Metal Reviews

All Cameron's offered thus far in terms of PR is a wanky consultation that will not be good enough. Very little of substance offered overall, just stuff in the Tory manifesto that kinda echoes what we wanted vaguely. I think we'll take the weekend to reply, and don't forget, Clegg needs a triple-lock of party support before we enter coalition - doubt that'll happen on so little offered. Interesting if depressing times ahead.

Just seen that Galloway lost, jeez.

Did you hear about this stuff in Sheffield? my sister is a student there.

Apparently, the staff there were asking people whether or not they were students, segregating people into lines, and then giving locals priority. In what country is that allowed, apart from, like, Zimbabwe?

Yeah, heard late last night and at first was all 'lol, get up earlier next time' but when you hear about the details like that, it proves how fucked the system is. Running out of ballot papers, segregating students for the 'crime' of not having their ballot tickets (which ARE NOT FUCKING REQUIRED, all you have to do is know where you live as I was telling people outside polling stations yesterday) someone needs a kicking.

Edit: the Tories have lost overall control of our council, although our Libs didn't do well.

It takes 3.5 times as many votes to elect a Lib Dem as it does to elect a Labour MP. We can't do a deal without electoral reform, the party won't have it. Come on, Cleggy.

Absolutely mental.

I don't see the need for a coalition.

Here in Canada the ruling minority government simply finds another party to vote with them on an issue by issue basis. They have proved thus far adept at exploiting fear and greed. Fear in the sense no party is popular enough to form a majority if an election were forced due to a vote of non-confidence, and greed by offering carrots to at least 1 party on all non-confidence votes.

So far, most would agree we have been well governed from a legislative standpoint (scandals are another matter).

It's a different system. The Tories here could get majorities, and they know it, so they'll offer as little as possible to smaller parties, hoping they look bad when they refuse.

The problem is Labour (2nd party) will despise the Tories and want to fuck them, and Lib Dems (3rd) have very specific demands which the Tories are desperately opposed to. So it's unclear how any such bargaining would work.

I guess that depends if the vote splitting is more structural based on ideology, or if it whimsical and based on the personality of leaders. They could pull the trigger and find themselves right back where they started.



That strategy is risky however. If an uncompromising stand is made by the ruling party, people will see through that and voter backlash may result if they don't want another election. Here anyways, the overwhelming public sentiment was for the various parties to work together and get on with it. Especially after 2 elections in 2 years solved nothing.

Our system is very non-presidential. Voters are very tribal, and tend to vote what they've always voted. And the popular press here are against anything but a Tory majority, spreading lies about weak governments, and what the other parties will do... if the Tories go for another election, they'll make it seem like they did everything in their power not to, and that it's the other parties' faults. Working together? Heh, like rio said, unlikely, due to very different ideologies and goals.

The same logic applies in either system: If the minority partner in a coalition vote gets some of their demands met, that is still more than would happen under a majority.

Here anyways, the right-wing Conservatives often find enough common ground with the left-wing NDP to vote together. This pragmatism thing is crazy, I tell ya.

Problem is though that what the Lib Dems want is proportional representation. This would essentially be suicide for the Tories. It would be a question of their existence as a serious party of government.

This is why I hope the Lib Dems show some steel and don't let it slide.

Watched HIGNFY, riolini? Lembit Opik showed he was a good sport at least - if only he was a good MP as well.

Yeah I saw that... er... Goatolini.

Quite a good'un, actually!

It's disappointing to see how many of our so-called supporters are closet Labourites. I hope complete and utter hysteria doesn't reign.

What, you mean how many grassroots Lib Dems prefer Labour to the Tories? What's the problemo?

No, the grassroots supporters are being great. Facebook is writhing with Labour voters annoyed at us that we didn't talk to their party first, despite them having less seats.

Brown's going! We now have both of 'em over a barrel. Wonderful!

That's basically all I wished for. Excellent. Farrage might liken Van Rompuy to a bank clerk, but when it comes to not having an ounce of charisma, Brown takes the cake.

Steady on, he might get replaced with a Miliband yet. Still, anyone but the godawful Harriet Harman and the draconian Alan Johnson will do. There are enough Conservatives with liberal leanings to make a Lib-Con deal possible, although their offering on electoral reform is pathetic.