Another unelected labour PM

Patience did you see the poll of LibDem members earlier where 97% supported NC in talking to the Tories first.

this can go three ways..

1)lib-lab deal - difficult as there are major policy clashes. also, only just a working majority - you could see even more horse trading over every vote than at the end of the Major govt

2)lib-con deal - difficult when it comes to major policy clashes again...reasonble enough majority though.

3)no deal - conservative minority govt - or possible re-run of elections...failing to strike a deal would make the Liberals very bad, as though they had put ideas above the practical good of the nation.

i liked what Lord Steel said about this - that whether you felt closer to lab or conservative as a Liberal MP depended which was the main competition for your seat.

We don't have minority government representation though.

There's nothing wrong with the conservatives. Maggie isn't running them any more

belle
I would have thought NC should be fully aware of which party's policies closest match his own.
It's becoming an absolute shambles.

er - but they would lose their first confidence vote/Queen's speach so would be in govt for about 4 weeks (until the next election).

patienceplease, no cheek from the peanut gallery

NC doesn't hold all the cards. The Tories could tell him to get lost and form a minority Govt without the LibDems.

TBH I think that even if NC is trying to do the right thing, He will struggle to convince everyone in his party that the tories would be acceptable. Round here (LD vs Con) the LDs are all really anti tory.
THe tory leaflets even said "vote yellow, get brown" obviously no that won;t be brown it'll be.......balls/milliband/harman (urgh)

Agreed Patience. And Fembear, NC';s position is that every vote should count so how could he not talk first to the Tories (As winner of most seats and largest share of the votes) without compromising that mainstay of LD principles?

ohbugger but the west lothian question does annoy quite a lot of english people. Why doesn't england get to decide on english laws??

NC is still in talks with the DC isn't he? It's only fair that he also talks to the Labour party although he did say that the party with the most steats should run the government, I took this to mean the Conservatives. It's irrelevant whether GB goes or not, it's an attention seeking gimic. NC holds all the cards, in any case he won't be the next prime minister, he appears to be an honerable gent and I suspect he's trying to find out which party has policies that are either like those of the lib dems or will adapt some of his policies. It's only fair that he enters into discussions with Labour, it doesn't mean anything though.

We're just going to have to wait and see.

What's it gonna take to get labour out of No 10 - dynamite?

I wonder if Lucas will join the coalition while the British state is still sending kids to kill kids in Afghanistan...

NC is making a right hash of this. He should have started negotiations with both parties from the start if he wanted to play them off against each other. Flip-flopping between them does look tartish and I don't believe that he has as much power as he would like to think.

It's a bit late to start negotiating with Labour now and I don't know why he is doing it. A LibLab alliance will not have enough votes: it will only work for a few months before collapsing in another General Election where both alliance parties will be unpopular and the Tories will get in.

I never understood NC's position of talking to the party with the most votes/seats. If he was principalled, he would talk to the party nearest to his in outlook & policy irrespective of how popular they were.

Cartoose you mean you wouldn't like that?

Portblackandrat:

'How the hell can the parties that came second and third be in power with an unelected PM (again) and a leadership contest going on at the same time and a tiny majority?????'

But out of England a Lib-Con coalition would be the parties that came third and last in power - how representative is that? The London-based media just can't seem to remember they're not the only lens to see these things through.

Must.Calm.Down.

"Maybe mandelson will somehow get the rules changed in his favour... and become PM..."

AAaaaaaagggghhhh!

lal GB was saying that the labour party would have an election for a new leader (which might mean new PM) not a general election.

Maybe mandelson will somehow get the rules changed in his favour... and become PM...!
A D-H again...??!!
Perhaps he'll stand in thirsk and Malton in the vain hope of winning there?
(disclaimer - I don't think this will actually happen)

From what GB was saying there would be an election (parliamentary) for a new leader and that he wasn't going to be supporting a particular candidate?

there and Doh!

Borrowing will cost us billions extra if there is a lib lab alliance, the markets clearly want a conservative influence.

Gilts just shanked as did sterling.

Well their certainly wasn't this much navel gazing about the need for "strong governments" in Thatcher's day grin]

I know, booboobedoo he doesn't have this much power surely