UK Hung Parliament

[Paulie_Walnuts]

Well the opinion polls were spot on all along. This is going to be an interesting time to see what happens now. Gordon Brown has just dangled the HUGE carrot of electoral reform to the Liberal Democrats. What will Cameron's response be?

As brown was acting all Prime Ministerial in his statement you could just imagine the Labour fixers getting to work behind him. There's no doubt that Labour's ideology is closer to the Lib Dems, but Cameron has more seats.

Which way is Kingmaker Clegg going to jump?

[el_chode]

Can you explain to me what the outcomes of this means in American terms (not to be obtuse). Here's what I understand:

US Dems = UK Conservatives
US Republicans = Brit National Party, so not really at play?

What's labour? Is that like an actual socialist party platform, not the BS they scream over here?

Did you guys make your parliament more fascist or communist?

[Penny Lane]

I think of Labour (newer party) as a way more liberal US Dem party.

When I think of the (UK) Conservative party, not sure you can call it US Democrat since it was Thatcher's party (UK equiv of Reagan)..

good question, though....

[mjkoehler]

I think of Labour (newer party) as a way more liberal US Dem party.

When I think of the (UK) Conservative party, not sure you can call it US Democrat since it was Thatcher's party (UK equiv of Reagan)..

good question, though....

US Dems are closer to Labor Party
US Repubs are closer UK Conservative Party

[Paulie_Walnuts]

Ok here goes, I hope this sums it up fairly.....

UK Conservatives = US Republicans
The Conservatives (David Cameron) are traditionally the most right wing party (remember the Iron Lady Maggie Thatcher and her closeness to Ronald Reagan?). However they have tried to portray themselves as moving much closer to the centre for the last few years. This was their big opportunity to win convincingly and they haven't managed it.

UK Labour = US Democrats
Traditionally Labour (Gordon Brown) was the most Socialist party but they made a seismic shift to the centre at the end of the 1980's / early 1990's and this has seen them in power for a long time. They were ripe for defeat with a relatively unpopular leader and an economic crisis but they are hanging on for the moment.

UK Liberal Democrats (Nick Clegg) originated from the old Liberal Party, and used to fill the middle ground between Conservatives (Blues or Fascists for the purposes of your question) and Labour (Reds or Commies). However, as Labour moved to the centre you could even argue that the Liberal Democrats are the most left-wing of the parties now.

Anyway, as I write the number of seats are as follows:

Conservatives (Republicans) = 305
Labour (Democrats) = 258
Liberal Democrats = 57

After the first ever Prime Ministerial live debates (equivalent of your Presidential Debates) at this election it appeared that the Liberal Democrats were going to make significant gains. However "Cleggmania" didn't materialise and the Lib Dems performed very badly.

However, in order to gain a majority government i.e. an effective government, the winning party needs to gain 326 seats. Ironically, the under performing Liberal Democrats now hold the key to power. Both the Conservatives and Labour are now offering olive branches to the Lib Dems to work together and form a government. As for what "working together" means that will all be played out in the next few weeks. The Lib Dems are closer ideologically to Labour, but Clegg has kept his promise to talk first to the party with the most votes i.e. Cameron's Conservatives.

If you are looking at the maths and quite rightly notice that a Labour / Liberal coalition still doesn't reach 326 seats, there are a number of other seats that have been won by Sinn Fein (Ireland) who can't vote in Parliament because they refuse to swear allegiance to the Queen, Scottish, Welsh, and Independent winners who will also need to be drawn into the bargaining / horse trading that is about to start.

Unfortunately the idea of Commies and Fascists is a bit outdated, although it would have made the whole election more interesting!

[Paulie_Walnuts]

I just had a great idea! If it's a "hung" parliament there's only one way to decide the winner.....

If the new Prime Minister is decided by size of Johnson I predict the following result:

1st = "Big" Gordon hangs on by half an inch!
2nd = Nick Clegg has got a Spanish wife so has probably been getting a lot more action than the other two thus increasing his performance measurement.
3rd = David "Pee Wee" Cameron went to Eton public school so his "member of parliament" was probably used the wrong way as a kid. Plus, his wife's up the duff at the moment so he's not been getting any action for a while!

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

I just had a great idea! If it's a "hung" parliament there's only one way to decide the winner.....

