Greg Ardan 🔶

Pensions actuary.Amateur choral singer & orchestral oboist.Liberal Democrat activist. Reigate resident. Husband & dad. Runner and tennis player / fan.

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@mattmcgonagle @BNHWalker That was my guess too. I notice it hasn't got a reply which makes me wonder if we're right 😁

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@BNHWalker One of the Newcastle seats? Or York? Or even somewhere like Leeds North West?

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@MasterJamesofS1 @clarkyboi97 On a smaller scale, I remember canvassing for Tom Brake in Carshalton in 2017. Surprising numbers of people on doorsteps told me "I don't like the Lib Dems & wouldn't usually vote for you, but I like Tom so you will be getting my vote". So it does happen, even if small numbers

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@MasterJamesofS1 @clarkyboi97 '97 feels like an eternity ago!The general point though is that you're USUALLY correct, far more people vote for party than individual - but there have been some exceptions! A few individuals, often with big (sometimes controversial!) personalities who can get a big personal vote

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@MasterJamesofS1 @clarkyboi97 Martin Bell in 1997 when he beat Neil Hamilton! Yes that's an outlier. But most independent MPs in recent decades. Or (and I hate to admit it, as I can't stand the man) George Galloway!

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@PoliticsReigate Ah interesting, I didn't know that. I have learnt a new thing!

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@PoliticsReigate I was at the count yesterday and several people of different parties said to me "there isn't really such a thing as a safe seat any more". I agreed. But what I probably should have said is "except for Nork and Tattenhams"!

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@Ferretgrove True. But i guess you can't have everything. Well... unless you live in Richmond!!!

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@acceber_uk @ReigateUK Thank you Rebecca!

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@acceber_uk @ReigateUK As someone who delivered literally thousands of them over the past weeks and months, I'm glad the effort is appreciated!

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

Local election leaflets in Reigate ward: Lib Dems 4 - leaflets to every door, plus personalised letters. Greens & labour - nothing. Independent - 2 letters. Reform - 3 leaflets but 2 were literally identical. Tory - 3, but one was for candidate in Merstham &Banstead South ward!!!

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@PoliticsReigate @ReigateLibDems Indeed. I've just received a conservative leaflet for merstham and Banstead South. Despite living in north Reigate! I can assuredly say, we at @ReigateLibDems have been delivering all ours to the correct places, as we've actually been paying attention to the ward boundaries!

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@NicholasLe81575 @SeatsNotVotes @bethgrove8702 @ElectionMapsUK We wouldn't. Electoral reform is so central to Lib Dem beliefs. If, in government, we ditched electoral reform as a policy, 75% of party members would resign - myself included.

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@PoliticsReigate And just also to clarify, each voter gets two votes. (Rather than 1 vote each but top 2 selected)

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@tamforrester @MakeVotesMatter Currently reform are polling about 30% of votes...but that may (depending on distribution) get them more than 50% of seats. At the last GE it was the other way round, far higher vote share than seats. Any party CAN benefit by or be harmed by FPTP. It's a terrible system

[Make Votes Matter @MakeVotesMatter]

Election campaigns should be about debating ideas - not fighting over bar charts and conflicting tactical voting advice.

People should be able to vote with hope, not to block the party they fear.

If we don't want every election to look like Gorton & Denton, we must scrap FPTP.

[Reigate & Banstead Lib Dems 🔶 🇺🇦 @ReigateLibDems]

Whatever the outcome of the Gorton&Denton byelection it looks like the majority of votes cast will be wasted, with the winner potentially winning with as little as 30%
The need for proportional representation has never been greater. First Past the Post is broken @MakeVotesMatter

[Greg Ardan 🔶 @GregArdan80]

@Ferretgrove Absolutely. In case of interest, I've written a blog about this by election on my personal blog, mainly pointing out that, whatever the result, by elections like this one show up just how badly First past the post copes in the current electoral climate https://t.co/kFRUnQvFa1