Another unelected labour PM

[voteanythingbutBNPplease]

Gordon brown resigns.
So if LIb dems do deal with labour - ANOTHER unelected PM.

hmmm

I agree policy ... none of the parties is actually set up for PR at present. Even the triple lock for the Lib Dem's is problematic and they're the ones most suited to a change to PR ...

Hmm, good point re the triple lock. But I suppose it's a feature of the FPTP system too, isn't it?

Is it true that it was brought in to stop a LibLab coalition? Hang on, quick wiki reference here Yes, was to prevent Paddy Ashdown ( I LOVE HIM!) getting into bed with ole' Tony.

which is exactly the sort of thing you need to be able to do under PR (OR a hung parliament!)

I guess we don't have a presidential system...if the Tories or anyone else wants that system then maybe they should throw it into the pot for discussion with the LDs?

Was John Major an elected PM?

Agreed TDiddy. No PM is ever selected by the electorate.

Was John Major an elected PM?

not at first, though he was elected when it came to it. His party at least had a vote on it...

If this unholy alliance between Labour and the Lib Dems goes ahead I truly hope there will be riots on the streets in England. Yes, other parts of the UK inexplicably still lean towards Labour, but they have devolved power to a greater or lesser degree. England is stuck with the UK Parliament determining all its affairs.

A Lab/Lib Dem coalition would make the whole West Lothian question blow up like never before. Not only would the country as a whole have a Labour government back in power that was supposedly well and truly kicked out by the electorate, but England would have policies imposed on it by solely by the votes of Scottish, Welsh and Irish MPs! Not to mention that England would also be bearing the brunt of all the cuts over the next few years whilst the nationalist parties hold the Govt to ransom. It's a recipe for the dissolution of the whole Union if you ask me.

Maybe DC should pursue a ConLab coalition to play GB off against NC

minthumbug

that pretty much sums it up. though possibly if our parties were used to horse trading, this wouldn't be going like that...

well Labour are politically closer to the Tories in recent time

Any smart strategist would leave this one alone and let the otherside have a go. Only snitch for the conservatives is the PR thing that is hatching. How best for them to stop it?

Gawd, TDiddy, horrible as that thought is I'm almost tempted to hope they try it just to see how it works. Can you imagine, say, George Osborne having to job share with Harriet Harman?

Comment from DH last night, and as a German he is used to coalitions - it is the norm: They are being pushed too hard by the press and the public to reach a deal. Coalition talks can take weeks, it is not unusual for this to happen.

The German big coalition with CSU/SPD (conservative/labour) talks took 2 weeks and these are parties who are used to these talks.

There have been more unelected Conservative PMs than Labour. This is how democracy and our crap voting system works . The LibDems got nearly a quarter of votes which were worthjust 57 seats yet Labour on only 5% more have 257.

Not enough people like David Cameron. And judging by the hysterics of the Tory press I'd say there would be big discontent in his own party. If he cannot pull off this deal with NC then my prediction is that we'll also be seeing a new Tory leader too.

MmeLindt - but traditionally, the Germans talk a lot, to decide things! Everybody has to have their say. The British are used to just being told by their masters how things are going to be.

I really hope the Lab/Lib coalition goes through. Then we can have another election before the end of the year and witness a Tory landslide .

I'm surprised that Labour are so keen to cling on to power - Mervyn King said some months ago that whoever gets in at this election will be out of power for a generation as the cuts that need to be made will be so unpopular.

Yes, but if we have a Lib/Lab pact, then the Tories wont change their leader, so we wont vote for them next time either

In all seriousness, my main concern is that the Lab/Kib coalition is actually going yo have to be the Lab/Lib/SNP/SDLP/UDP etc coalition. Each of these parties will want something in exchange for their support and with the Scottish and Welsh nationalists already stating that they will be asking for protection from major cuts I just can't see how it can work.

Do they really think the UK population will be prepared to sit back and let England see the bulk of the cuts whilst Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are protected from the worst of it?

I think Clegg is just flirting with Labour to get more commitment to PR out of the Tories. Remember that their first offer was a "review" ha ha ha the Liberals fell for that one in the 1970s.

Agree, a Lib/Lab govt would be significantly less credible than a Lib/Tory one. But either would be worth it, to get PR.