Please not that I have always referred to the 27% that did not vote as abstentions. There are many reasons for not voting and while 'could not be bothered' may be a reason for some it is not so for all of them. In the house of commons itself there are many reasons that an MP may abstain from voting and to carry that through to the electorate is only proper. No lesson can be taught to people you believe just cannot be bothered. Out of interest 'here endeth the lesson' is the traditional way to end a bible reading. It means that you have been taught an idisputable truth. The truth in this case is that we cannot make assumptions about why people did not vote.

DtG