UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possible

[Haggis and tatties]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

You could not write this stuff

I can't wait so see what the writers of in the thick of it come up with in the next series.

I know, should be good.

As will the next few weeks, looking forward too plenty of disgruntled Tory stalwart backbencher's going public on the whole electoral reform compromise, plus plenty more MP expense scandals revealed now the main election is over, and all the details of the deal the Lib Dem's wanted to seal the deal.......Have i got news for you, will be fantastic these next few weeks, Hislop and Merton must be constantly drooling at the material they will have to play with...

 

[Smiley]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

This thread is teaching me that I really don't speak the same language as the British and that my advanced U.S. government class in high school was easy compared to what some other countries have to learn.

 

[captcalhoun]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

politics is not a compulsory class in the UK.

 

[Starkers]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

the tories have got stacks of cash cuz they're in Cashcroft and Murdoch's pockets.

And Labour had cash from the unions as well as from various big businessmen (Bernie Eccleston anyone?) All political parties rely on donations...Ashcroft just has deeper pockets than most (and is Murdoch a Tory donor?) Actually Cameron has said no party needs to be beholden to donors( be they businessmen of unions, in fact there's something in the Conservative manifesto I believe...)

I do wonder , for the Lib Dems, whether the current situation, rather than the golden goose it first appeared to be, might not turn out to be a poisoned chalice? After all we're seeing PR in action, after a fashion, and it seems the British public are already getting weary and quite cynical about the secrecy and horse trading that's going on. Looks very likely we will get a referendum on some form of AV now, whoever gets in, but it'll be interesting to see the result of that.

Everyone keeps going on about how the Tories need first past the post, but there are a lot of Labour MPs who'd be disadvantaged as well.

Nice to see the Labour negotiations are being led by an elected official with a history of honesty and fairness...oh no, hang on it's Mandy.

Anyone know what the quickest date we'd be back at the polls is?

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

the tories have got stacks of cash cuz they're in Cashcroft and Murdoch's pockets.

And Labour had cash from the unions as well as from various big businessmen (Bernie Eccleston anyone?) All political parties rely on donations...Ashcroft just has deeper pockets than most (and is Murdoch a Tory donor?) Actually Cameron has said no party needs to be beholden to donors( be they businessmen of unions, in fact there's something in the Conservative manifesto I believe...)

I do wonder , for the Lib Dems, whether the current situation, rather than the golden goose it first appeared to be, might not turn out to be a poisoned chalice? After all we're seeing PR in action, after a fashion, and it seems the British public are already getting weary and quite cynical about the secrecy and horse trading that's going on. Looks very likely we will get a referendum on some form of AV now, whoever gets in, but it'll be interesting to see the result of that.

Everyone keeps going on about how the Tories need first past the post, but there are a lot of Labour MPs who'd be disadvantaged as well.

Nice to see the Labour negotiations are being led by an elected official with a history of honesty and fairness...oh no, hang on it's Mandy.

Anyone know what the quickest date we'd be back at the polls is?

It needs a four-week notice by law, so the latter half of June is the legal earliest. I'm betting on October.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

I'm afraid that the Tories could get a significant majority if they can't work something out and there are new elections soon...

 

[cultcross]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

politics is not a compulsory class in the UK.

Actually these days "citizenship" is taught as compulsory to secondary school age kids; this is supposed to include the basics of our government system. Remembering what an utter joke PHSE was when I was at school, another mandatory 'bettering yourself' type class, I have no idea how seriously 'citizenship' is taken, though.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

I'm afraid that the Tories could get a significant majority if they can't work something out and there are new elections soon...

I suspect that the only way the Tories won't get a decent majority and a five-year term at the next election is if they're allowed to form the government now, with LD support.

I guess that's really fucking with the heads of the set-in-their ways Tory haters. Or at least the ones who've thought it through.

It's not often I agree with Blunkett, but he's 100% right here.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20100511/tuk-blunkett-warns-against-lib-lab-deal-6323e80.html

As for who should be next Labour leader- I'd rather Alan Johnson (except somebody's pointed out he'd be a bad choice for civil liberties, so fuck him then), but pretty much anybody who's not Harriet HatesMen or Ed Balls-up would be the lesser evil...

They still need permanently rid of Mandy, though, whatever happens.

 

[Starkers]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

Or if Mandy is going to be in charge he should at least be elected to PArliament then stand for the bloody leadership!

I think Harman's pretty much ruled herself out. Ed Balls would be the worst possible leader with her out of the way.

I think Blunkett is right (well I would say that but still...)

