It Appears That Paul Mason Can’t Count

So, the Brecon byelection, given that a couple of lefty parties stood down then one of the not so lefty parties was able to beat the two major rightie parties standing. OK, united beats split, that’s not exactly a surprise in a first past the post electoral system:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The Liberal Democrats won because Plaid Cymru and the Greens stood down, in an explicit electoral pact. The Tories could have inched it had the Brexit party also stood down.[/perfectpullquote]

OK.

The solution to this is?

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]What to do is the question that’s dominated discussions in the union movement, among NGOs and party activists for the past week. There is only one proven response in history that beats an alliance of far-right populists and conservative amoralists: a temporary alliance of the centre and the left. That’s what the Greens, Plaid and the Lib Dems achieved in Brecon – and it looks like a big chunk of 2017 Labour voters took part in it.[/perfectpullquote]

And if the righties have the same electoral pact? Brexit Party and Tories work out a deal who stands where? Then what happens?

Well, given that Leave got 52% to Remain’s 48% I guess the majority wins again, eh Paul?

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The first thing Labour’s frontbench has to do is to commit – immediately and unequivocally – to fight any general election called before Britain leaves the EU on a remain and transform ticket.[/perfectpullquote]

How does that help if Remain’s the minority? From which we must conclude that Paul Mason can’t count – to add to his inability to think.