Another unelected labour PM

[voteanythingbutBNPplease]

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

hmmm

MmeLindt speaks sense.

The markets factor (aside from being intensely undemocratic) is being much exaggerated because the majority of those who gamble make money in them want a Tory government and they want it now.

Pesky thing democracy huh when it gets in the way of making a good old capitalist buck.

Yes agree with that Minty

but it is also a part of a right wing agenda to try and make the Conservatives taking power urgent and inevitable -

whereas arguably, it is in everyone's interests for the negotiations to take place as patiently and sensibly as possible.

If they rush it, it will only come unstuck more quickly

There probably isn't any such thing as a happy Lib Con coalition though.

The only 'happy' thing would be a majority government, and we don't have one.

it is democratic though, as this is the result of a democratic vote

Yes of course what is going on at the moment is democracy. What is going on is possibly an historic moment in the development of the democratic process of Britain.

It would be a shame to rush it just because of ridiculously demanding markets, a frankly shamefully biased right wing press and the fact that the public find all this a bit tricky to get their heads round.

To attempt reduce this to the level of bickering and bartering is just silly and very unfair to the people who are trying very hard to come to a good compromise.

Democracy? The puppetmaster here is Mandelson. Brown had to parachute him in to fend off a coup (several in fact) and maintain his leadership of the party, and he has been the true power behind the throne ever since. He is now manoeuvering to stay in that position.

If he was a democratically elected MP it would be different, but he isn't.

Why would it be different Jeff?

As they have now done a deal with Tories, the prospect of unelected Priminster has now thankfully gone.

Because he would at least have some sort of a mandate from the electorate of this country.

I'm not saying it would be better mind you.

He is the most powerful in this country, and has been for some time, and yet he has not been democratcally elected to that position. I find that very scary...

I think there should be a goddamn riot. How is it these people are supposed to serve US yet they get to elect themselves Prime Minister and whatever else of this country WITHOUT our say so??
The fact is no one does anything anymore, we allowed this to happen.
Why do you think petrol prices have been able to rise so high? Why immigrants are treated far better than our troops?
Because we ALLOWED the government to get away with pocketing money for themselves and raising our taxes when they want a new house.
It's about time the British people stood up and did something about it.

Does anyone really vote in a general election based on who they would prefer as PM? I vote based on who i would rather have as my MP. I don't believe we actually elect a PM, that just happens to be the leader of whichever party gets the majority (under normal circs natch)

Yes, MsDav, but I would prefer it if the people who are making critical decisions over the running of this country had actually been elected by at least some voters somewhere, even if I disagreed with their choice.

You want a reform of the House of Lords, Jeff! Me too.

I'm not bothered by Mandelson though - it's not like he's just an advisor - because all parties have senior figures who either aren't MPs or else are in the Lords like Mandelson

Whoever said that this is not about policy making but about negotiating,what is it that you think they will be negotiating.apparently the conservatives have already conceded on the no tax below £10,000,which will cost £17bn s what else is being changed to allow this.Coalition means that policy commitments made in manifestos go out the window and it will all be hammered out in metaphorically smoke filled rooms.

i think Nick Clegg is trying to do things the "european way" but unfortunetely like Blair thinking that we could morph into the cafe society by relaxing licensing laws this is just not our way of doing things

I think everybody wants to be led by people who have been elected, that goes without saying.

However we have a problem here;

Nobody has been elected, no one party won the election under the terms of our current constitution - there is no getting round that.

Totally ahundred! It manages to combine all the negative things about a second chamber, and none of the positive.

You're probably right about Mandy, I suspect that like the Hydra, if you cut his head off 100 Mandys would spring up in his place . I just hate him so much though.

Have to sign off now...

We are beholden to the markets but that doesn't mean we have to run like headless chickens every time there is a market blip.

Yes, it's one of the factors we need to take into consideration but it's not the ONLY factor, or the most important one.

Anyway I've seen no real evidence that the markets are so desperately nervous and intolerant of uncertainty. They seem to deal just fine with the protracted negotiations in other countries. They coped with the prolonged uncertainty before the election where we've had months not knowing who would be in power at the end of it. Why is it suddenly the end of the world to have a week more trying to get a deal that will actually work, as oppose to one that will fall at the first hurdle?

Setting up a straw coalition that falls apart at the first hint of controversy would be the real disaster.

I think Clegg is being responsible in trying to ensure that any deal is a lasting and solid one.

Wise words theyoungvisiter.

I think Westminster is leaking a lib/lab alliance because Cable and ftse are dropping in front of my very eyes!

"As they have now done a deal with Tories, the prospect of unelected Priminster has now thankfully gone."

complimentary, do you know something we don't, yet?

It is not bickering and bartering though, Minty. It is careful and considered negotiations to find the party combination that will give the country the most stability for the foreseeable future.

As to the markets, they were quite happy to be saved by the public purse when things went awry (because of irresponsible behaviour by the banks) so should now hold their weesht (as my Granny used to say).

I am more and more convinced that we will be looking at a Tory government, with or without a coalition. Not what I wanted but seems to be the one solution that is most practical.

Mme Lindt It was not the markets that were saved by the public purse it was some banks!