Clegg's three bolt rule

[Harty]

For all the speculation about 'talks' etc the Liberal Demcorats are just that a democratic organisation, everything has to be agreed by a 3/4 majority by the MP's, the 'tribal' council and the grassroot members.

IMHO and having been a Lib Dem member and candidate before Bellotti did his deed, I actually returned my membership card to Mr Ashdown with a covering letter, the dislike/hatred of the Tories at grassroots level, ie local councils etc is so deep that it will I believe scupper any deals.

A lady from the Guardian has just said on Sky news, Clegg is flirting with Cameron to strengthen his deal with Labour, how far wrong is she?

 

[dannyboy]

think youve got it spot on. to a certain extent i think the libdems are fairly similar to labour on a lot of issues . in fact i think they are probably more 'left' than labour

 

[Deleted User X18H]

think youve got it spot on. to a certain extent i think the libdems are fairly similar to labour on a lot of issues . in fact i think they are probably more 'left' than labour

Still won't give them an overall majority though.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Cannot see Tories agreeing to PR

Cannot see Lib Dems doing a deal with the Toies without PR - why would they pass up this opportunity?

Cannot see the LibDems doing a deal with Brown - so can see LibLab Pact with a new Labour Leader.

Only caveat to that is that Cameron knows if he fails to tie up a deal, Clegg will go off to Labour, form a coalition (with a new Labour Leader) and get PR anyway.

 

[lighthouse]

There is only 2 things that I don't like about Liberals:

Everything they do and everything they say.

I can't help feeling that what coalition evolves out of this, we will be back in the polling booths in 12 months time, and the party that 'loses out' now may well be the stronger for it given the year that we are likely to have ahead of us

 

[dannyboy]

Still won't give them an overall majority though.

.... unfortunately.


the thing is though , who is gonna join up with the tories? they only need a few seats for an overall majority but they are so far apart from the other parties that i cant see them doing it. labour lib dems sdlp and a few others and they will have an overall majoirty. wether that would work is another matter.

 

[dannyboy]

they would need a new pm though i think as brown just isnt a pm in my opinion . neither is cameron i would add. quite like alan johnson (sp) myself

 

[BensGrandad]

Lib Dem have always been a party for the don t knows/ cant make my mind up so they are now in their ideal position and probably still wont make a decision. They will probably not make a pact with either Concervative or Labour and say they will vote as the mood takes them and then vote for the most popular aspect.

 

[The Large One]

Still won't give them an overall majority though.

Could still be a working minority.

It means they can outvote the Tories, which is one of the purposes of a Lab/Lib alliance.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

There is only 2 things that I don't like about Liberals:

Everything they do and everything they say.

I can't help feeling that what coalition evolves out of this, we will be back in the polling booths in 12 months time, and the party that 'loses out' now may well be the stronger for it given the year that we are likely to have ahead of us

Probably October if the Tories try and form a Minority Government.

I can see a Lib/Lab pact with a new PM and PR

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Could still be a working minority.

It means they can outvote the Tories, which is one of the purposes of a Lab/Lib alliance.

Yeah true 315 plays 306 if it goes through. 9 isn't that less than Wilson had in 74?

 

[Jim D]

Lab + Lib = 315
Con + DUP = 314
Sinn Fein won't attend so it's down to the nats.

Suddenly, Alex Salmond can decide how Britain is run. Talk about the tail wagging the dog!

 

[BensGrandad]

306 doesnt include any others that may vote with Tory unlikely but possible. My view is that Clegg will not reach agreement with either and that Cameron will form a minority government and then call another election in November to obtain a working majority, or if GB stays on force another election .

 

[beorhthelm]

Cannot see Tories agreeing to PR

Cannot see Lib Dems doing a deal with the Toies without PR - why would they pass up this opportunity?

Cannot see the LibDems doing a deal with Brown - so can see LibLab Pact with a new Labour Leader.

Only caveat to that is that Cameron knows if he fails to tie up a deal, Clegg will go off to Labour, form a coalition (with a new Labour Leader) and get PR anyway.

true. but i cant see Labour agreeing to PR either, they offer no more than the Tories (review, and/or referendum at most). Labour cant change their leader until the autumn, unless Brown resigns but then it defaults to Harman followed by eleciton at party conference (unless Harman goes too, the NEC select an "interim" leader, but who and what happens at convention?).

a minority government that has to go to the polls in 3/6 however months might not be too clever, Labour will be broke after that election, Liberals cant say they want change if they refused to talk and Conservatives can say, "told you, we need a strong mandate". Conservatives only need a small additional swing to gain majority power and Liberals have nothing.


this talk of PR needs to be revised to electoral reform, with some other option than PR. full PR is not going to happen, im not sure if its what Liberals are asking for or just being used as an easier handy term.

 

[Harty]

306 doesnt include any others that may vote with Tory unlikely but possible. My view is that Clegg will not reach agreement with either and that Cameron will form a minority government and then call another election in November to obtain a working majority, or if GB stays on force another election .

October Brian, the old dears won't go out and vote in the cold or after the clocks have gone back.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

I just can't get my noodle around the possibility of Clegg & Co. doing a deal with The Tories - both in ideological & practical senses. I understand the current situation effectively requires alliances to be formed for Government to function, but Cameron catagorically stated he was opposed to PR. Given that this objective is the Lib-Dems Holy Grail, I can only agree with those who suspect that Clegg's real objective is to strengthen his hand for an improved offer from the desperate Brown. Mind you, nothing would surprise me tbh - given the nature of the professional Politico. The force that radiates from that 'Ring Of Power' has a terrible effect on those who covet ownership..

 

[withdeanwombat]

Hey,how about a climax to Cleggmania with Nick as PM and Gordon as Chancellor ?

 

[happypig]

I think the Clegg/Cameron meeting will come to nothing after they go back to thier parties; as the largest party, Cameron has to try to form a government and the LDs are the obvious choice. Once that's gone to ratshit, Clegg can legitimately go to see Labour and form an alliance comprising Labour, LD, SDLP,Green,Plaid Cymru and Alan Slmon's haggis wavers, that will give them a working, but very uneasy,majority.
A possible outcome is a bill for electoral reform, followed by an election with some sort of PR.
We may never see another Tory government.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Hey,how about a climax to Cleggmania with Nick as PM and Gordon as Chancellor ?

Whatever the outcome of the next few days, IMO Brown is finished.

THere is NO WAY the Liberals will do a deal with the Labour Party and prop Brown up as a PM.

He wasn't elected last time, he certainly hasn't been elected this time.

 

[BensGrandad]

October Brian, the old dears won't go out and vote in the cold or after the clocks have gone back.

With the free bus pass the labour voters can go out during the day on the bus. The blue rinse brigade can get the chauffer or a taxi to take them to vote Tory, the Lib Dems ones wont be able to make up their mind how to get there so probably wont go