Depressed Lefty red eye - The morning after the night before

lol monkey

sorry - being aggressive and panicking

Liam Fox on Radio 4 being aggressive and panicking reiterating that apparently the country has spoken (he didn't mention that what the country actually said was "meh"), and they have the most seats and largest percentage vote and so they should be allowed to govern, and it's our ball and and and it's not fair and NANNY! They want our ball!

Pfft he said all the way through the campaign that the party who got the largest proportion of the votes/seats should be given first chance to form a govt. He can't really back down now.

ISNT - it feels like your vote isn't worth it (know how you feel - I live in SW19!) but it absolutely is. You can rest assured that the politicians look at how many people have voted for the opposition, at every level.

I hate, hate, hate the idea of tactical voting because I hate not voting for the party I have chosen. But one of the advantages of living in an area where your choice has no chance of being selected is that at least you don't have to consider the tactical option! (cloud meets silver lining)

Off to Chinese now - will catch up properly later.

I am trying to catch up with everything that happened yesterday and struggling, damn work and a night out getting in the way of constant news!!

Assume general theme is still that we're all screwed?

And anyway, can't we just settle this with a fight? Brown Vs Gammonron, fight to the death. YOu know the result would be favourable to us. Harry Hill could be the MC

I would like to know what Clegg's real motivation is for talking with Cameron first. Is it simply wanting to appear to be fair?

Surely it should be obvious that Labour are the only one of the two that can give the Liberals even half of what they want? Without PR, they stand NO chance in further years at all!

I really hate the fact that so much of England (not the sane ones in Scotland and Wales) seems to be utterly charmed by Gammonron.

David gammon'am (gammon(h)am)

I like this gammon theme

Meanwhile

I am wathing alphablocks on cbeebies which seems to be advocating a lib/lab combo to bring on electoral reform. At least that's how I'm interpreting it.

At least i don;t live in buckinghamshire.

I was when they said that traditionally the otehr parties don't put up any opposition in the speakers seat.

I guess the theory is that he doesn't get a vote in parliament? So is "not really" whatever party he is? Or is it because if he lost it would be a right PITA?

Eitehr way it's just wrong and utterly anti-democracy.

I've never really thought about it properly before, beyond my idea that my vote is worthless because I'm a lefty in a right wing enclave

The realisation that some hunting shooting fishing fox-fur bedecked silver spooned "what ho jeeves have you seen my barrell of gold bars" types are worth more than me (in voting terms) has made me grind my teeth. And actually, in this country, well yes of course they are worth more than me (in voting terms) I mean it wouldn't be any other way.

So true ISNT.

I explained how our system works to my French DH and he said 'but that's not democratic' with a face like this .

If the Tories get through they do plan some changes to the way voting works - they will reduce the number of MPs and redraw some boundaries to their own advantage. Our system will become ever less democratic than it is now.

As you say RARARA for electoral reform!!!!

Not caught up with thread

Have been mulling PR and getting keener and keener

They wonder why there is voter apathy in the UK, but my vote has never counted at all in a general election. I really might as well not bother. It's a safe tory seat and every time I turn out knowing it's pointless. And they wonder why people lose interest. It must be v exciting if you're in a marginal seat but other than that...

Then we wouldn't have to vote tactically and stuff - we could all vote for who we actually wanted and it would mean something. I often randomise in the booth and it's because I know it doesn't matter. Then again, I often randomise towards a very small party - again - that vote won't make any difference to who wins and won't have any chance of getting a representative in for that country.

And then - why are people who live in the countryside worth more than me? I never quite realised that before this election - but it's not on is it.

So RARARA for electoral reform.

Interesting Guardian article Prolesworth, bit chilling really especially the stuff about fundamentalism. Also it said the the Tories have become deeply ideological - I always thought one of the reasons a lot of voters like them is because they are not ideological. This never made sense to me, I think behind closed doors they are strongly ideological but perhaps not all singing from the same song sheet on some of the details. (sorry, that was clear as mud).

