People don't like the idea of a hung parliment over here
snoopcester Send a noteboard - 25/02/2010 05:27:00 PM
I would have thought that campaigning on the platform of being the ones who will hold the balance of power after the election would boost their performance. You also claim that you will act as a moral and ethical watchdog for the people, keeping an eye on your coalition partners. It's generally a real vote winner.
If it happens it would be a new situation that people aren't used to and are wary of, at least a couple of high profile Tories have mentioned the possibility as a threat - Vote Tory or get a hung parliment. The risk for the Lib Dems by trying to talk it up is that it could backfire against them. It would also mean they have less room to bargain later, though that could go either way.
Especially as Clegg has said that they would be willing to support a minority government for certain key policies going through. Why not enter a formal coalition, you negotiate a common programme for government stating what policies are to be followed and you also get a couple of portfolios around the cabinet table. If things are going badly you just pull the plug and bring down the government.
He probably remembers how Spitting Image treated the last coalition in British politics as a lesser party
In the Irish experience the minority partners in a coalition get major influence because the bigger partner wants to be in power so much they will make large concessions.
I think if we end up with a hung parliment, that would be how it goes but currently I think for the Lib Dems they have to play it carefully because the British don't have a whole lot of experience with coalition governments.
*MySmiley*
Robert Graves "There is no money in poetry, but then there is no poetry in money, either."
Henning Mankell "We must defend the open society, because if we start locking our doors, if we let fear decide, the person who committed the act of terror will win"
Robert Graves "There is no money in poetry, but then there is no poetry in money, either."
Henning Mankell "We must defend the open society, because if we start locking our doors, if we let fear decide, the person who committed the act of terror will win"
The UKIP makes a spectacle of itself in the European Parliament... why am I not surprised
- 25/02/2010 10:45:56 AM
369 Views
Yeah, I saw about that
- 25/02/2010 11:17:48 AM
201 Views
Is there a "No Confidence" box on voting slips?
- 25/02/2010 12:26:40 PM
186 Views
There should be
- 25/02/2010 12:34:13 PM
191 Views
Re: There should be
- 25/02/2010 01:56:46 PM
191 Views
A. Whitney Brown had a bit like this 'long about the Bush/Dukakis election.
- 01/03/2010 02:14:11 AM
173 Views
What I don't get about the Lib Dems is their stance of ruling out a coalition government
- 25/02/2010 04:03:11 PM
177 Views
People don't like the idea of a hung parliment over here
- 25/02/2010 05:27:00 PM
182 Views
Marta Andreasen has something useful to say.
- 25/02/2010 11:56:30 AM
205 Views
Not sure your link title is true
- 25/02/2010 12:09:45 PM
184 Views
The fact that she was fired for it and nothing was fixed strongly suggests a cover-up.
- 25/02/2010 12:25:58 PM
185 Views
I don't think it does - the fact auditors never sign off the EU accounts mean it was already public
- 25/02/2010 12:50:18 PM
173 Views
"Pretty much a non-country"
- 25/02/2010 02:41:33 PM
185 Views
Well, you know... it is a fairly accurate description of belgium.
- 25/02/2010 08:08:38 PM
190 Views
It might not actually be all that bad of a tactic.
- 25/02/2010 05:03:01 PM
194 Views
The thing with Farage's comments is that they're completely inconsistent.
- 25/02/2010 05:59:14 PM
208 Views
Re: The thing with Farage's comments is that they're completely inconsistent.
- 26/02/2010 06:22:29 AM
171 Views