“You might want to ask the LibDems what happened to proportional representation”
Indeed you might. And the answer would be that, as part of the Coalition agreement forged in 2010 and at the insistence of the LibDems, a referendum was held on the Alternative Vote system in May 2011. The proposal to change the “first past the post” system was soundly rejected by more than two to one on a turnout of 42%. The problem for the LibDems is that the electorate does not seem too keen to move towards proportional representation. All a bit of a nuisance for them really.
Time will tell just how significant last Thursday's election results were. One thing is for sure, as Mr Cameron and Mr Clarke have recently found to their embarrassment. No good will come of insulting people who seek change but who can find no candidates among the main parties who will represent their interests. The UK electorate may well want the UK “…to be come a regressive, stuck in the past, illiberal inconsequential country of no significance.“ But they are very often better judges of what is good for them than are career politicians and if that is what most of them want then that is what they should have.