General Election 2010

[nickthejag]

I find the people coming out bitching about Clegg talking to both parties a bit short sighted. He's playing everything out in the open, while also ensuring the best possible solution for the Lib Dems, himself, and in his view, the country. I believe they will only do a deal with the Conservatives, but by showing they have alternatives, they will get far more input to the cabinet - something which is valid if you view the number of votes cast and not the number of seats.

[briogadh]

I find the people coming out bitching about Clegg talking to both parties a bit short sighted. He's playing everything out in the open, while also ensuring the best possible solution for the Lib Dems, himself, and in his view, the country. I believe they will only do a deal with the Conservatives, but by showing they have alternatives, they will get far more input to the cabinet - something which is valid if you view the number of votes cast and not the number of seats.

 

Absolutely spot on . I'm not a lib Dem supporter and have voted labour, but have to admit that he is showing himself to be a very shrewd operator. The really important thing is to secure a little stability and avoid having them all having to go to the country again in the very near future. Therefore a Tory/Lib Dem coalition or arrangement seems to me the best that can be hoped for at this time. Labour will live to fight again. Incidentally, despite allthe ludicrous bad mouthing from the Daily Mail and other extreme right wing organs I think Brown has acted very honourably throughout and does not deserve all the vitriol being trhrown at him.

[Jaggernaut]

I actually think that the Lib Dems are on a hiding to nothing here. Whoever forms the next government will be extremely unpopular, as we all know that serious cuts in public expenditure are on the way, probably along with many people getting thrown into unemployment. The Lib Dems are unlikely to get their single most important electoral goal, which is proportional representation (did I read that Cameron had vaguely offered Clegg a referendum at some point in the future on some form, watered down, of PR?). So if they sell out by forming a coalition with either the cons or the labs for less than they want, just for a minor taste of power, they'll get a good part of the blame when the entire thing goes tits up (as looks certain). In fact, it could result in an even greater polarization of the voting system between the gruesome twosome.

 

But hopefully by then Scotland will be independent.

[The Devil's Point]

According to the BBC Brown's possessions are being loaded into Landrovers round the back of Number 10 right now.

 

It sounds like the Lib Dem-Conservative coalition is back on. However, whether the Lib Dem MP's will agree to it in sufficient numbers might be one major obstacle yet (three quarters need to agree for it to go through straight away). This may be tricky, particularly since 11 out of 59 have Scottish constituences.

 

Sounds almost certain now that, one way or another, Cameron will be PM by tomorrow.

Edited May 11, 2010 by The Devil's Point

[Tam]

Daily Record propaganda with absolutely no basis in fact...

Time will show that you are wrong.

A Con/LibDem pact will be the new order and the working classes will be crushed and battered again !

[jaggybunnet]

According to the BBC Brown's possessions are being loaded into Landrovers round the back of Number 10 right now.

 

Sounds almost certain now that, one way or another, Cameron will be PM by tomorrow.

 

 

about bloody time as well.

[Lionel J. Botch]

How many seats do you think the Lib Dems will get in Scotland at the next election now?

[The Big Man]

How many seats do you think the Lib Dems will get in Scotland at the next election now?

 

Does it matter ? You could place anyone up for election in Scotland but the dumdums just vote labour anyway !

[Lionel J. Botch]

Does it matter ? You could place anyone up for election in Scotland but the dumdums just vote labour anyway !

 

Well they won 11 this time around - very low figures next time I'd bet.

 

Oh and bytheway Big Man - thats democracy. If the people choose to vote Labour then so be it.

[The Big Man]

Well they won 11 this time around - very low figures next time I'd bet.

 

Oh and bytheway Big Man - thats democracy. If the people choose to vote Labour then so be it.

 

Im all for democracy but it would be good if people voted correct rather than,

 

 

a. protest votes to keep abcd out

b. i vote for them cause my maw, paw, dug voted for them but i have no idea who im voting for, whats the guy/girls name again ?

 

a+b = the dumdum brigade !

 

If people vote for them cause of their policies then fair enough but i have yet to meet one person who has done so yet !

[Tam]

I really hope some of the 10,706,647 who voted Tory feel some financial pain very soon !

[The Big Man]

I really hope some of the 10,706,647 who voted Tory feel some financial pain very soon !

 

I felt Labours pain of ****ing the economy and i expect to feel more under the new mob !

[twinny]

Im all for democracy but it would be good if people voted correct rather than,

 

 

a. protest votes to keep abcd out

b. i vote for them cause my maw, paw, dug voted for them but i have no idea who im voting for, whats the guy/girls name again ?