The LibDems cannot sell out - they will be finished if they do, the Tories will spit them up and chew them out and the public will take a 'see we knew they were not a 'serious' party, smug, we told you so' attitude (as will much of the press).

The more I think about this the more I think we are headed for a Tory minority (hah!) or a Lib/Lab/Minorities coalition which will stabalise the economy and, when the time is right, go for electoral reform (when Tory majorities will become a thing of the past for evermore - hah!).

We cannot lose, unless Clegg sells out. The Tories are still so shadowed by Thatcher (hah!).

Only thing to worry about is a Tory minority which calls an election fairly soon and gets a majority in it by convincing people we need to stop all the shilly shallying around. The left would need to join forces and go full out for electoral reform together during the campaign.

Thanks for the links to LibDem stuff - we must let them know that we are behind them but not to watch them be used by the Tories for their own means.

Don't know why I have become so opinionated all of a sudden but that is my valiant, proud and optimistic view!

.

I'm really not sure how a Hamnegg coalition would work.
Commentators and some members of the Tories have mentioned giving the Libs 1 or 2 seats in the Cabinet. Would these be Cable and Clegg? If that was the case, you'd hope that in many ways they would be 'the voices of reason' trying to moderate, expand and modernise the Tory viewpoint. However, they would be up against 10 or more others. (Not sure how many there are in a Cabinet)

Now, like senior management in business, the Cabinet are expected publically to support whatever decision is made within those walls, to show a united front whatever their personal views are. If Clegg and Cable didn't agree, what would happen? In a normal situation when ministers strongly disagree and voice this in public, they often resign or are replaced. If that were to happen, would the coalition collapse?

Don't envy Clegg at all. He has been portrayed as a man of principle, (I hope he is but am not totally convinced just yet) so how would he be able to remain quiet and tow the line if he profoundly disagreed with cabinate decisions? Then again, I suppose he say they wanted to withdraw from the coalition, leaving a minority gov. If he wants to affect policy and law-making he would have to be within the cabinet, wouldn't he? What position would he take? Or would they have to create a new position, or leave him a minister without portfolio?

Sorry if that's rambling...up early with DS2. Grrrr.

Firstly to offer this song for New Labour from us lefties...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=clZaOixlgsE

I have been listening to it all night!

And secondly to present this sketchy first draft plan for some things to do next:

1. Let Cameron show his true colours enough to remind everyone what a Tory government is about and let his party be the one that is hated for the pulling in of the purse strings. [cruel to be kind emotion]

2. Fight for changing the voting system because if you are not chasing particular (arguably middle class) seats it will be easier to be true to your heart with policies and all important media appearances.

3. Be there for the next election ready, strong and true for real everday people with well thought out policies that benefit these people and don't deny that this is to the depths of your soul what you are about.

4. Stop hob-nobbing for funding. Embrace your political family - the Unions and their more democratic and much less corrupt funding systems.

5. AND PLEEEAAAASE - DO NOT FRAGMENT DO NOT FRAGMENT DO NOT FRAGMENT!!! This actually is my biggest fear...

DH did not believe in homoeopathy until SIL's horse was successfully treated for hay fever and asthma (don't laugh, the poor horse really did have hay fever).

I did have to agree with his comment, "Well, the horse cannot know it is a placebo".

I was so very depressed this morning, really was a little [shocked] at what we woke up to, but as the day has gone on I am also feeling a little better about things.

I think things are going to be very carefully thought out and scrutinised over then next while. No mistakes can be made.

Not arnica cream, Justa, arnica tablets. Honestly. I wasn't a believer in homeopathy (not sure I am now) until I trapped my finger in the door. The nurse at my GP's surgery recommended it, and it was astonishingly amazing.

Re LibDem deal with the Tories - if you're anti, then you can write to the LibDems - they have asked people to do this:

[email protected]

and there's also a FB page been set up by another MNetter, again at the request of the LibDems, to help gauge the views of the public:

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=100832939963708

I am going to miss these threads.