Will The Libdems Be Up To The Job Of Being The Official Opposition Party?

[Gromit]

A lot of polls are predicting the LibDems to overtake the Conservatives and take second place in the general election - making them the opposition party.  
Are they up to the job? 
https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/homepage.html

[Old_Geezer]

They aren't even up to the job of being a decent party. So, no. They'll likely agree with (almost) all the government puts forward.

[Spungle]

Well, they cant be any worse at it than Labour have been, can they?!

[Gromit]

Spungle,  

Despite the Government having a 80 seat majority in the Commons and far more in the Lords, Labour have been able to thwart the Government at every turn - if some ABers are to be believed.

[ToraToraTora]

I think we both know that these wild predictions are fantasy gromit. Labour 20-40 majority.

[Old_Geezer]

We all know that the Tory party has been split on issues and helped thwart government plans. Private individuals raising obstacles also achieved many of their aims.

[youngmafbog]

//Labour have been able to thwart the Government at every turn //

As I am sure you know, that was more the bunch in the HoC (unelected) than those in the HoC.

[youngmafbog]

And to answer your question; No.

[Untitled]

If we do end up in a situation where labour are in government and liberals are the opposition based on 55% of the vote between them then i hope that those on the right will finally give up on depending FPTP and join the call for proportional representation 

if gromit's poll actually pans out then labour would win 470 seats with a smaller share of votes cast than they won in 2017. such absurd outcomes are very possible under our stupid and undemocratic voting system and it needs to be gotten rid of. 

[Untitled]

that should be 50% of the vote between them... read the wrong column

[ToraToraTora]

nope, I'd still not want PR. Never produces a viable government. Yeah they limp on doing very little until they collapse and the people have another election inflicted on them.

[ToraToraTora]

....and no government is going to change the system that put them in.

[Untitled]

coalitions are "viable" lol. i think PR is more democratic and produces governments which are no better or worse than ours. the voting system we use in the UK is just stupid. 

[Untitled]

if the government will not introduce a more democratic voting system then we should simply force them to do it.

[ToraToraTora]

15:34 how? No government is going to change the system that put them in. Only parties with no chance of winning want PR.

[Hopkirk]

When the LibDems got into the coalition they insisted on a referendum to change the voting system.

It was soundly voted down.

Is this going to be yet another case of demanding revotes until the 'right' result is given?

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_United_Kingdom_Alternative_Vote_referendum

[tomus42]

We had a vote on PR. The electorate didn't want it.

[Hopkirk]

To be fair the referendum wasn't on proportional representation, it was offering the alternative vote system.

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Sir Ed Davey is certainly someone with grace, poise and gravitas.  Ahem!

[tomus42]

I'd quite like them to be the opposition. If the majority is as big as they're telling us to expect, opposition is irrelevant anyway.

At least if it's the libdems on the front bench we might see something different from the usual Labour/Tory shouty botox we've sat through for as long as we can remember.

[Hopkirk]

If Ed Davey is leader of the opposition, will he abseil down to his position from the gallery, or slide in on a wet plastic sheet?