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Politics
Original poster

so, why is a con-lib thing so bad??

60 replies

thisisyesterday · 09/05/2010 21:32

i voted lib dem, but in all honesty politics is not my strong point, though i am making an effort!!

now, i've heard a lot of people saying they'll never vote LD again if they go in with the tories, which just seems strange to me

I mean, I voted hoping that LD would win more seats and have more influence. I never thought they would win, and I can't believe other people did either.....

so surely it was always going to end with either a lab/con govt but just more seats for the libs? OR, a coalition of some kind

so.... why is a lib/con team worse than a lib/lab team?
the way I see it if you end with a coalition it's always going to be with a party you don't agree with surely?
and it's better to have a con/lib govt than a purely con govt because that way hopefully the lib dems can have MORE influence over things... hence all the talks

a friend of mine said something along the lines of "they're siding with the tories just so that they can get into power..." well duh! isn't that the aim of any political party? to get into power? and by making a good deal with another party and being able to influence things more than you would otherwise, why is that so bad??

OP posts:
MollieO · 09/05/2010 21:54

It will be until it all implodes. I doubt this government, whatever form it takes, will last more than a year.

gaelicsheep · 09/05/2010 21:53

I see no similarity between the Labout and Lib Dem parties. Their cultures are poles apart. As were their view on electoral reform until GB suddenly realised he might have to move out of Downing Street. I see much more potential for agreement between the Lib Dems and moderate Conservatives. Plus, the thought of Labour being a progressive party is laughable.

Original poster
thisisyesterday · 09/05/2010 21:50

if they do form a coalition, will that be it until the next general election? or will there still be one sooner?

OP posts:
thetoriesaretoast · 09/05/2010 21:50

There is no easy solution - it's an impossible situation and I shouldn't think Clegg's getting much sleep. It looks as if Labour will agree to a referendum on electoral reform, and then we decide effectively. But electoral reform isn't the happy-ever-after - the kind if situation we're seeing now will probably become more common after reform, not less.

MollieO · 09/05/2010 21:48

Historically Lib Dem and Labour have been linked. Labour after all came out of the Liberal party.

If Clegg forms a coalition with Cameron that does not include a referendum for electoral reform he will have sold out the most fundamental Lib Dem policy for three seats in Cameron's cabinet. He will lose a lot of Lib Dem support doing that.

Original poster
thisisyesterday · 09/05/2010 21:46

hmm ok, i do get the political reform thing, am hoping clegg will be able to get them to agree to that... but if not what would be a better solution then among the options?

another election immediately?
a labour/lib dem coalition (would that result in electoral reform?)
soemthing else???

OP posts:
thetoriesaretoast · 09/05/2010 21:44

Most LibDem policies are closer to Labour's than to the Tories, so if they side with the Tories it is more likely to amount to a betrayal of their membership. Labour and LibDem are both centre-left progressive parties, while the Tories are undeniably on the right. If you think back 150 years, it was a two-party system of Libs and Tories - they are traditional enemies.

BecauseIAgreeWithGordon · 09/05/2010 21:44

Eh? Who is going on about the working class and the rich?

The problem with a Con-Lib coalition is that one of the central planks of the LibDem manifesto is electoral reform. And the Conservatives don't want this. It's been part of the LidDem 'philosophy' for years and years and years.

So if Nick Clegg gets into bed with the Tories, without a commitment to electoral reform, then he is simply prostituting himself. Going for power at any cost, in other words.

But worse, the suspicion is that Dave is only promising a sniff at electoral reform. He's promised a committee to review it.

That's why so many LibDems are really angry about the prospect of a ConLib coalition - one of their main 'planks' could be seriously compromised in the name of government.

kikid · 09/05/2010 21:39

Not bad imo, i voted conservative for a change of government!

Ripeberry · 09/05/2010 21:37

Fed up of all this reverse snobery. Why are people still going on about the working class and the 'rich'.
We are ALL richer than in the 1980s. That was the past, lets get on with the future and if that means LIB-Con, then so be it.