Which is more important now: political reform or the economy?

The Lib Dems want STV with multi-member constituencies. I'd like to have a referendum on it.

but STV is PR, albeit not the only kind

PR could just as easily marking the single box as we do now (but have out votes counted differently, towards total national proportions)

STV could still be done on a consituency basis, but we'd be numbering candidates rather than marking just one.

i think this is part of the problem the LDs would have to work out what exactly they wanted and then try and persuade MPs/ the population that they wanted it too..

reading the wiki page on voting systems, you quickly realise there is a veritable smorgasbord of choice when it comes to systems, all with slightly difeent benefots.

didn't a system similar to STV get used in Scotland with great confusion on the first ballot?

and what you say about conservatives could equally be placed against labour - labour have had 13 years in power with a resonable to strong majority - why would they want to change voting system?

? but STV is PR, albeit not the only kind.

And STV would allow Labour in in those seats, if they got a large enough share of the vote (because Labour supporters stopped voting tactically).

the LibDems and Labour are so similar that they'd always tick one another's candidates as second option.

erm but that's simply not true..

liberal and labour aren't similar at all - if anything there is more similarity between conservative and labour than either party has with the LDs...

although i think LD would make a popular 2nd choice for many voters...

in the South seats generally change hands betweeen LD and conservative with labour a shoddy third ...... so a single transferrable vote system would just re-enforce that.

anyway, you'r talking about STV, not PR!

Chelsea

FTSE up 4pc with no government...

I think that's right, EAPoll. The Tories fear that PR would mean they could never win an election again because the LibDems and Labour are so similar that they'd always tick one another's candidates as second option.

The only way that the Tories could counter this would be to start ticking UKIP's box as a second choice.

So one unforeseen consequence would be that more hard-line parties benefiting from PR. Because some Tories would feel they had no choice if they wanted to ensure that right-of-centre views were listened to.

All kinds of minorities would be taken more seriously under PR: for the good and for the bad. That's a big, big consideration. Do we want them in parliament?

edgar, the big problem is that the cons will not countenance a deal that involves a serious stab at electoral reform...it will cost them too much in seats and they, like all political parties have a huge interest in maintaining their own power base

actually in the 2005 election, the conservatives would have done vastly better with PR...they object to it because it is against conservativism (ie, leaving stuff the same) - many conservatives came on before the election to point this out. It would be within Conservative principles to allow a referendum on the subject however, or possibly, an open vote in the Commons if someone could work out a bill for it (which would be cheaper).

edgar, the big problem is that the cons will not countenance a deal that involves a serious stab at electoral reform...it will cost them too much in seats and they, like all political parties have a huge interest in maintaining their own power base.

luckily for us, at the moment the national interest and the libdems interests co-incide in terms of electoral reform (am i being too cynical here?) and therefore the libdems are our biggest hope of having someone that will drive this through.

I honestly feel that without electoral reform at the heart, any deal made will be crap: as i think mark steel twittered the other day 'Cameron's just said to Clegg "We'll do all the things we were going to do anyway, and if you like we'll let you watch. Is that a deal?"'

twill be shit if libdems don't get referendum on PR.

cons & lib votes would be sufficient to get most things through parliament....there just needs to be a deal.

i hope the LD's don't stuff this up, otherwise it leaves the country in an awkward position to say the least... also, i hop ethe conservatives are open to reasonable offers (they seem to be, but you never know...)

Will we have a goverment who can deal with either?!
I agree with PW

Enjoy .

Lenin - not a Man U supporter then? I'm pretty sure it'll be tears before bedtime here (and that's just dh). Ds can't remember them not being league champions. So possible traumatic afternoon ahead!

'if the coming government can't handle two pieces of simultaneous business then we're more screwed than I thought'

Entirely agree, policywonk.

Though I'm starting to wonder today if actually having no government is actually a bad thing. No bossy ministers telling us what to feed our children. No MPs' expenses. No spin doctors...

Lenin- who needs footie when we have politics as a prime sport. What a nice way for Gordon to exit. Normally you get kicked out the day after the election but Gordon gets to squat and cause problems

Quattro/Soph- I shall knock them out next week, thanks. This week it was plain vanilla bolied peas. many thanks

Policy- yes, the lenders will charge more for our Govt bonds (raising mkt int rates) if we go that route but I believe that will be part of the solution.

That's interesting about inflation TD - I've read in several places that one strategy to deal with the deficit is to inflation our way out of it - is this the same thing? (Hey, I just used 'inflation' as a verb! Go me!)

[Sophable's suggestion here - oh oh oh quattro, do braised petit pois with smoked bacon....SO good and SO easy (use frozen petit pois, fry finely chopped shallots or onion, fry some pancetta or smoked bacon lardons until crisp and have released their fat and then chuck in the peas and some stock, simmer on low heat for a while...half an hour, an hour? very low heat).

really delicious and very low maintenance and extremely good with chicken!]

[how do you braise peas. I just started boiling mine. Is there any hope for my peas?]

[Lenin- I will not talk up the size of my portfolio ]

[soph - thanks for brilliant suggestion re braising peas - did them with pancetta. Had a disaster with the gratin though ]

wannaBe- buying instead of renting a house is perhaps gambling/speculating? There isn't much difference between investing with inline broker and buying shares the old fashion way.

ACCESS to capital is a big part of political argument: The poor pay more for their goods, well established fact but they also get charged more for/have less access to capital and capital instruments....but all that is for another thread.

Back to the point...the economy has to adjust (devalue) anyway so we should get scared by those saying support Tories or else....