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ewxI’d been wondering about this. What if the LDs found they just couldn’t get PR, gave up the whole third-party thing as a bad job, and merged with the Labour party? Well, on this election’s numbers:
Party Votes Seats
=========================================================
Labour: 15389322 433
Conservative: 10658048 189
Democratic Unionist Party: 168216 8
Scottish National Party: 491386 5
Sinn Fein: 171942 5
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 110970 3
Plaid Cymru: 163196 1
Independent: 140537 1
Alliance Party: 42762 1
Speaker: 22860 1
The outcome is even more extreme if they merged with the Conservatives instead:
Party Votes Seats
=========================================================
Conservative: 17464146 483
Labour: 8583224 140
Democratic Unionist Party: 168216 8
Sinn Fein: 171942 5
Plaid Cymru: 163196 3
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 110970 3
Scottish National Party: 491386 2
Independent: 140537 1
Alliance Party: 42762 1
Speaker: 22860 1
The actual outcome in the same format, just for completeness:
Party Votes Seats
=========================================================
Conservative: 10658048 305
Labour: 8583224 257
Liberal Democrat: 6806098 56
Democratic Unionist Party: 168216 8
Scottish National Party: 491386 6
Sinn Fein: 171942 5
Plaid Cymru: 163196 3
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 110970 3
Independent: 140537 1
Alliance Party: 42762 1
Green: 285616 1
Speaker: 22860 1
(In each case only parties winning at least one seat are shown. Errors and omissions (such as Thirsk & Malton) excepted.)