I have had an interest in electoral politics since the 1970s. I can't believe that was 45 years ago! Doesn't time fly when you are enjoying your elections?
During the whole of that time I cannot remember a single general election (or other election) where the Labour party hasn't tried to blackmail the electors with the same old mantra Vote Liberal get Tory, Vote SDP get Tory, Vote SNP get Tory, Vote Plaid get Tory etc.
Electoral statistics show that to get a majority Labour needs to win in England, it doesn't depend on the Welsh and Scottish vote. In 1951, 1955, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1992 Wales gave massive support to the Labour Party, but still got a Tory government. If Wales had voted for 40 Monster Raving Loony MP's in 1997, 2001 and 2005 we would still have suffered Tony Blair's Labour Government.
If you are a Labour supporter don't waste your time canvassing in Wales, English marginals are more important to your cause / gravy train.
The sad thing about the Vote SNP get Tory, Vote Plaid get Tory crap, isn't the historical inaccuracy or the slogan, but the full stop! Plaid and the SNP stand to get the best for Scotland and Wales. If Labour went further than the full stop and explained how Scotland and Wales would benefit from voting Labour they would lose votes in England and absolutely scupper their ability to form a government – voting Labour is not in Wales' or Scotland's best interest.
The Labour deal seems to be please vote Labour so we can win in England -for England's beneft. Labour offers nothing for Wales!
It's a numbers game. London population alone, 8.308 million, ALL Wales, 3.1m, also Wales has since 2013/14 seen 1m voters disappear from the voting lists. All that even before you start fighting other city seats. We have a divide IN Wales,where the Gogs feel Cardiff has little to offer them and Liverpool does. In a welsh vote its down to how south Wales votes, Cardiff. Newport, Swansea, Neath etc, mid and north don't matter.
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