Lefties 7: Simples

[Ewe]

Hope this is ok, I was getting withdrawal symptoms!

aargh I've missed loads and no time to catch up yet

didn't even really hear the news properly this morning before work as dd1 was tantruming about socks

I take it there's nothing decided though yet?

morning all btw

on that note I'm going out

meerkats, shmeerkats, that's what i say

Thing is, and while I agree with John Dunn that democracy and capitalism are - in theory - incompatible, since capitalism demands inequality - it is also true that - in practice - the history of Western democracy from the 18thC onwards is one precisely linked to capitalism and the free markets. So, if we truly wish to be truly democratic, we need radically to rethink how we "do" democracy. So, sadly, the meerkats do have a place in contemporary Western democracy as it stands, whether we like that or not.

Agree meerkats and their worshippers acting like arses, Euro stuff MUCH more important that what is happening here (which is why Alistair Darling has been doing important stuff representing the UK interests in the Eurozone - don't see anybody complaining about that).

I'm actually pretty impressed with the conduct of the most of politicians so far - am I cynical to think that until the deal is done a semi truce has been called so that they all keep in the public's good books provide the public with the 'strong government' we 'deserve' but unfortunately failed to vote for.

Nick Robinson is interesting. I want to hear a bit more from the individuals involved - Blunkett was outspoken this morning, but I want some sense of how many Labour figures would have issues with Lib/Lab.

mme lindt I am following you

(am quesera_sarah btw)

Martha Kearney on Twitter (I've started to embrace this Twitter lark): Just back from Commons. More Lab Mps want party to admit defeat. 2 Lib Dem MPs want alliance with Cons. Cons furious at Lib Dem "duplicity"

Morning lovely lefties. Three things:

Blunkett and Reid and very anti-PR. Fair enough, but shut up right now or keep it within the Party: they are not doing the Party any good.

Increasingly worried about stability of the progressive alliance, much as I'd like it to work and think it is democratically fair enough. Keep telling myself Labour/Lib Dems must know more than we do about how it can and will work. They're not stupid enough to resign themselves to political obvilion just 'cos

My student fridge was much cooler than yours.

Ok 4th:
As I said before, I did try a progressive thread, even after hammening away on this one DURING the election. I wanted to see what others thought, but it didn't work. There are plenty of Tory or Tory-leaning LibDem discussions out there.

am nervous about liblab too for all the reasons people like penth have mentioned and fully understand why labour MPs might not want to put themselves through it!

labour would do better to form a good strong opposition. They'll have plenty to oppose I would have thought!

Yep, where is David M?
There's something afoot. Can someone please reassure me that they know what they're doing better than we do and are not about to ruin Labour for 20 years. Hate siding with Reid and Blunkett but ...

Arg, please noooooooooooooooooooo not a liblab coalition.

I think senior labourites are speaking out against PR in a shrewd attempt to scupper any coalition. They think that DavidM or Ed Balls or someone is going to sell labour's future down the river for the sake of 5 minutes of fame, and they are chipping away at the foundations of any deal as fast as they can.

(excuse mixed metaphors - rather over-wrought and DS2 is shrieking in my other ear)

well no, I think they don't want electoral reform either.

Oh I think I may have inadvertently made myself sound more interesting and clever than I am re aeroplanes . I actually work as a team on designing aeroplane wing manufacturing processes. Am not Howard Hughes.

I am increasingly nerbous about lib/lab coalition as YongVisiter says.

have you seen the "what percentage MPs privately educated" thread? It's quite interesting!

Paul Mason on the meerkats

OMG

Just been on the phone to my mum. She was talking about what to bring with her and said, "I think we have some chocolate left over from the Easter Egg cunt"

SCREAM

She was so shocked.

OK I think I am moving gently into the conmingovcamp

lab lib creative Opposition working to achive harmony on econimic policy and electoral reform...with nice open invite to other parties to join a converstaion & contribute

Q How do we get a referendum?
Referendum (in return for allowing Cons to get Queens speach passed plus imp business maybe?)

And Progressives of every stripe and hue need to give money & time so their chosen party/organisation can actually fight for a Yes in a referendum then fight an election given they are all stoney broke atm

Also re shopping I class sherry as a staple I'm more robust than Cambell on that position

Germany classes beer as a staple btw. Is taxed at the level of food stuff not at alcohol level.