I have had a reader note (one in e-mail and the other on a very old thread that is tangentially related) that I have no thread on the European Parliament.

Now I do. May it be a fertile source for the growth of ideas on an institution about which I know far less than I should.

And never say your Orchardist does not respond to requests.

Propagation: Seeds & scions (4)