 

a+b = the dumdum brigade !

 

If people vote for them cause of their policies then fair enough but i have yet to meet one person who has done so yet !

 

So you don't think there is anybody in the country who fundamentally believes in the Labour party? That all their members, activists and supporters are only in their position and of their opinion because the dislike the Tories, or are stupid?

[jaggybunnet]

I really hope some of the 10,706,647 who voted Tory feel some financial pain very soon !

 

 

do you meen like the pain we have suffered under labours taxes, or the hash he made of the banks

 

 

i love all this about tories will give us financial pain, labour would have had to the same there WILL be massive job losses and cuts in budgets.

 

thats what you get after 13 years of labour

[crazy davie]

Daily Record propaganda with absolutely no basis in fact...

Let's just wait and see, shall we? Feel free to remind me how wrong I am this time next year...

[jaggybunnet]

Let's just wait and see, shall we? Feel free to remind me how wrong I am this time next year...

 

 

so you disagree that labour would have had to do the same cuts?

[Woodstock Jag]

so you disagree that labour would have had to do the same cuts?

 

This.

 

That's the one no one ever seems to be able to answer.

 

Anyway, the Inheritance Tax and Marriage Allowance changes now aren't happening and the Income Tax threshold is being increased to £10k under the Coalition agreement.

 

This is not the same Tory Party of the 1980s and early 1990s and people will eventually be unable to deny it. We are not looking at a Thatcherite; we are looking at a mould which combines the philosophies of Disraeli and Heath. The real Progressive Coalition starts here.

[jaggybunnet]

so you disagree that labour would have had to do the same cuts?

 

 

no labour fans rushing to answer this i see

[The Devil's Point]

How many seats do you think the Lib Dems will get in Scotland at the next election now?

 

Why should the Lib Dems lose seats over this? Remember most seats Lib Dems hold in Scotland are in Lib Dem/Conservative areas so a coalition with the Tories will more likely please the vast majority of the voters in that area.

 

Lib Dems have very large majorities in Orkney & Shetland, Dumfries & Galloway, Gordon, Fife North East, Easter Ross etc so it is not as simple as it looks. Just because inner city Scotland votes Labour/SNP doesn't mean that the Lib Dem rural strongholds are made any more vulnerable because of this development.

 

In saying all that, I said earlier in the thread I would prefer a coalition with the Labour if anyone but obviously that hasn't proved possible and/or desirable given the eventual arithmetic thrown up by the election.

 

Will just need to see what the exact deal is I suppose and see how it goes. Another quick election would probably have thrown up a definite Tory overall majority given that the other parties are skint. At least this way there will be checks and balances on what could only otherwise have been a Conservative administration, minority or not.

 

I'm prepared to give it a chance.

[Big Col]

Quite some democracy that gives a party with the least votes and seats a place in power.

 

Glad to see the back of Labour - bankrupted the country, developed the nanny state, PC crazy and corrupt MP's.

 

Not happy with Tories but as a previous poster said, let's give it a chance and see what happens.

 

If it goes wrong, we can march on Downing Street.

[Mediocre Pundit]

The Change Coalition is here.

 

Oh Ben Bradshaw - you're not in government anymore. The electorate has rejected you. The Lib Dems have rejected you. GIRUY!

[Tom Hosie]

Lib Dems have very large majorities in Orkney & Shetland, Dumfries & Galloway, Gordon, Fife North East, Easter Ross etc so it is not as simple as it looks. Just because inner city Scotland votes Labour/SNP doesn't mean that the Lib Dem rural strongholds are made any more vulnerable because of this development.

 

They lost Gordon to the SNP (it's Salmond's seat) at the last Holyrood election and there is no Holyrood seat of Dumfries and Galloway. Dumfries is held by Labour and Galloway & Upper Nithsdale by the tories.

[The Devil's Point]

The Change Coalition is here.

 

:wub:

 

[Mediocre Pundit]

:wub:

 

I've always liked you Mr Pedestrian!

[The Devil's Point]

They lost Gordon to the SNP (it's Salmond's seat) at the last Holyrood election and there is no Holyrood seat of Dumfries and Galloway. Dumfries is held by Labour and Galloway & Upper Nithsdale by the tories.

 

Apologies, your right about Dumfries. I was thinking of Berwickshire which Lib Dems do hold with a very large majority.

 

However, Lib Dems do hold Gordon for Westminister elections (Malcolm Bruce has a majority of around 7000).

 

Edited to add - I took it the "in Scotland at the next election" meant we were talking about Westminister elections here?

Edited May 11, 2010 by The Devil's Point