I think the longer the Lib Dems drag this out the more their appearance as the nice/honest/transparent/easy going party will fade. I've heard several times recently (from both labour and the conservatives, and from political commentators) that the Lib Dems are the nastiest campaigners when it comes to elections.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

I think the longer the Lib Dems drag this out the more their appearance as the nice/honest/transparent/easy going party will fade. I've heard several times recently (from both labour and the conservatives, and from political commentators) that the Lib Dems are the nastiest campaigners when it comes to elections.

All the LD party activists I know are worried about exactly that. see here - http://miss-s-b.dreamwidth.org/1054451.html - for an example.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

politics is not a compulsory class in the UK.

Actually these days "citizenship" is taught as compulsory to secondary school age kids; this is supposed to include the basics of our government system. Remembering what an utter joke PHSE was when I was at school, another mandatory 'bettering yourself' type class, I have no idea how seriously 'citizenship' is taken, though.

Technically, we're not "ciizens" at all, are we? I thought we were "subjects" of Her Britannic Majesty.

 

[JoeZhang]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

politics is not a compulsory class in the UK.

Actually these days "citizenship" is taught as compulsory to secondary school age kids; this is supposed to include the basics of our government system. Remembering what an utter joke PHSE was when I was at school, another mandatory 'bettering yourself' type class, I have no idea how seriously 'citizenship' is taken, though.

Technically, we're not "ciizens" at all, are we? I thought we were "subjects" of Her Britannic Majesty.

It's complex, we are both.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

Something is about to happen right now...

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

Well, Gordon's gone, and Captain Beige is now PM (unless the Queen tells him to piss off - and her guards might, they saluted Gormless Gordon on his way out but didn't salute Captain Beige.)

We still don't know whether this is going to be a minority govt or a coalition with the King Of Swing.

I still think a policy by policy backing would be better, but the fixed-term thing if it's a coalition would keep stability by not needing to worry about an immediate new election.

If we're lucky we might be seeing a big change in *all* the parties - the Tories look willing to go for electoral reform, and recently renationalised the Tube; Labour will have to clear a lot of house; the Lib Dems have been shown to be effectively nasty whores and not the middle-road protest vote. (and apparently the LD federal council are somewhat surprised and pissed off that Gordon has quit before they made their decision - which has the fingerprints of Mandy trying to move the goalposts by taking the "lame duck" PM out of the equation.)

Anyway, Gordon and Mandy are gone for now, yay!

 

[Fenric]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

I'm afraid that the Tories could get a significant majority if they can't work something out and there are new elections soon...

actually if you look when you have got examples of minority parties and coalition parties in power, when it comes to the next election they normally lose,

as for the deal i did want the lib dems to go for the labour / snp / green / playd Cumryu although i knew in reality it probably would not have worked in reality.

looks like the tory plans for marriage incentives and inheritance tax plans have been put on hold

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

It's interesting to watch the blogosphere react to Captain Beige's accession with a sort of social dogma that forces a response of "oh noes, teh Thatcher is in, cos the change we wanted was the current gubmint staying in and this is all bad"

I still think we're going to see a lot of weird changes. Labour aren't the Labour I grew up with; the Tories are already ditching key Tory stuff... Personally I think that along with electoral reform, all the parties should be made to change their names and start fresh, because if those of us in the public with an interest can keep up the pressure of govt/public interaction - which the internet allows us have - there can be a lot of stuff changing in UK politics from here on in.

Ladies and germs, let's not go "oh they're the Tories, oh they're Labour" etc let's redefine these things! let's start things anew!

(oh, as for Scots saying "they don't have a mandate to rule in Scotland" - 1) that's why we have a Scottish Parliament, and 2) Wee Eck and Labour didn't have have a mandate to rule England either.)

But, like it or not, on purely practical terms, Con/LD is the most likely to give the stability needed to prevent a double dip recession.

 

[SiorX]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

looks like the tory plans for marriage incentives and inheritance tax plans have been put on hold

And they're also saying that they're talking about the LibDem's tax focus on the <10k tax exemption.

Hurray for small mercies, I guess.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

And, bluntly, though I in general loathe the Tories as much as I loathe Nu Labour, and am now disappointed in the LD's dragging out of things, this is the best possible result for civil liberties (ID cards, the DEB, and suchlike), and that's my main issue.

So I'm more or less happy now.

 

[Fenric]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

looks like Cameron is going for the full coalition

the liberal democrats are having a formal meeting in 10 mins i guess to rubber stamp the coalition if its not agreed then, it has to be voted by the wider members

 

[sidious618]

Re: UK election. So much for our votes counting - worst result possibl

I wish the US news covered British politics more. This is fun!