Lefties 7: Simples

I dunno, I think Clegg was in a pretty hopeless position. When the mere fact of speaking to both sides has people calling you a 'whore' you're on a hiding to nothing really. Had he won 20 more seats his position would have been so much stronger - I think he hasn't done badly with what he had.

Still not ironing.

Have turned it on though.

The Conservative press office staff are putting ties on.

Just thinking ahead. Anyone agree or disagree that what may come out of all this that the Lib Dems split and half go to Labour and half go to Conservative.

It would surely make a lot of political sense in an AV system?

Love it when you hear protesters barracking on College Green. I'm currently reading Hilary Mantel's novel about the French revolution and I keep imagining them sweeping all the Tories off to the guillotine in handcarts. That'd sort it.

Have no access to a tv or radio. bbc web too slow.

Tell me. Will I be hiding under the duvet tonight and avoiding meeja outlets all day tomorrow?

MmeL going to do the ironing really works doesn't it?

Also wonk, I agree with you. Labour needs time to regroup and though I think a LibLab pact is perfectly constitutionally ok, I don't think it would work well. It's too risky. Look at how many Labourites are coming out against any electoral reform: in parliament, it would be a disaster and the Tories would be so smug as they watched it fall apart. On the other hand, Cameron is a poor situation: he did not win the election, he's going to be forced to take on cabinet ministers from the Lib Dems and the right wing of his own Party whom he won't like and he's going to have his nom-dom and media backers breathing down his neck and blaming him and Gideon for getting both the election campaign ad these negotiations so wrong.

In the background, Labour prepares for a return while the public gets a dose of Thatcherite politics.

The real losers are the LDs. NC has been hoeless, especially in this scret deal doing. It makes him look shifty and unserious. Silly man

Wee Dougie A was saying earlier on that he couldn't see any way Lab would go in with the SNP (but then his sister came off worse in a confrontation with the SNP didn't she? Bad blood?)

Thanks PW!

I've not been contributing to threads much since Friday when I was sat at home swigging red wine and pretending to do some work. Not much has changed (apart from no wine in the workplace...)

I love elections! (Apart from the cost naturally) and perhaps 1992...

But perhaps not every week.

I do hope some good comes out of all this.

But talks still ongoing between LibDems and Tories - so I suppose it's not all finalised yet.

Scottish Labour MPs were against an alliance with SMP. Apparently that was one of the main reasons the 'rainbow alliance' idea was not able to move forward last night.

Looks like the game is up. Labour have accepted the negotiation with Lib Dems is over. Members of the Labour party think it is a good idea to go into opposition.

I suspect the basis of a Lib-Con agreement wil be announced tonight and Cameron goes to the palace tomorrow.

Hague being Mr Smuggysmug of Smugsville

Is it just coincidence that the two Labour guys who are against PR are Scottish?

Who is this Donohue guy?

Apparently they're preparing for a Hameron speech.

I just want it done now.

Then i can have a think.

Then you lot can tell me I will decide what I make of it all, and celebrate or rend clothes, accordingly.

Thanks wonk, but I've been here for ages

Welcome jenny

I dunno. I don't think this is too awful, all things considered. Labour will do well out of this in the medium term I think. LibDems (and therefore PR) - will depend on how far they manage to temper Tory policies. If they perform well, they will be making a good argument for coalition gvt, and therefore PR.

I dunno whether the Tories would risk calling another election v quickly - there's a risk the electorate would punish them for it (most people don't like elections as much as we do )

its so funny on rolling news channels when they have no news and are waiting, analysing body language, luggage and the like. no wonder Boulton lost it really, the minutae of days and days......

Does anyone feel like crying? (re BBC breaking news updates)

Fucking tory crowing bastards and bloody pointless lib dems.

Ok, going to do the ironing to West Wing.

Last time I did that, the PM resigned.

Hello fellow lefties! Been lurking for a while now and trying to do some work, but am competely glued to BBC news 24 (and Mumsnet of course...)

Arrggghhhh - not sure how I feel about all this but it's been better than watching a soap opera, that's for sure!

I'm hoping that the Lib/Con thing fails, Labour regroup and come back stronger and we have a new election in a few months.

I thought AV was just as crappy as FPTP?

Worst possible scenario is a lib/con coalition for me. The tories will seem to have enough clout to do whatever they want and the campaign for PR lost for God knows how long.