Graph of the week - Proportion of the electorate voting for their MP

This week the government announced a further attack on workers with their proposed Trade Union Bill that would introduce a 50% voting threshold for union strike ballot turnouts, and a requirement that 40% of those entitled to vote must back action in "essential public services" - health, education, fire and transport. 

The recent General Election resulted in only 84 out of 650 MPs (less than 13 per cent) meeting the threshold of 40 per cent of the electorate voting for them. 

This week''s graph of the week (to make it larger click on it) shows the proportion of the electorate voting for their MP. All parliamentary seats are shown by a bar but due to space limitations not everyone is labelled on the vertical axis. The graph shows the 566 red bars showing those that do not meet the 40 per cent threshold and the 84 green bars where the threshold was met.

West Midlands Regional Secretary said:

"Compared to the increasingly out of touch Tory MPs, working people now have a second class form of democracy when they fight for workplace justice,  It's one law for MPs and another law for workers."

Graph of the week - The 10 seats where the Green vote was bigger than the Tory majority

There are 10 seats where the Green vote is bigger than the Tory majority.

Obviously it is not clear that every Green voter would have voted Labour, but some may have done if they had known it could have elected a Labour, instead of Tory MP.

With Sinn Fein not taking their 4 seats in Westminster, 324 seats are required for a working majority. The Tories got 331. If 8 out of 10 of the seats above were won by Labour the Tories would not have a majority in Westminster.

Proposed changes to strike laws

Following the comments from newly appointed Business Secretary, Sajid Javid regarding significant changes to strike laws,

 

Ravi Subramanian, UNISON West Midlands Regional Secretary said:

 

“This government has only been in power for a few days and already they are attacking workers,

 

Mr Javid, whose government was elected on just 36.9% of the vote is introducing second class democracy for workers.

 

At his first Cabinet meeting the prime minister said that they needed to focus on ‘bread and butter' ways of improving peoples lives’ but if restricting the rights of the average employee is a top priority then it is clear they are focusing on ‘Silver spoons and caviar’ for employers and private companies.”