Perish The Thought?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ed-balls-hints-at-possible-labourlib-dem-coalition-after-friendly-chat-with-nick-clegg-9049131.html

[emmie]

this is nothing new, it been around for a long time, that Labour on it's own legs may not have a clear majority, but with the Lib Dems in tow stand more of a chance of being elected.

[bazwillrun]

lib dems know they are finished without coalitions, they will do and say anything to get a little bit of "power"

[sandyRoe]

Are coalitions such a bad thing? The rein in the wilder excesses of both The Right and Left

[anotheoldgit]

sandyRoe

/// Are coalitions such a bad thing? The rein in the wilder excesses of both The Right and Left ///

We know what the excesses are of the Labour party, we are now paying for them, but please tell us Sandy what are the excesses of the modern day Tory party?

[sandyRoe]

AOG, they would cut benefits until there was nothing left for us but the workhouse.

[anotheoldgit]

Urban myth on behalf of the Labour Party I'm afraid.

[jake-the-peg]

Hardly implausible

Labour are much more natual bedfellows for the LibDems than the Tories

There were 4 LibLab pacts before now

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lib%E2%80%93Lab_pact

However from current figures it doesn't look as if the LibDems would get enough seats to hold sway unless there was a fluke narrow margin

Right now predictions are for Labour to win an outright majority of about 58

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/ukpr-projection-2

and while the Tories picked up a bit in the second half of 2013 unless the liberals start to rob Labour of votes it won't be enough.

David Cameron needs to get people to vote for Clegg if he wants to stay in No 10 because unless that happens he's pretty much sunk

[sandyRoe]

I suppose you'll not accept this as it's from the left-leaning Daily Telegraph.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/georgeosborne/10552822/George-Osborne-targets-25-billion-more-in-spending-cuts.html

[Bazile]

The most succesful government / economy in Europe right now is run by a coalition

[jake-the-peg]

The wilder excesses of the Tory party are what you would consider sensible policies AOG.

I find it hard to imagine what you'd consider excessively right wing

You probably think the Labour Party's introduction of the minimum wage was uncontrolled socialism!

[clivebeca]

Are you all missing something? Scotland votes for Independence in 2014??
Labour loses xx MP's the Lib-Dems, [who'd sell their soul to any-one] lose xx MP's. Cameron and the Cons lose virtually no MP's - they are almost assured of a free run at the next General Election 2015, with MP's from England, Wales and NI. Oh dear it's all a game at present. The fate of the UK is in the hands of eligible voting people on the Scottish electoral register. btw: reading a futuristic novel at present, where the new Country of "North Britain" starts at/and North of Manchester - now that's a thought!!. Also; would Wales call for an "Independence" referendum; so do we actually have a United Kingdom?

[clivebeca]

And what about UKIP? ... the unknown entity, with the immigration/EU unrest.

[mushroom25]

clivebeca, you've rather taken it as read that independence is a done deal. even if independence is voted for, it won't be finalized before the next general election.

[Gromit]

Nobody wants that, least of all Ed Balls and the Labour Party.

But if the electorate don't vote a party in with a majority then the only option is another coalition.

So it is good sense to plan for every eventuality. Something Gordon Brown failed to grasp 4 years ago.

[Gromit]

// but with the Lib Dems in tow stand more of a chance of being elected. //

No. There is no pre election pact. Labour and the LiDems will fight each other at the election. A coalition after the election may happen if the electorate vote for one.

Cameron has not ruled out another coalition with the LibDems either. If the votes follow last time, the Conservatives will grasp the lifeline of the LibDems if it means they remain in power.

[emmie]

The DT is not left leaning.

[anotheoldgit]

sandyRoe

/// I suppose you'll not accept this as it's from the left-leaning Daily Telegraph.///

No Sandy apart from your sarcasm, I would accept this, not only are we having to pay for the mess the books got into during 13 years of Labour we have also had to endure a world wide recession.

So perhaps this statement:

/// Another £25bn must be cut in order to balance the books, ///

Is only to prepare us for the obvious, which surely is much more useful than pretending everything in the garden is lovely, just to win an election?

[New Judge]

Yes they are a bad thing, Sandy, because they make for weak government (as has been adequately demonstrated by this latest shambolic arrangement) and everybody gets what nobody wants. Since 2010 we have seen the party that came a distant third in the General Election calling the shots on a number of major issues.

If you want to see how permanent coalition governments really work just take a look at Italy. There, because of their ridiculous voting system, Coalition is the only outcome. There have been in excess of 60 governments since 1945 with only one lasting its full term. The average duration is just a few months. The country is rife with political corruption (mainly because of the shady deals that have to be accomplished to secure power); its economy has stagnated; its attitude towards women leaves a lot to be desired and its justice system is highly politicised.

Yes, the most successful nation in Europe at present is indeed run by a Coalition. But so is one of the least successful (see above). It is arguable that the UK may have been even more successful had Mr Cameron not had to pander to the whims of Clegg, Cable and Co.

Nations need strong government and that usually involves upsetting up to half of the people at any one time because most nations (UK included) seem to be divided politically roughly in half. Coalitions do not provide this. Personally I would outlaw all political parties and make individual MPs form their own Coalitions on individual issues. However, I appreciate there are problems achieving this in the short term so whilst parties exist I cannot laud Coalitions. All they do is allow also-rans to get their hands on the spare keys to No.10.

[emmie]

my vote didn't count, or at least i didn't get what i wanted, it certainly wasn't a coalition with the Dem libs...

[New Judge]

No, nobody wanted it, emmie. It was not an option of the ballot form. The danger is that politicians (especially outside the two main parties) will get a sniff of power and that efforts will be made to ensure that no single party is likely to gain power in the future. Witness Mr Clegg's failed AV proposal, thankfully kicked into touch by a sensible electorate.

Coalitions suit some politicians. They do nothing for the electorate.