Declining support for the Conservatives in the North and Labour in the South means outright majorities will be less and less likely

The Conservative and Labour parties have seen their combined share of the overall vote decline over the last several decades. This downward trend has been especially pronounced for Conservatives in Scotland and the urban North of England and Labour politicians in the South, making it harder for either party to win a general election outright. Unless the parties can solve the challenge of how to re-connect with their ex-voters and in places where decline has occurred, they will be consigned to become’major minority’ parties, writes Tony Travers.