Tactical voting can help oust the Tories, but we should remember that it’s also a democratic abomination
In one great whoosh, the country looks set to hose away this despicable government on an outflow of its own sewage. Kicking the bastards out is what democracy does. That seems to be the primary will of the people now.
To eject them, large numbers will hold their noses and vote for parties they don’t support. Nearly 40% of people say they would consider it. More voters, say pollsters, know how to circumvent an electoral system designed to deny people a vote for their preferred party, preventing new parties from arising. We are so used to tactical voting as part of the system, we forget it’s a democratic abomination.
Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist