Britain | Poll numbers
Every vote counts, but some count more than others
Britain's electoral system has always punished the smaller parties. So why are the Scottish nationalists doing so well?
OVER 900,000 people voted for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) at the last general election. They needn’t have bothered: UKIP didn’t win a single seat in Westminster. Only slightly more are expected to vote for the Scottish National Party (SNP) this time around, say 1.1m, if nationwide polls are to be believed. Yet that would deliver a whopping 55 seats for Nicola Sturgeon’s outfit—perhaps making it the kingmaker. Meanwhile, the Greens will probably gain nearly a third more votes than the SNP, yet end up with just a single seat.
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