Labour Supporters, Would You Take Power At Any Cost?

[ToraToraTora]

http://news.sky.com/story/1466541/sturgeon-tells-miliband-i-will-make-you-pm
Vote Labour get SNP working Ed like a Orville the duck! In westminster no one can hear you scream!

[jim360]

It's probably one of the more likely options but the numbers could work out to make it unworkable without a third party. Or, even, the Lib Dems could hold on to enough seats to make a workable coalition with Labour on their own. And then there's the fact that the SNP won't do a deal with the Conservatives, or so they say (although I do believe them), which reduces their options and bargaining power somewhat. Rather like the Lib Dems had only one realistic choice of coalition partner in 2010 and so had minimal room for manoeuvre.

At any rate, with all results still possible, including an outright majority for either of the two main parties, there has to be better campaigning tactics than dealing in hypotheticals.

[naomi24]

//there has to be better campaigning tactics than dealing in hypotheticals. //

But we're not campaigning - we're the electorate and as such must consider the 'hypotheticals'. We'd be rather silly to ignore them.

[jim360]

I suppose we aren't, to be fair. Still, the Tories have publicly trotted out the "vote Labour, get SNP" or "vote SNP, get Labour" line plenty of times, so it's also an official campaign line as well as something to discuss here.

As TTT (I think?) posted elsewhere, it's not confined to the Tories either, what with Nick Clegg going on about how deadly (literally, as apparently they would bring back the death penalty) a UKIP-Con Coalition would be.

[naomi24]

// Nick Clegg going on about how deadly (literally, as apparently they would bring back the death penalty) a UKIP-Con Coalition would be. //

He's just scared he'll be side-lined. Once bitten and all that.... ;o)

[jim360]

I suppose he has the most to fear from a return of the death penalty... he's almost certain to be crucified in his own constituency :P.

I'm still young and not yet lost my sense of idealism. Politics these days seems to be doing its best to throttle that...

[naomi24]

Politics doesn't throttle that. Experience of life throttles that.

[katerich48]

I would love to see the look on her face when Labour fail to get in...Its odd she couldn't make herself First Minister but she thinks she can make Miliband PM..

[mushroom25]

i might have missed it, but have the SNP said what their addition to the cabinet will look like, assuming the election result leaves the labour party needing their participation?

would nicola sturgeon - unelected and unaccountable - have a seat at the cabinet table? or would it be alex salmond, assuming he wins his seat?

[McMouse]

In my view a SNP/Labour run government will be a fast track to UK being absorbed into the EU Norther Region and our identity disappearing.

[ichkeria]

Well,
Labour have said they will not budge on Trident
The SNP have said they will not cooperate with Labour unless they do
So that is that.
Meanwhile the Tories increasingly desperate election campaign seems fixated on this issue.
Luckily for Mr Cameron the "wicked witch of the Trossachs" has ruled out dealing with the Tories under any circumstances so he doesn't have to say anything about the Tories and the SNP in government: for now.
But ...

[ichkeria]

"she thinks she can make Miliband PM.. "

No she doesn't! That is the whole point. The SNP have the power to stop Labour and she knows it. And the power to embarrass them during the campaign. They don't want a Labour government at least not a majority one. They would probably prefer a Tory one in fact I believe she's been caught saying so. Most of the SNP rhetoric is directed - hardly surprisingly - at the Scottish voter because Labour is so unpopular in Scotland.
Even the obvious Labour response "Vote SNP get the Tories" is not necessarily to their advantage, as they need to tread so carefully.

[Bazile]

It was like your school days wasn't it , on the tv debate last night ; with Nicola Sturgeon , pleading with Ed Milliband , to go out with her ; and Ed spurning her advances .

I think the tories should be worried ( i'm sure they are ) that no other party wants to be in a coalition Government with them ( apart from possibly the Lib Dems - and they , it's looking , will be wiped out , after the election )

They have been drumming on about vote labour and get SNP - it doesn't seem to be convincing the electorate

[ichkeria]

LibDems won't be wiped out . Substantially reduce tho.
The odd thing is I have rather taken to Nick Clegg of late.
In many ways he is the most sensible of the lot. When there was the Blukip nonsense I suppose and the appalling Danny Alexander making an a**e of himself last night.
And the tuition fees thing of course which may well cost Clegg his seat

[Kromovaracun]

The likelihood of an SNP-Labour coalition is the biggest obstacle to me voting Labour. If it weren't for that, I would probably support them.

People who are fine with this - what exactly do you think the SNP wants? They had their referendum. An enormous number of issues are already devolved to the Scottish parliament. What they want is more powers and a lot, lot more money. Would this really be a good outcome? How much would you be willing to give them?

I do appreciate Miliband telling Sturgeon no last night, but it just isn't feasible to imagine Labour being able to govern without them.

[jim360]

The calculation for me is somewhat different as I'm in an SNP-Labour battleground. I'm voting Labour, hoping to keep the SNP out of too much power, but it may be a forlorn hope.

[sandyRoe]

The DUP, with the prospect of 9 or 10 seats in the next parliament quite fancy themselves as kingmakers.
One of the conditions for their support would be a return of the 'right to march' here in NI. If they were allowed that it would set community relations back 20 years.
If the Tories used their support as a crutch you'd really see power at any cost in action.

[naomi24]

Krom, He's making the right noises in public because he's touting for votes and realises the prospect of a Labour/SNP coalition is not popular with the majority of Labour supporters. If he does manage to scrape through, the wishes of the electorate will be the last thing on his mind. As the OP indicates he'll take power at any cost. I can't help thinking that Labour voters will rue the day they put their cross to a Labour candidate's name. Miliband is ruthlessly ambitious and depends upon the Labour faithful's penchant for clinging to the non-existent idealistic notions of old Labour. In short, he takes people for fools, and sadly in many instances, they don't disappoint him. I wouldn't trust him an inch.

Jim, you're not going to keep the SNP out by voting Labour. You're going to get one or the other as your local MP - which in Westminster is likely to result in both.

[jim360]

Thanks Naomi but I'm happy in my choice -- or at least as happy as anyone can be when they feel it's better to vote tactically rather than honestly.

While an SNP Labour coalition may be inevitable, I feel the UK's interests are better-served by ensuring that it is as much Labour as possible. The more MPs the SNP have the stronger their position is. Better to have the split be about 300-30 in favour of Labour, say, rather than 285-45. Indeed, in the former case the Lib Dems might be able to form a coalition with Labour, so it wouldn't matter.

No, a vote for Labour it is. I made my mind up on that months ago, and I think it's the best decision I can make in this position.

If I were south of the border, I might actually consider policies as more important, but a tactical vote it is and I think it's the right decision.

[naomi24]

Jim, I don't agree that //the UK's interests are better served by ensuring that it is as much Labour as possible// - far from it. Contrary to popular belief Labour is not the party of the working man because they don't understand that business creates wealth and wealth creates jobs and that creates prosperity. They would be an absolute disaster for this country. However, I'm not trying to change your mind - simply making an observation. If I lived where you live I really don't know what I'd do with a 'none of the above' option.