Lefties 7: Simples

[Ewe]

Hope this is ok, I was getting withdrawal symptoms!

I am still getting quite confused. Should I really hope Lib/Lab are the ones who get the poison chalice of governing atm?

Or - does the need for them to be in charge now outweigh the risk of the longterm further loss in popularity?

Or presumably longterm may become much less of an issue, if electoral reform comes in through all this dealing, as it'll virtually ensure stronger chances for the Left in future.

It is difficult to decide rationally, when my baser instincts are just throughly enjoying GB wrongfooting everyone yesterday, setting this in motion.

Enjoying Paddy Ashdown going off to make the journos some tea.

Afternoon comradres

Gosh sorry to hear about DD SGM, sounds awful

'ooooh' to airplanes
LOL at prole's mum
DS2 reasonably chipper thanks, Beach

WIBU to start an AIBU thread: 'AIBU to think tthat the right-wing press displays megalomania, bitterness, control freakery, near-psychotic rage and an unearned sense of entitlement that makes Gordon Brown look like a rank amateur?' Did any of you hear Today's review of the papers today? One of them is calling Clegg 'Mme Fifi'

Here's my dilemma: if Clegg goes with Cons, bye-bye to best chance in 30 years of proper PR. If Clegg goes with Labour, we have a chance of proper PR, but probably at the cost of both parties. And we might still lose the referendum.

God I'm glad I'm not him.

Yes. I have simply no idea what is the best outcome any more. In fact I have given up having opinions altogether for the foreseeable.

I know this is going to sound naive (but I'm a leftie so please be gentle): can't we just have another General Election now?

Although I agree about the right wing press. And Nick Robinson.

Clegg does look like he's sleeping ok though. I think the rush of being man of the hour must have been helping to cheer him, but thats not going to be enough to help him now.

What do we do when this is over though? I shall mourn when the little bbc player goes silent for good, and I have to return to RL.

You can join me a cup of Paddy Ashdown tea Zephirine, I am willing to cheer and support strongly if i know what to cheer for, but tea seems the only option at the moment.

Agree with policywonk's analysis of the political situation (and also choice of AIBU thread title ).

good piece from Paul Mason.

[strokes meerkats placatingly]

Oh and isn't Paddy Ashdown nice - I have voted LibDem in the past and it was mostly because of him and David Steel.

You gotta love Paul Mason for quoting Marx . Will digest the rest of his defence of the meerkats later...

OMG - I was going to make a quip about being female so having no brain to consider any of the issues being aired here.

But just as I posted, the phone rang. It was someone from the company that administers my company pension, so I said I probably wasn't the best person to talk to about it - meaning that they need to talk to our finance/admin person who deals with it - and he said to me "oh, does your husband deal with all your pension details then?"!!!

I did, you will be proud to know, take him to task for it though, and he was deeply embarrassed. I told him what a dreadful thing that was to say, and that we are in 2010 not in 1950.

Outrageous.

I just feel very negative about it all

Lib/Lab deal: the press will hate it, there will be one hell of a backlash, accusations of neglecting the economy to pursue (selfish) electoral reform, the partnership breaks down under the pressure, election, Tories romp home.

Lib/Con deal: shuffles on for a while, LIbs break away eventually, tory press say Lib selfish for electoral reform, public sick to death of electoral reform, another election called, Tories romp home

Cons minority rule: argument about electoral reform goes on, tory press stick it to lab/Libs and say they are unravelling, election called, tories romp home.

I am sorry to be such a miserable old Jeremiah, but the media has such a heinous influence I cannot see a positive outcome in any of this.

'Kinell, BIWI: that is dinosauric (is that a word?)

Name and shame them I say...

That is shocking BIWI. Well done for taking him to task.

Perhaps this is where you end up in an age of WAGS, Leaders' Wives and Domestic Goddesses.

My beef is not with the meerkats, nor with taking their vacillations into account.

It's the fact that they are trotted out as a knee-jerk excuse every time the rw doesn't like something.

For eg, rather than standing up and saying "WE, the Tories, don't want PR because it will be shit for us and we probably won't get a clear majority again" instead it's "but think of the poor darling meerkats, it's not us you know, we feel terribly sorry for all the disenfranchised lib demmers out there. And we'd love to help you - we really would - but the meerkats wouldn't like it".

I do honestly think that the markets are important and need to be taken into account - but in a sensible and nuanced way, as part of the bigger picture.

Yes, Apple, was just thinking the same. Conmingov, let them screw up, no support in the House, party faithful despise Cameron for failing to deliver; Labour stays untainted by shenanigans, regroups, offers strong alternative to electorate.

If LibLab do come to an agreement, an agreement to form an opposition might look more noble than scrabbling for power?

God, sorry, missed a page again. Apple was way back!

yy TYV, I've not seen any r-winger just say 'You know what, PR will put paid to our chances of ever formimg a majority gvt again, therefore it's off the table'. Why can't they just be straight about it?

Feel as though I'm going slightly nuts now. Keep turning the radio on, hearing someone ask someone else 'But wouldn't a LibLab deal be very unstable?' and turning it back off. Wish there was some sort of massive national klaxxon that would just sound when something gets decided.

I read Conmingov as Con-ming-gov, which does not make it easier to accept it.

BIWI
Oh, dear. Hope you left his ears ringing.

Am also feeling pretty negative today.

Really don't think LibLab government is the beast way forward.

Boss being an arse today so not much scope for MNing.