Depressed Lefty red eye - The morning after the night before

Delurking to say that I love this thread. It has kept me sane through the angst of today. I'm consoling myself by looking at the coloured-in map of London constituencies on the BBC website, and feeling grateful to live smack-bang in the middle of the red enclave that is East London, surrounded in all sides by a sea of blue. I wonder if we could form a breakaway lefty-utopia republic?

My Tory mum called me this evening to tell me about the dress Samantha Cameron wore to the polling station. Apparently it was an example of how to look "lovely and modest and classy" during pregnancy (I'm also pregnant). Right. Thanks for that Mum

Lentil
Yes, in my experience of coalitions in Germany they take a couple of weeks to sort everything out. They will perhaps have a consensus by Monday but they will have to do a great deal of haggling before it is done and dusted.

If the Tories were to form a minority gmt, could Lib Dem and Labour push through an Election Reform against their wishes? Presumably the small parties would all vote for reform.

My my I paid for my late night today. I am whacked. Our seat stayed labour though so not all bad. The coloured map is rather depressing though, we are a teeny tiny boat of red sanity in a huge blue abyss.
My ds has also turned into David Cameron before my eyes. Of course, it may be the sleep deprivation, but he has developed one hell of an earnest look, not to mention a magnificent combover

Yes, like aubergine's analysis too. Man, who'd have thought at the start of these threads we'd have been saying a Con govt was the least worst option?

Have been awake for a long time. Must go. still think all will be well in then end. Thank you for beng the best lefty women comrades. You've kept hope alive; see you on the barricades. j xxxx

you rang???

Ah, bollocks, my theory forgets to take into account the right wing biased press.

think I have to go sleep soon, need about 12 hours to make up for last night

have loved these threads, thanks all

here's to a minority tory gov cocking it all up

Clegg needs more time than the markets are going to give him to make the least worst decision.

The Irish equivalent of Radio Four (RTE1) has an interesting take on this part of the process. Tonight, they were sagely saying that getting things sorted in 4-5 days would be very fast and that coalitions can take weeks to establish. They are clear too that Clegg's power extends to the exact moment when he makes his deal.

At the moment here we have a coalition in which the Greens participate. They had a Lib Dem-like pure reputation until a few years ago, but by entering into, and clinging to, a coalition with Fianna Fáil they have destroyed their own credibility. If they retain 3 seats in the next election it will be a miracle.

I think it would be very useful for the BBC to step back and give us a guided tour of how coalitions have played out elsewhere in the EU to better illustrate the tensions and possibilities.

Where is sophable?

But a minority government - can't you hear the bleating of the financiers already:

"What about the maaaaaaaaaaarkets?"

Yes, thought it was v interesting and sadly accurate about what would happen if LibLab pact proposed referendum on PR.

Looking like minority TOry gvt would be best outcome - gives the country a chance to get used to the LibDems looking governmental, and gives both Lab and Lib a chance to regroup and get serious about electoral reform, without leaving the hard-of-thinking with an obscure feeling that there'd been a Guardianista coup.

aubergines - I like your analysis

That's what I hope will happen really. The Tories can shoulder the blame for all the crap, fail to get their really right-wing cuts through, fall victim to a no confidence vote in 2012, and labour and the lib dems will prance off into the sunset hand in hand.

'They will not be able to do what they want and they will fail'
aubergines I really hope so

right now i want Clegg to tell the tories where to go, and bring on a tory minority government

i agree with yv about the press-they could make it impossibly hard for a liblab coalition to govern, it would just be a horrid, messy nightmare.

yes, Mme Lindt- that line made me flinch

anyway I've had enough now, and ds is pestering me to watch Facejacker

these threads have been great. The line about Cameron offering Clegg a cushion to kneel on "while I fuck you up the arse", and the mental picture of Mandy slithering up the back stairs of LDHQ will stay with me a while longer

ta very much all

...oh, and get some sleeeeeep!

I think the LibDems will refuse to work with the Tories, they will lose too much if they do. This is their one and only chance to get the electoral reform that will get them the representation they want.

By going to the Tories first they can gain the moral high-ground that will then justify them getting together with Labour as the two minority parties and make it palatable to the wider electorate. They can say that it isn't that they didn't want to work with the Tories but that the Tories were not willing to compromise and listen to the voters.

The inevitable outcome of this would be a referendum on electoral reform. (and we will all live happily ever after)

course I suppose a liblab coalition could just bring in PR and no referendum - but still, I think that the hostility of 80% of the British press is not something to undertaken lightly.

I don't blame them for giving it consideration.

We're not screwed, the Tories are screwed

They don't have a majority. The Libdems can say thanks but no thanks to their offer, after Clegg does as promised and tries to negotiate.

The progressive parties can be the bigger people and help them get really important stuff through the commons but block the worst Tory stuff.

They will not be able to do what they want and they will fail

There will be another election within 18 months, labour will come back stonger and sort out electoral reform

Or I am just hallucinating from lack of sleep and starting on the wine again