Metropol

In order to progress talks with the Liberal Democrats.

In my opinion he has done the right thing for this country. A Lib-Lab government will work far better than a Lib-Con government to get things done. We need a strong and stable government, and these talks could open this up.

Thoughts?

Agreed. A noble move by Brown.

I said several days ago I thought he would do this. He's an honourable man.

Tories + Liberals = no sense.

A lib/lab pact could work very well.

David Milliband. No question in my mind that he'll get the job.

Agreed Gav but the problem is that while the policies of a Con/Lib coalition don't work, neither do the logistics of a Lab/Lib one in terms of the number of seats won.

marksi wrote:Agreed Gav but the problem is that while the policies of a Con/Lib coalition don't work, neither do the logistics of a Lab/Lib one in terms of the number of seats won.

Its tight but doable.

As @ SallyBercow says,

*gets out Welsh cakes 4 Plaid, Highland Shortbread 4 SNP, potato cakes 4 Sylvia Hermon* Don't *anyone* fret about the crumbs, obvs

A broad progressive church there.

madmusician wrote:In order to progress talks with the Liberal Democrats.

In my opinion he has done the right thing for this country. A Lib-Lab government will work far better than a Lib-Con government to get things done. We need a strong and stable government, and these talks could open this up.

Thoughts?

He can't command a majority with just the Lib Dems, so it has to become a rainbow coalition with other parties. That's not strong government - and I don't believe would be sustained long term.

Clearly Brown is the sacrifice to get Clegg around the table.

Doesn't bode well. Sally Bercow doesn't even know that we don't have potato cakes here in North Down. Sylvia will be after her potato *farls*.

Strange turn of events, mind. Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey was pretty much guaranteed a ministerial post if he created an Ulster Unionist/Conservative alliance and won a seat. He didn't win a seat, and his party's only MP, Sylvia Hermon refused to be a candidate for any party with Conservative in it's name.

Now it turns out that her decision to stand as an independent has put her - not Reg, whose leadership of the UUP is finished - potentially in government.

If there another election soon, alot of Lib dem voter may switch back to Labour, and the labour party could easily win the next election, Tories know this,.

I still think David Milliband will get it, ( alot of people said if he was at the helm in the first place labour would still be in power)


Personnel I would like Tory/ Lib dem goverment, in 3 years after major cuts Labour with David milliband swing in power

As I said in another thread, a key issue I have with Brown is the manner in which he succeeded Blair as prime minister. It may well have been just and proper as far as the law is concerned, but I just cannot accept that any person should become prime minister without fighting and winning a general election and I have never been able to get past that. I realise not everyone will subscribe to my view, but I'm certainly not alone in it.

I allready cannot accept that 2nd and 3rd place loosers should be able to form a government whilst the winners are denied the opportunity, but doing it with a second unelected prime minister to me just gives the idea of Labour getting back in even less legitimacy than it allready had.

A Lib/Lab coalition also has the issue that it does not form a majority either, whereas at least a Con/Lib coalition would.

Personally, I don't favour a formal coalition between the conservatives and lib dems, more a looser understanding where the conservatives will come up with a queen's speach which the liberals are prepared to vote for and for the Conservatives to go it alone with a minority government.

One thing is certain, whatever happens I think we're looking at another general election next year. I think the idea that any long term stable government (or indeed even one that can last a couple of years) can be formed with coalitions or deals is a pipe dream

Noble? Honourable??

Jumped before he was pushed more like.

You're wrong, cdd.