UK Politics VI

[VarysTheSpider]

Tories are right to be anxious IMO. If true that the Lib Dems met a Labour negotiating team over the weekend without informing the Tories then it's a serious breach of trust, and what the country needs now is a stable govt that can a grip on the deficit, not an unstable one more concerned with pissing about with electoral reform and a PM without a mandate - again.

[MinDonner]

Pfft. With 650 MPs, surely they can find the time to fix the economy AND piss about with electoral reform at the same time? What do we pay them for, exactly?

My favourite bit about all this is the random comments being made by backbenchers and other non-crucial politicians, all variously trying to undermine the deals being made by the top brass. Everyone's gotta have their say :lol:

[VarysTheSpider]

Pfft. With 650 MPs, surely they can find the time to fix the economy AND piss about with electoral reform at the same time?

At this rate, I wonder if they can do either before a second election. (Actually, for all the hot air in the commentariat, I think they will get some deal done. But I think there is a lot of frustration about electoral reform when it's not a pressing concern and the election gave no clear mandate for it.)

My favourite bit about all this is the random comments being made by backbenchers and other non-crucial politicians, all variously trying to undermine the deals being made by the top brass.

Gotta fill the news void with somethin'. And why is Alistair Campbell everywhere again? Go away, please.

[Usotsuki]

Tories are right to be anxious IMO. If true that the Lib Dems met a Labour negotiating team over the weekend without informing the Tories then it's a serious breach of trust, and what the country needs now is a stable govt that can a grip on the deficit, not an unstable one more concerned with pissing about with electoral reform and a PM without a mandate - again.

Making the Tories anxious is surely one of the primary aims of the Liberal Democrat leadership.

Endless repetition of the argument that the Tories possess a "moral right" to form (rather than seek to form) the government was a clear attempt to constrain the choices of the Liberal Democrat negotiators. Loosening those constraints by creating even the brief appearance of a credible alternative is hardly Borgia level politicking - if the Tories were surprised by this they're in for a series of horrible shocks if they do form a government.

And on a side note, there is no consensus as to what the country needs - if there had been there'd be a single party with 649 seats in parliament presided over by a slightly more confused than normal John Bercow. I rather like pissing about with electoral reform, if I'm going to have to endure a Brokeback moment with the Conservatives I want rather more than a plate of beans and some carelessly applied spit.

Aoife, nice name :cheers:

[MinDonner]

... if I'm going to have to endure a Brokeback moment with the Conservatives I want rather more than a plate of beans and some carelessly applied spit.

!!!! My goodness! The mental images! Don't make me trot out that Edwina Currie quote again... :leaving:

:lmao:

[Lummel]

!!!! My goodness! The mental images! Don't make me trot out that Edwina Currie quote again... :leaving:

:lmao:

The horror, the horror!

It's too late, I'm already imagining John Major and Edwina Curry together. Well that's my afternoon spoiled.

[Usotsuki]

!!!! My goodness! The mental images! Don't make me trot out that Edwina Currie quote again... :leaving:

:lol:

Does this mean I should save my George Bush/Jacques Chirac shipper link for another time?

[Lummel]

If true that the Lib Dems met a Labour negotiating team over the weekend without informing the Tories then it's a serious breach of trust, and what the country needs now is a stable govt that can a grip on the deficit,

It would only be a serious breach of trust if the Lib Dems had said that they would be having exclusive discussions with the Conservatives. As it stands if they are keeping the makings of a deal with Labour simmering on the back burner then surely we are closer to getting that stable government if the Tory - Lib Dem talks break down.

Are you sure that the Conservatives aren't also talking with the DUP?

[MinDonner]

Labour are pulling out of the race...

BREAKING NEWS

Number 10 recognises that talks with the Lib Dems have not and will reach not any positive conclusion, and they are now discussing the method of declaring that their side of the negotiation is over

(BBC News)

Edit: And you can see Gordon Brown moving all his stuff out of No 10 in the background, too :lol:

[VarysTheSpider]

Making the Tories anxious is surely one of the primary aims of the Liberal Democrat leadership.

