DEM not gonna CON dis NATION: Rolling UK politics in the short-lived Cleggeron era

55% presumably chosen because it's the smallest number that prevents the LDs effectively calling an election.

and also binds the conservatives if they think they can try for a majority

darragh there is a time and a place

Even if the LDs suddenly broke off the coalition, the Tories would stay in power until May 2015. Quite how they'd govern with only 47% of the MPs, I have no idea. (But the LDs aren't going anywhere. Better get used to it).

― Michael Jones, Wednesday, May 12, 2010 2:59 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark

am a little shaken by this news but i still can't believe it'll last. we're only 14 hours in atm.

xp seems like the tories know that too, tbf

i may be misremembering, but weren't fixed-term parliaments something that the LDs were already calling for? (maybe in their manifesto?) so that it would prevent governments from calling/not calling elections based on what was politically opportune for them

or actually opportune for the electorate

xp, yes

strengthening the case for an airtight-secure personal voting system online that can kick a govt out with no notice tbh.

democracy delayed is democracy denied etc

Anybody done any thinking about how a 55% threshold would play in a parliament with proportional representation?

Felt a bit physically sick watching Simon Hughes hopping from channel to channel blowing smoke up Tory arses. Never trust a Liberal. Ever. Ever. Ever.

Again, I would be more than happy for this to happen at the behest of a government with a clear mandate, ie. one that did not take five days crawling to Downing Street. Also the fake-Americanizing of the process annoys me; in the US we have the congressional midterms to leaven our four--year fixed terms and not just the odd, pissly little byelection.

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCKETY FUCK. My only silver lining was that this wouldn't last the year. FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you also have a separation between executive and... it's just a different system! and five years is way the hell too long. there's no damn reason for it except immediate gain for the coalition.

xpost

tracer otm but im still on "this is never gonna come off"

It's not really in the LibDems interests to rock this particular boat at all, they might as well all jump off a cliff.

we can only hope.

being politicians, i think they genuinely believe that "gain for the coalition" is "in the country's best interests".

buy yeah, this is not going to last five years. uncharted territory, but there's so many ways this could collapse. all this modern legislation doesn't change the fact that you're dealing with a fundamentally barmy and incompetent conservative party.

Thinking it'll all come down to how that first Tory budget is received.

and if this shit passes how will it die? it wd take both tories and libdems (facing electoral annihilation) to dissolve the coalition

fuck, i am an angry bastard today. for reallies, not in a talking-smack-on-ilx way. not been a very productive week.

More depressed than angry

it wd take both tories and libdems (facing electoral annihilation) to dissolve the coalition

not a big ask tbh.

just feeling rly dismayed more than fucked off right now

didn't expect anything good to come out of this election but this shit is beyond the pale

ha xp

Basically it's the second worst outcome (Tory majority being the worst).

Yeah, fuck New Labour and Labour in general but this is like a kick in the guts

I have v few opinions abt fixed-term vs not, but 5 years is too long, the mandate is too slim (but not slim enough that there seems much chance of it not going through), and just dropping it on us like this is fucking nuts, no? Why are twitter / the streets not full of people shouting about this?

yeah, i'm stanning for this deal, but i'm not feeling good. still, bigger picture: charles clarke lost his seat.

just the sinking feeling of the inevitable but horrible confirmation of names like osborne, hague, lansley, may, duncan-smith, pickles, ad nauseum

not a big ask tbh.

difficult to envisage likely situations in which it wd serve both parties tho

And, by the way, what arguments are the Tories going to use in favour of FPTP now? I can't work that out.

i was looking forward to a truly hilarious summer, but i suspect something they've forced into a metastable state in this way is going to take a while to implode. not five years tho.

actually quite like this coalition stuff, but unfortunately all the people involved are wankers.

"rainbow coalition" incl. nationalists is about 330, so this would would require about 20-25 conservative MPs to rebel (depending on the details of what 55% is in re: sinn fein and the speaker)

would be some moment if the SF seats took their seats to remove the tories

didn't cameron just say constitutional reform was deputy pm's responsbility? 55% arguably serves the lib dems more than conservatives, clegg wanted a coalition for a fixed period tho i don't think anyone expected this

haha, that would be awesome, but not going to happen.

20-25 is doable given their previous: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maastricht_Rebels

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/normantebbit/100039501/europe-will-split-david-cameron’s-coalition-apart-before-long/

norman tebbit otm

think i might turn agent provocateur, start winding up guido fawkes, conservativehome etc. try to hasten the shit-flinging. literally the least one can do.

Not really cheered by the mention of a rebellion happening 12 years into the last era of Tory rule tbh, was hoping for something a little speedier

and the rebel conservatives wd have to find some common cause with virtually all of lib dems and labour

not simply a policy difference but a will to terminate tory govt

maastricht was the first really substantive vote on europe of the conservative govt., wasn't it? (not sure)

i'm not sure what's coming down the pipe now. something good, i hope.

and the rebel conservatives wd have to find some common cause with virtually all of lib dems and labour

Labour can just kid on they're outraged

http://dev.null.org/scrapbook/2005/1022_barley.jpg

Args for FPTP = "woe, hung parliament!"

By then, they'll be ready to offload the libs back into nopowerland...

Why are twitter / the streets not full of people shouting about this?

I've done my bit on Twitter and FB and now I'm going to go outside and knock a bobby's helmet off.

tebbit...

There is however another novel factor which will come into play when the coalition does come apart. If we have legislated for a fixed term Parliament, what happens then? What if no one can command the confidence of the House of Commons and there cannot be a general election to resolve the issue?

Liz 2 steps up

the conservatives may fuck up everything and the coalition may become comepletely dysfunctional, but even the hard right won't want to call (with lib/lab) an election they are likely to lose

the tories wd then govern as effectively a minority govt w/ day-to-day suppport until 2015

but even the hard right won't want to call (with lib/lab) an election they are likely to lose

they have tried it in the 90s. i think it's difficult to under/overestimate them.

"The parties agree to implement a full programme of measures to reverse the substantial erosion of civil liberties under the Labour government and roll back state intrusion.

This will include:

• A freedom or great repeal bill;

• The scrapping of the ID card scheme, the national identity register, the next generation of biometric passports and the Contact Point database;

• Outlawing the fingerprinting of children at school without parental permission;

• The extension of the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency;

• Adopting the protections of the Scottish model for the DNA database;

• The protection of historic freedoms through the defence of trial by jury;

• The restoration of rights to non-violent protest;

• The review of libel laws to protect freedom of speech;

• Safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation;

• Further regulation of CCTV;

• Ending of storage of internet and email records without good reason;

• A new mechanism to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary new criminal offences."

Seems like all good stuff. What say ye?

the markets would not like that

xpost re minority govt till 2015