Some people look at the bigger picture but many do not. Only 67.55% of votes cast in 2005 were for the 2 biggest parties. That means around 1 in every 3 people have voted for people in parties they know have no chance of containing the PM.
Of the 67.55% I'd imagine a fairly hefty chunk of that vote for a party and have done so for years with the leader of that party making little odds to that choice.
My local mp was voted in many years ago due to Labour voters knowing they couldn't get an mp here so they voted for Menzies Campell to keep the Tories out. He has done well around here and as a result it isn't seen as a blocking vote but a vote for a good MP and being a good Mp is why he gets more than 52% of the votes now. (1400 initial margin which is now 12500)
Sandy
In my experience Lib Dem MPs are very good on a local level. My current MP (tory) might as well be invisible for all I know about him and whatever he does around here.
Mine too. David Cameron or something I think his name is.
Our local labour MP isn't invisible.
He mainly keeps his profile up by voting against measures which would help our fishing fleet for example - and by having the largest expenses claims of any MP in the region.
Lib Dems do tend to be the best local MP's, but only because they can afford to put constituency >>>> country >>>> Party
whereas the government and opposition MP's are liable to put Party >>>> country >>>> constituency
some may claim the first 2 are the other way round, but either way it leaves the one's who voted them in last.
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