"Labour should withdraw candidates in Lib-Con marginals" - what do you think?

[Molesworth]

Interesting idea to strengthen the non-tory vote, or barking?

link to full article here

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

I think it would be an admission of failure, but I also think it's just so negative. One of the big failings of Gordon Brown's campaign IMO has been that he has spent far too much time banging on about how evil and awful the Tories are/were/will be and not enough concentrating on his own policies.

GB's speech in Manchester this evening is a case in point, far less enthusiastically received because he was bleating on about the Tories for ages.

[AppleTreeWick]

I'm desperate and will drink try anything once

[EggyAllenPoe]

i think it removes choice from the electorate. doesn't sound lik fairplay to me.

and I don't like PR, as it would mean more power to BNP/UKIP.

[Molesworth]

Good point Eggy, hadn't thought of that in my "stop dave" desperation

[Molesworth]

Sorry, I meant the 'remove choice' thing is a good point.

I am in favour of electoral reform.

Blame my incoherence on the effect of hearing Stringer Bell speaking in his English accent on BBC1

[MrJustAbout]

It's not fair play. It's dirty and rotten.

However, in a rotten system it might still be reasonable. I think it's only reasonable though if it's a one-off, and done in acknowledgement that the system needs to change.

We need a reformed system. PR is unlikely to mean BNP/UKIP under Alternative Vote (or Single Transferrable Vote so long as the enlarged multi-member constituencies aren't too big).

PS: I don't know when I'll get a call - only that the constituency office has my number and I've been told that he'll ring me.

[EggyAllenPoe]

the measure of PR in the European parliament has unfortunately meant just that, though hasn't it?

Though the irony of UKIP taking seats in europe isn't lost on anyone...

[Ewe]

I think that would potentially be a good strategy, my local MP had 54% of the vote last election, if Lab/Lib vote came together it would equate to 42% which would at least make it a slightly more competitive seat.

Think it is a bit late in the day to do that now though.

[longfingernails]

Whilst in previous elections anti-Tory voting prevailed, there is now very widespread anti-Labour voting too.

You may not realise it, but far more people hate Gordon Brown than David Cameron. Labour advocating tactical voting, given Gordon Brown's approval ratings, really isn't very smart...

[AppleTreeWick]

There was a lovely article in the new scientist this week about voting systems n' maths n stuff. If I remember correctly they are all good for different things (first past the posts elects governments don't knock it too much until you assess the impact of pure/true/taken to it's logical conclusion of one big constituency PR...Israel and see the power of the small parties).

But you can set % jump points and things for small parties...you can try and maintain some constituency links (accountability) and you can attempt to deliver a system where votes count rather more equally than they do at present.

Glenda Jackson said it best at a husting years ago though...on the BNP and PR..."I like to see them coming" It sounded like she was reaching for her (metaphorical) gun.

[GrimmaTheNome]

How about Labour withdraws all its candidates and then we get a straight 2-horse race between a rightish and leftish parties. (Libdem often seems more truly leftwing than New Labour, doesn't it?)

[TheCrackFox]

TBH I think Labour could be playing with fire with all this tactical voting they are recommending. It really plays against the British sense of fair play.

Besides which, the voting papers have already been printed.

[atlantis]

Balls is one of those calling on Labour voters to vote lib dem in areas where the conservatives may get in, I'd like to see him fall on his sword and duck out of his marginal seat first.

Secondly with PR, I think it's a bloody stupid idea, we do need reform but not that, fairer boundries would be a start.

A s a conservative I would vote Conservative first UKIP second (as would a lot of conservative voters I have spoken too) , would never dream of giving the Libs a vote, so yes, ukip would do rather well and probably force the Libs to gain less seats, the BNP would do very well out of it.

I loath to agree with Glenda (bloody) Jackson (who used to be my MP ,snorts>) about anything, but she is right, I would rather work against the BNP at the ballot box in a fair fight and not allow them seats by second choice under PR.

Why are labour so sure the libs are going to be their bed buddies? NC has said recently that PR is not a deal breaker and he usually votes with Cameron on most issues.

[MrJustAbout]

The UK will never have PR in full - but we could get a much more proportional system in place without weakening things.

At present, 35% of the population looks like it will dominate the other 65%. This doesn't sound like democracy to me.

[atlantis]

"At present, 35% of the population looks like it will dominate the other 65%."

But it's been okay for the last 13 years under Labour, and let's be honest if Labour get a clear majority they will not introduce PR.

Once it's introduced your pretty much stuck with it unless you happen to get a majority government again who gets rid of it.

The only party that actually wants it is the Lib Dems, along with their other scatter brain policies.

If you want an even split then you need two parties, like in america, so let's get rid of the Lib Dems and have the right and the left. Simple.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Labour have had 13 years to introduce PR - if it was going to happen then it would have. I flirted with the Labour Party at university in the heady days before 1997, and PR was what all the idealistic students with first-time votes were hoping a Labour Government would bring.
Of course that was long before there was a BNP that would be let in through the back door by such a system.

I suspect some of you are on here now and planning to vote Lib Dem

MrJustAbout - there will always be questions about mandate to govern as long as turnout is as low as it is.

[vesela]

No way should Labour remove candidates in Lib/Con marginals - it's just another Labour effort to persuade voters that Labour and the Lib Dems are somehow the same and that the Lib Dems should therefore stand down in Lab/Con ones.

The current system may not be fair, but at least let's give voters a choice in their constituencies.

Grimma - the Lib Dems are a liberal left party (or centre/left), Labour a socialist left one.
Labour's policies and attitudes - like PFI and various forms of over-centralisation and bureaucracy - are still the result of a socialist, power-hoarding mindset, even if they don't look very socialist any more.

[EggyAllenPoe]

Labour a socialist left one

labour are a more authoritarian (economically) right-of-centre party -