To wonder why the 2 party system is back with such a vengeance?

[thinkiamgoingcrazy]

Apparently not since 1970 have the Tories and the Labour party had a such a large share of the overall vote. What do you think the reasons for this are - other than tactical / protest voting?

UKIP don't have a presence now as we voted to Leave....lots of votes went to Labour/Con because of their demise. Plus Lib Dems still haven't recovered from coalition. That leaves us with parties that have always been marginal like the Greens and unlikely to ever increase to a high enough level to be a real game changer

Because they were both Pro brexit? Just a thought.......

UKIP's raison d'être no longer exists.
Lib Dems still recovering from coalition woes
SNP - guessing that the prospect of a second indyref deterred voters

Quite possibly a higher than average volume of tactical voting based on Brexit stance (Hard/Soft).

You are BU not to put this thread in the Politics section.

Sick of all these threads.

The Conservatives told us there would be a coalition of chaos if the SNP were in bed with Labour so Conservatives turned out.
Ruth Davidson is appealing so Scottish Conservatives turned out.
Scots might just be feeling fed up with politicians
Labour did a good campaign.
Labour got through that they could win nationally and people were willing to vote for that.
Conservatives got cocky.
The internet helped. People can see a movement. They can trade votes.

I agree with you.

I always imagined the Liberals to be the centre left party but when Labour shifted right in the 90's the Libdems under Paddy and then Charles Kennedy were often left of Labour.

Then Clegg joined the Tories which may have ruined them for a good while = fewer votes for them

UKIP are now absorbed by Tories =fewer votes for them

Corbyn has shunted the left back to its default position = where we are now

It will evolve gradually again probably.

Because UKIP are a racist joke, the Lib Dems are Tory loving chumps and only Labour should be trusted to run a government, which they will be doing soon.

It's a huge mistake to think UKIP votes came from and went to Conservatives.
The old Labour movement was very different to the modern parliamentary Labour movement. The 70s unions were protectionist.

"It's a huge mistake to think UKIP votes came from and went to Conservatives."

They said this on newsnight last night too. The 'core' Ukip support, went to labour. They looked at those seats who didnt field a Ukip candidate. Core ukippers, voted ukip where candidates stood.

This is the first ekec

This is the first election I can remember where nobody can really say "oh but they're all the same". Labour and Conservative were so polarised and far left/right that it reduced the need for further left/right parties like Liberal Democrats and UKIP (plus UKIP have lost their selling point now Brexit is happening).

Plus when a race is close it feels like voting for a smaller party might not be such a good idea if it might take support away from your preferred big party.

I'm not in Scotland, but I think a lot of Scots don't want indyfref2 so have switched away from SNP.

There's a growing realisation amongst people I know (so v limited sample!) that to defeat the Tories you need to minimise splitting the opposition vote. Lots of people I know who would have preferred to vote Green or Lib Dem voted Labour as the best chance to oust the Tories. And on the right, UKIP supporters can comfortably vote Tory given that May promises their kind of Brexit.

UKIP were very much the Nigel Farage party, their purpose has been served and the limitations of the rest of them exposed, as it were.
Tories and to an extent Labour have gained votes in Scotland by being the parties to oppose another independence referendum
Lib Dems campaign too much focused on the idea of a second referendum and they have not been forgiven by all for tuition fees.
FPTP helps the main parties too, and I think definitely lost the Greens votes in areas they saved deposits in last time.

It's interesting isn't it.

I'd point out though that the picture across the UK is different. England and NI have polarised into two party camps, to the detriment of smaller parties there (and in direct contrast really to what went on at the NI Assembly elections earlier this year). Whereas Scotland and Wales are still genuinely multi party. Ok the Lib Dems were wiped out in Wales, but Plaid Cymru gained a seat. So there are three parties with an actual base there. And Scotland has four parties with multiple seats. So whatever's going on, it's going on differently in Scotland in particular.

Personally I think it's polarisation because people are panicking, feeling less secure. I have voted third party in the past but when I have concerns about the Tories getting back in, I don't. I would imagine there's a similar phenomenon for right wingers. You have two leaders who the opposite side absolutely and utterly despise, to the extent that they'll swallow their issues with 'their' main party leader.

I think for Westminster Wales is still two party focused. I wouldn't vote Plaid Cymru for Westminster as they have hardly any voice there. In Welsh Assemby elections I would consider them because they have enough presence to count.

Scotland possibly is furthest from 2 party system as SNP still have more seats than the lib dems in Westminster and were considered as a potential coalition partner for Labour

I suppose I think of PC in terms of how much of 'their' areas they win. They'd obviously never get anywhere in the more English areas, naice Pembrokeshire or big urban seats, but if you look at their main turf they're doing well, consolidated. They have clout in that geographic region, basically have the whole west now. I was surprised to see how close Arfon went though!

I think that mainly the tories,but it may have been labour as well, polarised this election

Although to be fair it was more likely the media

But the tory campaign seemed to be 'strong and stable' and 'dont vote for Corbyn'

Labour did the same but i dont remember their phrases, either because they didnt say it as often or they didnt have any, or i switched off when he came on...one of them