Has Ed Now Waved Byebye To Any Chance Of Being Pm?

[ToraToraTora]

Having so vociferously ruled out any deal with the SNP , is there any way he can renage on this after the electon? Surely a coalition with the SNP, horrific though it may be, is the only way Ed can get into no 10.

[Kromovaracun]

Ed Miliband said that he would rather forego the chance of being Prime Minister than do a deal with the SNP. There's no going back from a statement like that.

I see that many people, however, are essentially basing their opinions on a personal dislike of Miliband for some reason.

[Kromovaracun]

And actually I think it was very principled of him. It takes courage to do something like that in our political climate, which is utterly infested with idiots waiting to cannibalise you no matter what you do or say.

[Old_Geezer]

IMO Ed would be being a principled politician now, if it turns out he could not get into power by agreeing the deal after the election. Otherwise. once he's got a deal with the SNP, he was just being a canny political animal by doing what he needed to do when he needed to do it.

[sandyRoe]

A week is a long time in politics. What he said last night and what he'll do next week could be very different things.

[naomi24]

Krom, //I see that many people, however, are essentially basing their opinions on a personal dislike of Miliband for some reason.//

Possibly because in recent months it’s become abundantly clear that he will say anything he thinks the voters want to hear.

[jno]

let me see now... before the last election Cameron said he "had no plans" to raise VAT; so did Clegg. What happened in Osborne's first budget?

Cameron said he wouldn't change child benefit or introduce a means test...

So we'd better not vote for Labour in case they break a promise. Right.

[naomi24]

jno, promises broken or otherwise are one thing and par for the course - we all know that - but abject silliness is something else.

[chrissa1]

Pardon my ignorance but, is the First Minister standing for election?

[DaisyNonna]

Ed in bed?
Horrible thought

[Svejk]

Just on a point of order. You said Farage didn't have a seat. Nobody has a seat until after the election.

[naomi24]

chrissa1, no she isn't - but given the opportunity she'll pull the strings.

[chrissa1]

That's just not right!

[DaisyNonna]

Of course he can renege, he is a politician

[naomi24]

Hopefully he won't get the opportunity.

[jim360]

One way of guaranteeing that Ed Miliband won't make any deals with the SNP is to deliver a Labour majority. So get voting red, folks!

B

[jim360]

... But seriously, though. At least on a formal level, there is fundamentally no way that the SNP and Labour can now do a coalition-based deal. We are heading for a minority government, it seems, barring a strong set of results in marginals for either main party.

[naomi24]

Jim, don't get your hopes up.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1416916.html

[jim360]

I accidentally hit enter before finishing the post. It was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. I'm undecided on what outcome I'd actually prefer to happen at the moment, as it happens, beyond hoping that the SNP's influence is not crucial. I'm satisfied for the time being that this won't happen, at least not in the form of a Lab-Nat coalition.

[ludwig]

// It is all a game to the politicians. Before the election you do and say whatever you need to in order to maximise votes for you. After the election you deal with whomever you need to to get into power. //

I think Old geezer has summed it up quite well there.

I don't think we should spend too much worrying about who'll do what after the election to be honest. The best policy is probably to just vote for who you want to, and let the politicians do the wrangling afterwards, which they'll do anyway.

[Gromit]

The SNP have said they will not work with the Tories. Milliband has said he will not work with the SNP.

It looks like their will not be enough seats for a Conservative and LibDems to get a working majority. Not even with the DUP.

So Cameron will have to run a minority Government that Labour and the SNP can out vote at every turn. So if he does become Prime Minister, he will be a lame duck. Obviously that sotuation cannot carry on for long so there will have to be another election next year.

In the meantime, Labour can ditch Ed, Clegg will be gone, either by the voters in Sheffield or what remains of his own Party. And Boris will have knifed Cameron. If Farage stands by his stated intention of resigning if he does not win Thanet, then UKIP will have a new leader too.