Nick Clegg hints at possible coalition deal with Labour

[Pete]

“Clegg said Labour had changed for the better since the last election, while the Tories had changed for the worse.”

Labour's position towards Clegg has appeared to change over recent months, from demanding Clegg's resignation as Lib Dem leader as part of any future coalition deal to paying him the occasional compliment.

Well that's a turn up for the book - not sure what to make of this. I suppose it could happen if we have a hung vote at the next general election.

http://bit.ly/1hoJDbN

[Old Cruser]

Sounds as if he doesn't mind which sides he bats from.
Edging his bets I reckon

[Pete]

I suppose any party would do anything to get a bit of power. 

[Slacker]

If his members want to defect to Labour fair enough though Iwould hope they don't get given safe seats for the election. Though locally more ex councillors have  gone to UKIP.

Don't want a coalition.

One strange anomaly is that if we had the PR voting system that LibDems love they would be predicted to get less seats than UKIP but a lot more on the present system

[Pete]

Ed Miliband snubs Clegg's openness to Lab-Lib pact after 2015 general election

Ed Miliband has spurned Nick Clegg's new openness to a Lab-Lib pact after the 2015 election, saying he was focused entirely on secure a majority Labour government.

http://bit.ly/M66Hxi

[Old Cruser]

I reckon Miliband is right and Labour should go it alone, the quote from a source below is spot on!


Sources close to Miliband dismissed Clegg's latest overtures as insignificant. "Our view of the Lib Dems is clear. They have not acted as a brake on the Tories, but as a prop."

[Slacker]

Very true. Let him go and prostitute himself elsewhere.

[therealjr]

Question: What's your favourite political joke?
Answer: Nick Clegg

Now you'd be forgiven for thinking that was a recent quote from Ed Milliband, but in fact it's a quote from the general election campaign and it was made by David Cameron.
3 weeks or so later and suddenly political expediency dictates he's no longer a joke but a partner.
The facts are these. Labour and the Lib Dems could and should have formed a minority government after the last election. Unfortunately Nick Clegg made it clear that he couldnt work with Gordon Brown and that he would have to go. (Probably best actually given that Labour had already presented us with one unelected Prime Minister, doing it twice would have been ridiculous).
So we were left with the Con-ld coalition.
Fast forward 4 years.
Nick Clegg is now fighting for his political life. Chances are his party are going to take the majority of the blame for the coalitions failing whilst the Tories will take any plaudits. If the Lib Dems do get wiped out then the knives will be out for him.
it's much more likely that there will be a majority government but if there isnt then Ed Milliband can do all the political posturing he likes but If he has the largest number of MP's but no overall majority then like it or not his first phone call is going to be to Clegg.

[Slacker]

You know it's nonsense about about the unelected prime minister because it's not a presidential system and we vote for our local elected representative, up to party in control to choose their leader in the same way as if John Burrows retired.

Cameron is more of an unelected prime minister because his party did not get an overall majority. Don't think LibDem voted would have chosen him.

It's quite ironic that the current electoral system will probably make LibDems 3rd in parliament but their old favourite PR will leave them 4th based on recent forecasts

[therealjr]

Once again an absolutely brilliant insightful, pithy contribution that totally fails to address the main issue!!

If first past the post is such a wonderful system then the Tories got more votes!!

If you have a true PR system then people will stop making protest votes and give serious thought to the more extreme policies of some parties. To simply extrapolate results based on the current voting system is irrelevant.

and as much as you are trying to avoid the elephant in the room you know as well as I do that Milliband will horse trade with whoever he needs to if it means taking office. Its what politicians do.

[Slacker]

Based on opinion polls UKIP are predicted to get 15% of vote but no seats. Presume a lot of 2nd places

[therealjr]

As I said you can currently vote UKIP safe in the knowledge that whilst it lodges a protest it wont get them any seats. A PR system which did would lead to far fewer protest votes being cast IMHO.

And I note you are still not prepared to admit that whatever posturing might be going on now the talking horse will have no choice but pick up the phone if we get another hung parliament.