Winner takes all?

When I voted for my choice at the general election, I did so in the knowledge that candidate with the most votes would be the winner.  So we had the scenario that Jo Swinson had the most votes and therefore won the seat of East Dunbartonshire.  

But she didn’t have a majority.  Yes, she had 40.6% of the vote, but that’s almost 10% short of a 50%.  Still, no one argued, that’s the way it is.  She won.  Well done Jo.

So one did wonder the mind-set that was guiding the interpretation of the law of the 11 law lords in the Supreme Court if they agreed with the words of former Supreme Court Judge, Lord Sumption, who told the BBC that “52% of the electorate simply cannot have 100% of the spoils, they have to engage with the rest”.  If that was their guiding principle, we are in trouble.   

Doesn’t he realise that the way we operate in the UK is the winner takes all.  The referendum was a binary choice, Leave or Remain.   It was agreed to be a binary choice by the MPs that are now demanding its result be overturned.      

One does wonder what would have happened if the vote had gone the other way.  Would Remainers be keen to compromise for the views of Leavers to be taken into account?   

Somehow I don’t think so.