Inamorato wrote: 
They are planning to introduce fixed term parliaments of 5 years so could well be the case that the highlighted bit isn't possible.

The Tory/LibDem coalition might not be such a bad thing. The Conservatives rightly will have the most clout but the LDs might temper the more Thatcherite elements of the right wing and will also have a platform from which to influence the government toward some of their core principles. It will be interesting to see how the LDs handle not being merely a protest party but part of a ruling coalition. Let's hope the alliance holds up long enough for some important work to get done before Cameron blames the LDs for uncooperativeness and calls a new election when he thinks he can get a Tory majority.

 jools wrote: 

Last night- not well.  We're not a million miles apart (I'm mostly LD, he's mostly L) but we both have quite strong views.

So let's get this right. Lib dems said they would never form a coalition if the electoral reform and Trident weren't a done deal. Well they haven't got the trident deal, nothing even close a trident deal and they have got some sort of electoral reform but nothing even close to what they wanted.This is what they got 'There will be a referendum on scrapping Britain's first-past-the-post voting system in favour of the Alternative Vote method before the next general election - even though the Conservatives are likely to campaign against any voting change.'

Totally shafted up the back passage!

However, they have agreed to a five year minimum term for parliament (meaning the next election will not be until 2015), Oh how very handy!
Oh and Nick Clegg (lib dem leader) is now the DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER! As i say, shafted!

 MrsHobieJoe wrote: 
Oh - how does that work?!  

OK, so when's the election then?

 geordiezimmerman wrote: 

OK

Jools- HJ and I may be living in the same house but we have different political views!

 hippiechick wrote: 

 jools wrote: 
That's cuz we Merkins don't know nuthin cept Merkin politics

Erm Just realised that there are only really 4 of us on this topic and 2 of them seem to be related.....we need to get out more.....

 geordiezimmerman wrote: 
Let's hope that it will be in about a year when they have truly screwed up and Clegg and Co will be truly discredited.  

 MrsHobieJoe wrote: 
I'll take that bet.

Ed Balls (lab) on tv now, and I quote - "When lib dems spoke with us they made it clear that they were siding with the tories, talking to us was just a formality"

So there you go. Clegg had no intention of forming a coalition with Labour. Also by forming a coalition with the tories he has just destroyed his own party, they've become in a matter of days the party to vote for for positive change, to the party that you cannot trust. Oh dear.

 geordiezimmerman wrote: 

I'll lay you a fiver that if there is another election in the next few months there'll be a Tory landslide- and that I really don't want to see.

Oh dear it was all so sad.  I even cried a bit when I watched the resignation speech... Still roll on the new leader elections so we can get the Other David in.....

 geordiezimmerman wrote: 
I find myself shockingly shocked.

 MrsHobieJoe wrote: 
I'm still hoping there is no coalition whch means the tories get power with a minority meaning there will be another elction within months no motions will go through the house. When and if that happens hopefully those that swung to the libs this time will come back to Labour and they win. It's also possible that there could be another hung parliament (dont think i could take it) but with a new Labour leader a coalition with the libs could be done. Saying that, it's the old Blairites in the Labour party that scuppered the talks this time, people like Blunkett, Reid, Diana Johnson and others. Shocking example of loyalty that is, shocking.

 geordiezimmerman wrote: 

Yeah- they will.

Nick Robinson "Cameron is a student of Disraeli".  We will see.

 MrsHobieJoe wrote: 
No such thing. They will bully the hell out of the few lib dems they will have on their side (if they form a coalition)



Dark days are here.

 geordiezimmerman wrote: 

Should be a softer Tory government with the more right wing excesses curbed.  (I hope).  EDIT: Tory Lite rather than Tory Right.

Well- Gordon is off to see the Queen and resign.  Dave will be PM in an hour- with or without the LibDems.