h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*listening*

Thank you, David.

Although actually, I've always found doing elections work something of a guilty pleasure ...

Mol

Wouldn't PR just result in more hung parliments ? With lots of minor parties having more power than votes ? Not sure I want that.

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Not me this time

TM, it's the rule in Denmark - we usually have 7-10 parties in the parliament, 2-3 of them bigger and the rest medium to small. 9 at the moment, actually. I my mind it does make for a more dynamic democracy and also to try to make big political reforms as braodly based in parliament as possible (though that tradition has been somewhat under pressure in recent years).

And I find it vital that you can go and vote and always feel that it's not going to be lost as fart in a (major party) hurricane as one of our residents so eloquently put it.

Think it's seen that way here - in any case, we usually have turnouts around 85% (86.6 in 2007).

The current government in Sweden consists in four different parties, but is mainly right wing oriented. And they've pretty much managed to destroy a lot of the 'welfare' politics that were set up by the left wing and that Sweden is famous for.


People dying from illnesses like cancer and ALS have gotten phone calls asking them to register for and attend 'job-seeking-courses'. The current government is obviously desperate to bring down unemployment numbers, but is it really too much to ask for allowing people to die peacefully without having to worry about bureaucratical details?

That was me who got moderated, which is a shame because that was a HILARIOUS post.

I dont doubt that FG, all my moderated posts have been outstandingly brilliant also.

Speaking strictly as an uninformed outsider, why would anyone who votes Liberal Democrat ever do so again if they get in bed with the Torries? I'd be furious at the sell out.

Not a sell out if they manage to get electoral reform.

But how likely is that!

Power corrupts, even the possibility of power. But politics is the art of the possible.

It just seems to me that they'd fit better in a coalition with Labor. I will, as always, bow to those of you who actually understand the situation. But it sounds to me like they're signing a pact with th devil.

Oh you're right, they have much more in common with Labour! But the Tories won most seats, therefore they get first dibs at trying to put together a deal.

That's not quite it - the Conservatives + Lib Dems would have a majority, whereas Labour + Lib Dem wouldn't, so I think the idea is to try to create a majority to keep things stable.

Given I'm in the odd position of having voted Conservative but being strongly in favour of much of the Lib Dem manifesto, I'm rather happy with the idea - it's got a lot of potential as the two manifestos had a lot in common. I'll admit that I didn't read the Labour one so I'm not in a position to comment on how much overlap there was there.

Nick Clegg has managed to get this far on integrity, and I'm pretty sure he'll hang on to that. I have no concerns that the Lib Dems will 'sell out'. They have shown themselves to be above that before now, and I have faith that they will remain above it now. They'd only go into it if they actually felt their issues were being heard and taken seriously.

On that note, I'm off to write to my MP to press for electoral reform (not neccesarily PR, but a proper review of current procedures).

So the old swingometer is still swinging I can see that a Con/Lib-Dem pact would be a solution . The Lib-Dems would curb some of the more right wing excesses of the Conservative party. Maybe thats what people voted for ?
I cant see any deal lasting for long. I expect we will all be back at the poles within a year and a half maybe much less.
This could be a vote smiley

"Oh you're right, they have much more in common with Labour! But the Tories won most seats, therefore they get first dibs at trying to put together a deal."

Actually, Brown's incumbent Government gives first crack at forming a new Government. But as Vip says, a Lib-Lab coalition would still be a minority Government.

It could indeed!

>> The Lib-Dems would curb some of the more right wing excesses of the Conservative party. Maybe thats what people voted for ?

It's what I voted for. I fear landslides.

Really, Kerr? I didn't know that.

I understand why the incumbent Pm stays on as caretaker until a new govt is agreed - I mean, what would happen if he just left? Or should he nominate a nightwatchman? Lordy but the markets would go into a tailspin if they thought "Who's in charge now? Nobody yet, but they're having frank and open talks? And when will those talks be sorted then?"

when he resigns the queen will invite dave to try to form a govt.

as it stands it would be a minority govt. and need other party support, or non interfearance to get bills passed

by dave getting nick on board it would be a majority govt and able to push through legislation

<

It seems Gordie's there because he's there because he's there. Parliament hasn't had the chance to show he can't command a majority yet, and he's taken the opportunity to not resign.

Clegg said before the election that moral authority would lie with whoever got the most votes and seats, so he more or less had to talk to Cameron first.

Given that Gordie's not had a reshuffle I want to know is whether any ministers of state are MPs who lost their seats.

I like this. Stress testing the constitution is FUN!

Ben