Reaction to MPs safe seat and scandal involvement correlation

Since posting about the correlation I have discovered between the safeness of an MPs seat and the likelihood of them being caught up in the expenses scandal (here and here) I have had a lot of links from other blogs and also started to get some national media coverage which is really good because I think what the apparent correlation highlights is the fundamental problem with the existing electoral system and this deserves a wide audience. They are shaping up to be my most successful posts ever since I started seriously blogging last November.

Here is a flavour of some of the reaction there has been:

Costigan on Himmelgarten Cafe who initially suggested a possible link himself last week described it as a good analysis.

Malcolm Clark from Make Votes Count echoed Alix's suggestion that it could be a hook for reform and also later did a fuller post devoted to analysing the findings from MVC's perspective.

Iain Dale included both posts in his Daley Dozen on Sunday which is always good because the traffic then goes through the roof! He is very much a sceptic on electoral reform but he described my posts as "interesting evidence".

LDV suggested that the analysis was a must read post on Sunday.

Bad Conscience thinks that the analysis is elegant yet compelling. This is what I was hoping. It is always hard to argue the intracacies of electoral reform as it is a fairly inaccessible topic but hopefully this correlation is easily understandable. Alix Mortimer also thinks that the link is not difficult to explain.

It provoked a lively debate on Andrew Duker's Livejournal where I joined in.

Obnoxio the Clown thinks that the correlation reflects human nature.

Fluffy Elephant thinks that the correlation is no surprise and concludes that we have to change the way we elect our MPs if we are to stop this sort of abuse.

Hagley Road to Ladywood says that in the light of evidence like this, Brown and Cameron can apologise all they like but the only thing that will represent a clean slate at Westminster is radical voting reform. Amen!

And finally, Polly Toynbee has very kindly included a link to my post in her article today in The Guardian which is a rallying call for constitutional change. I am the "political blogger" she refers to in the last paragraph. Apparently there is also now a campaign to get a referendum on the electoral system put onto the ballot paper for the next General Election. I am 100% behind this!

Thanks to everyone who has linked to my work and carried on the debate and apologies if I have missed anyone out. Hopefully this will gain further traction and will help advance the debate for the reform that it must be becoming obvious to everyone is now sorely needed.

UPDATE: I forgot about Jennie! How could I when she complimented me on my bar charts and everything? Sorry and thanks!