Thursday 22 November 2012

Michael Mates doesn't get it

That should have been the title of this report.

Anyone watching Mr Hayes' and Mr Mates' speeches at the count can see for themselves one reason why he lost; what a grumpy miserable whinge. This week's Bordon Herald reports that in a letter to the electorate (but not to me apparently) he complains

"It's rather galling to have won comfortably ... and then to stand by and watch while the Labour and Liberal Democrat voters were given a second chance to vote again ... that's coalition politics for you - foisting on us all an unfamiliar and flawed system whereby the people's second choice is declared the winner."

No, Mr Mates, you did not win comfortably: 80,000 wanted Mr Hayes, 65,000 wanted you and 65,000 wanted someone else. That's 140,000 people who expressly didn't want you. No, the Labour and Liberal Democrats didn't get to "vote again", they just didn't want you. The "coalition politics" is what you get when not enough people want to elect Conservative candidates, that's your fault, not the fault of the electorate, nor of the voting system.

As for the unfamiliar and flawed system; presumably the flaw of which you speak is that the system failed to elect the Conservative candidate?  Did you happen to notice that the same "flaw" also defeated John Prescott in Humberside?

Having "fought 9 elections over 40 years", I would have expected you to be rather more clued up on how to win this one, according to the actual rules of this election rather than some longed-for Valhalla under which only Conservative candidates can win. I'm disappointed though unsurprised.

I'm not disappointed that you didn't win the election and I wish you a long and happy retirement.

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