The British are as stupid as we are

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. Here's how it works - remember, this is about Wales, with its 6-member areas

"Reform didn't win any directly elected seats" - this is not the Scottish AMS system any more. This is only a closed list multi-member constituency - 16 areas, each electing 6 members using the D'Hondt formula (like EU elections used to be in GB). They won the seats in the only way they can win seats - if you want to use the word "direct", I would say this was "direct".

Each area consists of 2 of the Westminster constituencies.

If Reform beat Plaid in a combined double constituency, then it would have to beat it in at least one of the two constituencies. It's very unlikely that any third party (Conservatives, Green, Lib Dem or Labour) did well enough to come first in one constituency, but only third when that is combined with a neighbouring one.

It's more likely that Reform came first in both of the paired constituencies, though quite possible that it was in only one of them. But that also applies to the 11 areas in which Plaid came first - in all of those, it was Reform that came second. So while the figures may well not mean 5 more Reform seats for the 5 out of 16 areas they won, Reform may well make up for that by taking a few "2nd constituencies" from the 11 double constituencies it came second in.