The Spectator’s Notes | 1 May 2010

One reason that Nick Clegg’s impact remains strong is the power of numbers.

One reason that Nick Clegg’s impact remains strong is the power of numbers. At the last election, Labour retained office with an enormous overall majority, but only 9,562,122 votes. You have to go back to the era before women had the vote to find such a small backing for the party which won outright. Worse, you will never find such a low proportion of those entitled to vote producing the victor. Last time, only 22 per cent of the total electorate voted Labour. In 1992, the Conservatives got more than 14 million votes, and in 1997, Tony Blair’s New Labour got almost as many. So if, next week, any party gets an overall majority with fewer than 10 million votes, people will doubt its legitimacy. Yes, the system will ‘work’, and a government will be formed, but protest will not be stilled.