To think that Gordon Brown is a fucking megalomaniac who should be removed from No10 for his and our safety?

[Rosieeo]

The man must be on the edge: "OK, you've voted against me/my party in your thousands, but guess what? I don't care and will cling on to my bit of power for dear life because I am Gordon and I must be right."

I've never been so annoyed by politics in my life.

I know it might come to nothing anyway, but the bloody cheek of it all!

That should read keep a certain candidate out.

no i don't agree at all

rosieo you are mad

Had to laugh at this:

'The Sun is really not terribly impressed by the turn of events as the UK deals with a hung Parliament. It's front page headline is "Squatter holed up in No 10" over a picture of Prime Minister Gordon Brown. "Man, 59 refuses to leave house in Downing Street" is the paper's take on Mr Brown's decision to use his constitutional right to stay on as PM.'

Please don't assume I'm a Sun reader; I'm not, this was on the BBC.

Posy, it's been said before and I'm sure it will be said again

I agree he is bananas. Blair would not have behaved this way. GB would sell his soul to keep power, and probably did so long ago. He has no integrity, is not a statesman and acts in his own interests and not in the interests of this country. I can't think of a modern politician, of any persuasion, who is so odious and devoid of anything positive. Increasingly he is looking more and more ridiculous.

He is doing what the Cabinet Secretary (not a party appointee, a high-ranking civil servant) and every constitutional expert in the country is telling him to do. It's not megalomania, it's the constitution.

Blair would have done the same thing
Cameron would have done the same thing
Orville the freaking Duck would have done the same thing

But it is the way that he has and continues to conduct himself that is megalomania. And, since when has GB taken advice, he does what he decides to do.

You don't like him - fair enough; you think he's a control freak - lots of evidence to back that up. But using this particular situation as evidence of megalomania is just wrong-headed. He has no choice about what to do. He can't go to the queen and offer his resignation until he can confidently advise her that someone else will be able to form a workable government, and at the moment he can't give her that assurance.

it is not staying in no10 agree he has to do this constitutionally, it is the posturing last night and today that is delusional. and unhelpful to the country at this particularly difficult time.

He tried to set the cat amongst the pigeons today with his lib dem offer. We are in a weakened position, obviously, the party with the stronger mandate is best placed to form the stronger gov-t. We need a strong gov-t with a real mandate not a crazy willing to hang onto power at any cost including the stability of the country.

Oh, it's just political positioning. If you don't think Prime Minister Cameron will do exactly the same thing in spades, you're deluding yourself. They're politicians, it's what they do.

ANd actually, more than that, as the sitting PM with the constitutional right to attempt to form a workable majority, it was a perfectly costitutionally correct thing to do.

Disagree. Most people would see the writing on the wall, conduct themselves appropriately.

Just because Tories would like Brown to throw himself under a bus, that doesn't mean it's in any way appropriate. The writing on the wall only became apparent when Clegg made his statement, which was after Brown had made his approach.

No, Mint, there's no clear winner. Again, I understand why Tories would like this not to be so, but it is the truth of the matter. And the constitution is what it is - subjective interpretations of morality have absolutely nothing to do with it. Rather surprised to hear COnservatives making that argument, actually.

'Power hungry' - to use this campaign's baleful catchphrase, get real. We are talking about three men who want to run the country. Power hungry is a given - for all of them.

OMG Kafka9 can't you see that he is doing exactly what you think he should? Instead of insisting on attempting to form a workable government himself first (as is his constitutional right as the incumbent PM) he is respecting the fact that the Tories gained the largest share if the vote and is sitting back while DC and NC try to come to a stable agreement?

Are you Balls or Campbell? Even Mandelson has stopped spouting the nonsense, Blair has gone to ground he has too much sense to support this..... It is indefensible trouble making and posturing, unhelpful for the country and the usual dogged behaviour from GB - who has survived countless coups and scandals becuase of his powercentric personality. He is obssessive and bloody minded - I concede that!

Oh gawd the labour scrum are descending - I am off the thread I want to watch newsnight

no scrum here, we are trying to explain why your perception is incorrect

OOh that's a new one, usually I'm accused of being Polly Toynbee

It's the law of the land. You can like it or not like it, but it's not remotely inappropriate, unreasonable, trouble-making or anything else. It is merely incovenient for jittery Tories. You'll get your Cameron administration, don't worry.