Then I wouldn't be at all surprised that some Tories were venting about the dangers of hung like horses parliaments and PR. It takes two to form a coalition.

Also, the Lib Dems constrained themselves from the outset of the campaign when they said that the party with the "clear mandate" or whatever would get first go at forming a government. They didn't have to say that, could have said "we will enter into negotiations with whatever party is committed to fixing Britain's broken electoral system" but didn't - they bought into the same "winner/loser" dynamic the Tories are selling weeks ago.

It would only be a serious breach of trust if the Lib Dems had said that they would be having exclusive discussions with the Conservatives.

Clegg said pretty much that Friday morning.

[Night Watchman]

Why did Limbet have to lose his seat? :(

[Werthead]

Curious that these Tories weren't talking about coalitions of the losers and Mugabe-style politics when they were putting together their own 'coalition of the losers' to take control of the Welsh Assembly a few years back ;) Personally I think the Tories (and Mandelson for that matter) just like to think they have the exclusive rights to ruthless decision-making and get pissed off at being outplayed by the Liberal Democrats (not usually known for their political ruthlessness).

Clegg said pretty much that Friday morning.

I don't recall that. He said he'd be carrying out talks with the Tories first as he had said during the campaign, but didn't rule out talking to Labour. With the Tory discussions becoming problematic, he started talking to Labour the following day. Given the fact that this needs to be sorted out 'fast', that seems a reasonable timescale.

Clegg also had the problem - and still has - that enormous numbers of LibDem supporters have major problems with this idea of a LibDem-Tory pact and can't see it surviving too long, which is something I can see being hugely problematic as well. Some sort of deal to get the Queen's Speech through and the budget, and then after that a Tory minority government doing things on a case-by-case basis is probably going to be a more likely outcome, especially since the LibDems are well aware of the Bank of England warning that the party or parties in this government will be unelectable for a generation afterwards.

[Usotsuki]

Also, the Lib Dems constrained themselves from the outset of the campaign when they said that the party with the "clear mandate" or whatever would get first go at forming a government.

Fairly weak constraint. The Clegg formula was after all "the right to seek to form a government", a single meeting suffices. If at that encounter the Conservatives fail to immediately satisfy Liberal Democrats then in the absence of a specific commitment to monogamy Nick Clegg is free to seek fulfilment elsewhere - though in the sure and certain knowledge that such dangerous promiscuity would outrage the delicate sensibilities of the Daily Mail.

*puts on hat, fetches shotgun and prepares for government*

[Anya, Vengeance Demon]

At this rate, I wonder if they can do either before a second election. (Actually, for all the hot air in the commentariat, I think they will get some deal done. But I think there is a lot of frustration about electoral reform when it's not a pressing concern and the election gave no clear mandate for it.)

What would constitute a clear mandate for electoral reform, then?

[Hereward]

Put me out of my misery, please. Someone get the boltcutters, prise Gordon off the Cabinet table and wheel him out of Downing St like Hannibal Lector so I can get on with my fucking life.

[Werthead]

Put me out of my misery, please. Someone get the boltcutters, prise Gordon off the Cabinet table and wheel him out of Downing St like Hannibal Lector so I can get on with my fucking life.

According to the BBC, Mandy has arrived at Downing Street to be with Gordon 'at the end'. From this I can assume that your wish will be answered in the near future ;)

[Hereward]

According to the BBC, Mandy has arrived at Downing Street to be with Gordon 'at the end'. From this I can assume that your wish will be answered in the near future ;)

God, Mandy is one twisted, sadistic bastard. I like that!

[Blue Roses]

Ding Dong the Witch is dead, which o witch, the wicked witch, ding dong the wicked witch is dead......

Do we get that sunrise the Labour party promised us :P

[Blue Roses]

Pity the conservatives aren't called the Advance Party as we could then have an Ad Lib party.

[Alcibiades]

Gaha. I wonder how the Guardian feels now, having endorsed the lib dems. I really hope the Con-LibDem alliance, if it indeed comes through, mandates NO snap election.