If the new Prime Minister is decided by size of Johnson I predict the following result:

1st = "Big" Gordon hangs on by half an inch!
2nd = Nick Clegg has got a Spanish wife so has probably been getting a lot more action than the other two thus increasing his performance measurement.
3rd = David "Pee Wee" Cameron went to Eton public school so his "member of parliament" was probably used the wrong way as a kid. Plus, his wife's up the duff at the moment so he's not been getting any action for a while!

the first thing that came to mind when I read the title "hung parliament" was "that's what she said". haha.

British politicians crack me up for some reason. they get really angry and say old english words.  hilarious stuff.  

[Penny Lane]

I just had a great idea! If it's a "hung" parliament there's only one way to decide the winner.....

If the new Prime Minister is decided by size of Johnson I predict the following result:

1st = "Big" Gordon hangs on by half an inch!
2nd = Nick Clegg has got a Spanish wife so has probably been getting a lot more action than the other two thus increasing his performance measurement.
3rd = David "Pee Wee" Cameron went to Eton public school so his "member of parliament" was probably used the wrong way as a kid. Plus, his wife's up the duff at the moment so he's not been getting any action for a while!

the first thing that came to mind when I read the title "hung parliament" was "that's what she said". haha.

British politicians crack me up for some reason. they get really angry and say old english words.  hilarious stuff.  

i used to love watching Parliament sessions late at night...so much funnier and more open/honest than Congress...i wish they still wore the whigs--

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

I just had a great idea! If it's a "hung" parliament there's only one way to decide the winner.....

If the new Prime Minister is decided by size of Johnson I predict the following result:

1st = "Big" Gordon hangs on by half an inch!
2nd = Nick Clegg has got a Spanish wife so has probably been getting a lot more action than the other two thus increasing his performance measurement.
3rd = David "Pee Wee" Cameron went to Eton public school so his "member of parliament" was probably used the wrong way as a kid. Plus, his wife's up the duff at the moment so he's not been getting any action for a while!

the first thing that came to mind when I read the title "hung parliament" was "that's what she said". haha.

British politicians crack me up for some reason. they get really angry and say old english words.  hilarious stuff.  

i used to love watching Parliament sessions late at night...so much funnier and more open/honest than Congress...i wish they still wore the whigs--

haha exactly.  

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VaP1HB7Vew[/media]

[Paulie_Walnuts]

Are there no Brits on here with an opinion? This election is one of the most historic many of us are likely to experience in our lifetime! Politics is interesting for once!

Yesterdays events were amazing, and showed the true power of the parties as opposed to the "leaders" of the parties. Cameron has gone strangely quiet as the negotiations are handled by the "real" Tories: Hague, Letwin and Osborne.

Clegg pitched his preferred choice of a coalition with the Conservatives to his new MP's and they told him where to go! "We want to talk to Labour."

Labour jump at the chance to negotiate with the Lib Dems, something I think they knew would happen all along. Brown didn't look like a man panicking when he made his first statement last week; and the likes of Alastair Campbell on the news programmes has been looking assured and confident in interviews. Brown announces he's going to step down which appeases the Lib Dems and some of his own party, and the electorate!

The Tories go back on their final offer by saying they will give a referendum on the Alternative Vote system. The sight of Hague running out to throw that in before it was too late was brilliant.

I honestly think it's still 50/50 as to which way the Lib Dems will go, but I think Labour has a good strategy. A cobbled together "progressive alliance" with a new Prime Minister gets us through the next economic year with not too much pain for the tax payer. A year down the line things start to improve and the mood of the nation is on the up. Call another election and increase their majority.

I really hope we move to some sort of proportional representation. It's been a long time coming.

Any thoughts?

[AMightyCaporal]

so Cameron is the new PM eh?

[Paulie_Walnuts]

Yep. Heading a coalition of the right AND the left with Labour in the middle ground opposing! Work that one out!

It's going to be very interesting to see how this actually works over the next year or so.

[Coltrane]

I totally misinterpreted the title of this thread

uk HUNG parliament


I figured there was some inside info......

[doctorinthehouse]

I hope I'm not going to offend anybody here but those liberal democrats are a bunch of whores. Well maybe not all of them - Vince Cable has the grace to look embarrassed and Charles Kennedy wouldn't vote for an alliance with the Tories.

Have they no principles? They just waited to see which of the other two parties offered them more of what they wanted before they decided. Labour and Conservative policies are worlds apart.  I don't understand how any group could base whom they'd support on the basis of what they could get out of it and not which policies thay most agreed with.

Gordon Brown is a decent man but was a rather inept and clumsy prime minister. He was very dignified as he left office.

We'll have to wait and see how Cameron and his acolyte Clegg get on.