The Referendum

[Jo Trew]

Although it's fair to say I am a bit miffed about the results of the AV referendum, I was pleased to see that Haringey voted a firm enough 'yes' to pass the Godforsaken post - 56.62% yes, in fact. 35.7% of us voted, a bigger than expected turnout, although when I was at the Hornsey Library polling station it was just me and one other guy. Do you think we could declare independence, like Scotland?

[CrouchEnd Cupcake]

There was practically tumbleweed blowing through the polling station in Stroud Green. I was the only one there at midday and had been the only one for some time!

[Adrian Essex]

The absence of voters at polling stations is depressing, especially as it probably means a a school has been closed for a day to little purpose. I started using postal votes when I was away from home for days at a time, and an absence might coincide with an election, so I have voted though I did not go to the Library. I agree with much of Jo's Trewism based on my reading of the Glenda Jackson result, though I'm not quite so enthusiastic about the Egyptian revolution swapping a military dictatorship for an interim military dictatorship.

[Jo Trew]

You're right - it's too early to tell what's happening in Egypt. It's just that the UK and the Middle East seem to be moving in opposite directions in democratic terms. I can't find stats on how many postal votes were cast in Haringey, although I did find this which is a nice site. 122 spoilt ballots: do you think they ranked 'yes' and 'no' in order of preference?

[Adrian Essex]

The Economist has a view on this. It characterises the Yes vote:

"So, hotspots of students or left-wing metropolitans. As if the sheer magnitude of AV’s defeat was not enough for the No campaign to crow about, this shortlist of Guardian-reading enclaves will be brandished gleefully as proof that electoral reformers really are the cocooned liberals of caricature. "

I hardly recognise myself.