http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13297573
The UK has voted overwhelmingly to reject changing the way MPs are elected - dealing a bitter blow to Nick Clegg on top of heavy Lib Dem poll losses.
Officials say 19.1m people voted in the second UK-wide referendum in history - a higher than expected turnout of 41%.
The final result put the Yes vote at 32.1% and the No vote at 67.9%.
It comes as the Lib Dems suffered a rout in English local elections - and the SNP scored an historic victory in the Scottish Parliament poll. [cont'd...]
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What could be the possible Lib Dem narrative arcs over the next 1-2 years?
I sympathise with Clegg more than most people.
Joining a coalition with the Tories was the right moral choice since they had the most votes... that he is forced to get chummy with the people his voters despise is obviously going to hurt him, but still, he done what was right.
And this is the only time, i think, that the Lib Dems have had any real national power - and this is an achievement right? Did you want them to be a third place party forever?
Okay, the problem with being in government is you have to deal with reality, not the fantasy world that you can project when you think you have no chance of being elected. He came a cropper with student fees when he realised he couldn't make the two fit.
Basically, i think his real failure was not so much one of policy as of not playing politics well. He should have been making the Tories the scapegoats, fighting decisions (or pretending to)- not letting them shift the blame on to him.
So yeah, he has been a failure but to paint him as some kind of demon (as many people have done) is unfair.
Originally posted by KazetNagorraThe No campaign relied on plain lies such as the false claim AV would cost £250m. This was a stark demonstration of the cynical standards of British politics today.
Surprising result, choosing AV over FPTP seems like a no brainer to me. Then again, I suppose the average Briton hasn't really thought the consequences through.
The Yes campaign relied on questionable claims about the possible benefits of AV - such as its improbable ability to reduce false expenses claims from MPs. It is hard to see why that showed any greater respect for the elctorate.
Many Tories saw it as a party political issue and perhaps rightly so - they stand to gain from the present system in their cynical view.
Many others saw it as an anti-Clegg vote and that's a no brainer too. His new style of politics looks suspiciously similar to having a Tory Government back in power without changing its spots, saving them the bother of having to win a majority and without the hassle of an effective opposition. Clegg destroys all the arguments against what Cameron is doing because he presents himself as a sort of wise third party with an objective view - he has no view at all from the dark space between Cameron while sitting down and Cameron's chair.
The only politician who looked like he actually believed what he was saying was the Scottish Nationalist Alex Salmon, and he reaped the rewards. Shame that nationalism is such a strong vote catcher still.
British politics stinks.