Lib Dem + Anyone = Better than Tories + Welsh/Scots/Northerners

[mrsbean78]

On the grounds that the politics of the smaller nations will inevitably be local, forcing Englanders to bear the brunt of national issues e.g. the deficit.

Lib Dem at least have national policies.

Discuss.

When did the north become a separate nation to the south?

Sorry! I'm Irish.. so I mean Northern Ireland! Living in Leeds and loving it..

don't understand. you think the tories might form a coalition with scotland?

Bear with me. I didn't really sleep at all..
Ironic that I have a 5 month old who feeds three times a night but rarely feel sleep deprived but Westminster politics exhausts me

Just a thought I had that if a coalition has to be formed it would be better not to include politicians who are likely to have a local/provincial agenda e.g. Plaid Cymru/SNP.

I say this on the basis that coalitions are very common in Ireland (ROI) and sometimes they have been the second/third parties (e.g. parties in the situation Labour/Lib dem are in), whereas sometimes they are a minority government allied with a few independents. From my understanding, when a few independents are the 'kingmakers', they tend to exact a great deal for their own platform whereas in the 2nd/3rd party situation, the 3rd party is just so pleased to be in power that they are happy for one 'power position' and a few MPs to be be shuffled off to minor cabinet positions and life continues apace...

I don't have examples in my sleep deprived state, so hope this makes sense.

You could get a Tory/DUP coalition if its tight enough.

Precisely.

Feel I should qualify that by saying my concern with the DUP would relate to the conservatism of their politics as much as their philosophy re: NI

Scottish and Welsh nationalist parties won't get into bed with Tories though. They are much more likely to go with lib/lab.

The Tories can only look to the DUP.

Agree with Pilgrim. Tories can only go with DUP or lib dems. It looks like Labour would have to form a full on agreement with SNP/PC and the LDs to form a government now which I think would be less than ideal.

So a Lib Dem/Conservative government would be better then. Is that possible with the numbers? I suppose I pose the question because I wonder what the feeling would be about this. Would this work?

Lib/Con should work on numbers, but they are not natural political bedfellows. Electoral reform isn't in the tories interest, for one thing. Unfortunately that may be a deal breaker - unfortunate because what we need is a functioning government who can start the changes urgently needed to keep the economy from going Greek

Overall majority is control of more than around 325 seats. C + LD now = 341 so overall majority. Lab+ LD = 298. There are still a few seats to declare but looking as though Lab+LD won't be able to form a govt without help from the other parties giving a huge amount of power and therefore promises of extra money to PC/ SNP

That's my (elementary) understanding of it. This is my first UK general election..

What I don't understand is why people say: 'labour/lib dem would be a coalition of the losers' and assume the current predicted result suggests that DC should be PM? Surely Lab/Lib Dem together have a greater share of the vote? I don't understand why it's seen as a 'stitch up' if Lab manages to work out a majority? Bearing in mind that I don't have a strong party political alliance, from the POV of the maths it seems to me that DC hasn't a mandate with the current electoral system.

Sorry azazello, x post

Right..
Just heard suggested that a better option would be Conservative minority government with others forming strong opposition. This seems unworkable/likely to cause even greater instability

con/lib may work at least in teh short term. There is nough they can agree on to provide stable governement in the interim - emergency budget might be possible, environmental issues and possibly some other issues.

I cannot beleive that Nick Clegg (baed on what he said publically) will support Gordn Brown to stay in power when he hasn't either a clear majority of the vote nor has he the largest number of seats.

Unless he's going to renege on what he said

Kewcumber I can't really remember what he said but have a feeling that he was careful to say that he wouldn't cosy up with Lab if they came third in the popular vote. Room for backtrack, there. Anyone able to clarify on this?

"DC hasn't a mandate with the current electoral system" - NO_ONE has a mandate.

You cannot add the votes together and say they have a mandate as if we have PR when we don't have PR. Peoples voting patterns change when countries have first past the post vs PR.

People may have voted labour or Lib dem in order to keep Con out of a marginal seat (for example)

I expect if there is a lib/lab deal that the government will collapse very quickly unless they can get the majority of the minor parties on board too as they will oly have together a majority of 7 over the conservatives.

If the SNP get in to bed with the Tories I will never, ever vote for them again and I suspect that goes for a lot of people in Scotland. It would be political suicide for them in terms of the Scottish Parliament.

Totally different political landscape from the 70s when they were the "tartan Tories" and propped up Heath.

The Ulster Unionists are writing out their shopping list this morning though I suspect.

That was my point Kewcumber re: DC, really. I do understand your point about PR but am hearing Cons spokespeople acting as if Cons have a mandate that they don't. I think the nation has voted (whether intentionally or not) as if PR was the sustem.

I wonder if lib dem would agree on a lib/lab coalition in order to push the electoral reform issue.

lib/lab coalition would almost certianly not be strong enough to push something as major as electoral reform through.

Of course Cons spokesperson is saying they have a mandate (they know damn well they don't) they are hoping to form a governemtn - they're not going to publically say that don't think they have a mandate to do so!!

Nick Clegg has now publically said that the party with th elargest number of seats (ie cons) should be given th efirst opportunity to try to form a government.

I vote for Tory/Lib dem coalition with Vince cable as chancellor!

I vote for Tory/Lib dem coalition with Vince cable as chancellor!

Nice thought... probably won't be on offer but certainly some Treasury position.