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UK Election Fever; A sympton of Election Gonorrhea
Topic Started: Apr 16 2010, 02:17 PM (797 Views)
Cobdenia
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1953 is the new 1932 for 2008
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Which is likely to be a Conservative minority government with an agreement with the Lib-Dems to concessions to the Lib-Dems on certain issues. With intelligence, it could work to both parties favour (Lib-Dems not shitting in the Tory swimming pool, and the Tories agreeing with the Lib-Dems on non-traditionally Tory viewpoints for things that are perhaps necessary economically)
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qumkent
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Iron Felix,May 7 2010
09:20 AM
The horse trading is interesting. Are the Lib Dems likely to join either party in a coalition? If no coalition emerges I assume Brown remains PM for a while, right? Is it likely there will be early elections? Could the Queen become involved in all of this?

There are so many variables. Ultimately if both the Tories and the Labour party fail to woo the Libs in to coalition they could have a go at running a minority government, which would see them both submitting a program of government for the Queens speech, but they would have to get these passed a vote in the commons, if they both failed to get their Queens speech program passed the commons then I'm not sure what would happen, though it would probably end up in another election sooner rather than later.


Mind you if that happened I think the electorate would be completely outraged at the incompetence of both parties. The Queen doesn't really have anything other than a ceremonial role in all this, but it is she who calls the Primeminister. I don't see her intervening to countermand the "democratic" process without there being a catastrophic collapse in the system. Electing a hung parliament would hardly count as catastrophic. :P
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Kenny
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I'm sorry, Zan, but something is troubling me about your tone: why are you gloating over the fact that the next government will be terminally weak and likely not last the year? Do you just want to teach those silly majoritarians a lesson or what?
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qumkent
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Kenny,May 7 2010
09:50 AM
I'm sorry, Zan, but something is troubling me about your tone: why are you gloating over the fact that the next government will be terminally weak and likely not last the year? Do you just want to teach those silly majoritarians a lesson or what?

Well I'll admit some excitement at the fact that the weaknesses of FPTP have been exposed, and I'm amused by how shocking and strange the British class finds the idea of having to actually work with one another rather than the usual infantile knockabout which is the traditional way.

But gloating? Not quite. I'm British by birth, and I carry a British passport, and I'm proud of where I'm from and my country. Do I want it to be weak? No. Do I want this pseudo-crisis to turn Britain in to the kind of place I could live in again one day? Yes.
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The Palentine
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The thinking man's pervert
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This is another example of the wisdom of our nation's founding fathers, to establish a Representative Republic(even with its flaws) rather than a Parlimentarian System of government. And another reason I'm glad to be American

Cue up the Lee Greenwood.....
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Kenny
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Zanjan,May 7 2010
10:58 AM
Do I want this pseudo-crisis to turn Britain in to the kind of place I could live in again one day? Yes.

Is there a particular reason why you left? If it's personal or it makes you uncomfortable to discuss publicly, you can just say so in a PM. I just don't remember you talking about this before.
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qumkent
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Kenny,May 7 2010
10:27 AM
Zanjan,May 7 2010
10:58 AM
Do I want this pseudo-crisis to turn Britain in to the kind of place I could live in again one day? Yes.

Is there a particular reason why you left? If it's personal or it makes you uncomfortable to discuss publicly, you can just say so in a PM. I just don't remember you talking about this before.

erm, it's complicated, I'll PM ya if you want more juicy stuff ;) I moved away when I was about 16. But I visit frequently to see my immediate family who all live in the south of England or London. And living in Ireland means that Britain remains a very large influence on life, it's a bit like having a particularly successful and domineering older brother who fascinates you and infuriates you in equal measure.

Britain is a bit like the US in some ways, particularly in that it can seem like its own little universe when you live in it. Moving away was so eye opening and it broadened my field of reference and my conception of the world around me.

Occasionally, normally after a particularly fun and enjoyable visit, I ask myself if I could live in Britain again, and then I think about all the things I didn't have to deal with as a visitor, the numerous unpleasantnesses and everyday irritants which are the symptoms of any country's culture and society, and I just don't feel comfortable with them.

The political culture is one of those things, and the way that culture is a reflection of how society functions in Britain. There are so many things about Britain I love, but the negatives, currently out weigh the positives, for me. A radical change in the political culture combined with changes in society in Britain would make it a lot more inviting.


If this election leads to some of those changes, then I'm extremely excited about that.
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Cobdenia
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1953 is the new 1932 for 2008
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News just in: Brown is stepping down as labour leader/PM if he remains that long - basically the Conservative-Liberal talks are going too well - most of the main points have been resolved, just electoral reform really the only remaining stumbling block, though even there it seems the compromise of AV will come in (which is fairer then the current FPTP system, and maintains the major advantages of FPTP, though does lose some of the simplicity of the current British system) and he wants to woo the Lib Dems (it won't work, the Lib Dems aren't that stupid; it would undermine any support they have and for the PR system)
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Kenny
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He's stepping down tonight. Does this mean David Miliband will try to form a government instead, or is Labor just giving up altogether?
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Cobdenia
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1953 is the new 1932 for 2008
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Brown has resigned as PM and is advising Her Majesty to ask Mr Cameron to form the new government (just announced)
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Kenny
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"Deputy prime minister"? I never knew there was such a thing.
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qumkent
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Kenny,May 12 2010
08:59 AM
"Deputy prime minister"? I never knew there was such a thing.

Yeah he should have gone for a proper Ministry, being Deputy Prime Minister is an insult frankly. I suppose it's a reflection of the fact that the Lib-Dems didn't do that well in the election.
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Cobdenia
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It's a sort of strange position. It has no real power, but depending on the deputy, it can be very influential, a complete irrelevance, a good way of dealing with the leader of troublesome backbenchers, or a role that allows one to get closer to the public and punch them
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Iron Felix
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Cobdenia,May 12 2010
12:53 PM
a role that allows one to get closer to the public and punch them

Deputy PMs can go out in public and punch people? :o

Awesome!
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qumkent
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Oh Yeah Felix look what a previous incumbent got up to one sunny day on the hustings -You wont like me when I'm angry!
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