Proportional representation is a very powerful tool for both large and small parties. the small party can appeal widely enough to snatch seats at the bottom end as votes transfer. the big parties can really milk the system to bring in candidates. The mid size part that can have one candidate not 2 have to fight like dogs in the middle to hold their own. Its an interesting system but seems fraught with chaos as small fringe parties can collect enough seats to prevent any real stability. different countries seem to have different forms of it Greece for example seems utterly chaotic, israel hasn't been able to reach a majority in years, italy also seems devoid of any stability. Ireland has 3 parties cobbled together. How does the threshold work to stop the real fringe loons for getting in? It seems to me that proportional representation can help get voices heard but also reduced stability is equal measure. For example I was looking at the last couple of elections here and wondered about UKIP and what bad actions they could have gotten up to had they been able to use their 3 million votes to actually get seats. Imagine May tied to farage as her minority goverment lol. the lib dems would certainly benefit more from proportional representation. The SNP probably would not at all. The situation is scotland is certainly hurting labour and lib demsn as their vote is there but no longer enough to come first.
It doesn't, unless they're so loony that they get banned. Hence why there are communists and people just short of being banned on right in opposition. The mainstream parties have vowed not to form coalitions with the fringes, but it's only their word ( and the resultant outcry from voters) that stops them.
IMO the enemy of the mainstream parties is giving these parties the air that they don't merit by saying they are unsuitable. It is in general also a general fact that these people shoot themselves in the foot too often to gain more power. they are often easily found out with a bit of corruption etc. Salmond for example, Or farage or his replacements have in some cases deliberately make sure they are unelectable. The enemy of main stream politics is a smooth talking lunatic like trump. if someone like that gets in and can make it all sound seductive they will gain popularity until they can no longer be ignored. I generally find that greens are so argumentative amongst themselves that if any one dares talk to a mainstream party the rest savage them for selling out. The sad truth about the environmental crisis is the people to claim to care refuse to do anything practical. they would rather watch the world burn and scream its your fault then do a little and risk it not being enough. I find them very depressing people, many many highly educated rational lunatics.
I'm baffled that anyone could find Trump's rhetoric appealing in any way. Apart from the lunatic right who were expecting him to implement a militaristic totalitarian state and execute all liberals. Even they hate him now.
He fed them all just enough that they could ignore the rest. It is amazing how much a rabid Christian evangelicals can ignore when they get a nod on abortion law. Or how much a Florida based conservative Cuban can ignore when promised tax cuts and no communism. Trump nodded at the white supremacists just enough. He brazenly told the rich he would cut regulations everywhere and given them tax cuts. And he did He made sure that.mexicans were called thieves. The amount of facebook yanks post derogatory jokes about Mexicans is probably only second the irish jokes here. People seem to focus on just what is in it for them and they will leave all others to their fate.
Will be working in a garden which is the next best thing I suppose May have a glass of something this evening