Red, Yellow or Blue?

remus

Currently looks like the exit polls where right. Looking unlikely that any party is going to get a majority. There is talk of a labour lib dem coalition, though.

remus

And as a demonstration of why some people think the current voting system is flawed:
Conservatives have 36% of the vote and 48% of the seats
Labour have 29% of the vote and 39% of the seats
Lib dems have 23% of the vote and 8% of the seats

The percentage seats are out of the seats that have declared so far, so theyre not indicative of the final proportions.

john.warburton

@remus said:

And as a demonstration of why some people think the current voting system is flawed:
Conservatives have 36% of the vote and 48% of the seats
Labour have 29% of the vote and 39% of the seats
Lib dems have 23% of the vote and 8% of the seats

The percentage seats are out of the seats that have declared so far, so theyre not indicative of the final proportions.

It would still be a hung Parliament, though. Just what we need, political instability on top of an economic crisis.

We should run a sweep on how long it will be before the next election.

solo

It's good to know that we are not alone with our screwed up election system, I also would like to see the elimination of our Electoral college system, but alas that will never happen as if it did then the Republicans would never see the white house again.

Chris Fullmer

If its hung, the queen doesn't just get to choose who takes over?

TIG

@chris fullmer said:

If its hung, the queen doesn't just get to choose who takes over?

No, under the UK constitution [for what it's worth] when ther is no party with a clear majority of seats [currently 326] the incumbent prime-minister must first try to form a government by agreement [or coalition] with other parties = Labour+LibDems - which would give them a working majority in parliament > the Conservatives.
If he fails [and he doesn't resign earlier] then there is the 'Queen's Speech' on 25 May which could effectively be a vote of no confidence and he then must resign.
When he resigns the party with the most seats otherwise must try to make a government - this would mean the Conservative leader becoming prime-minister, he has a minority of seats. He could try to make a 'minority government', where he would have to cut back his plans and/or make deals with other parties on a one-off basis to get legislation passed. Or he could also seek to make a deal with other parties - LibDems or perhaps DUP from Ulster to give him a small majority too...
All in all a mess !

Also I don't know if you heard that there's going to be an inquiry - about hundreds of people being denied a vote - in several big cities polling stations had queues over one and a half-hours long and at 10pm if you are not inside they must lock the doors, if you are inside and haven't been handed a ballot-paper before the deadline you can't vote and you must leave ! This was despite the fact that the turn-out was typically only 60%. This system is over 130 years old and has never broken before ! Some polling stations even ran out of ballot-papers or had out of date voters' lists. UK=third-world soonest !!!

john.warburton

I don't think a Labour + LibDem coalition would have a majority either!

Mike Lucey

Been following the fallout on Sky on and off today. Looks to me that we will see a ConLib deal being struck. Also the bookies think this is what will happen and those guys are normally right.

PR is a fair system and it looks like the British public will have to vote on it fairly soon. Hey, join the club! Most of Europe operates this system and it works most of the time.

Mike Lucey

.... just watching Cameron talking on Sky. No mention of a PR referendum on the table ... yet! He will have to put this on the table if he wants to live in No.10

solo

I'd love to be a fly on the wall while they negotiate in some back room.

TIG

As it turned out by the time all of the results were in this afternoon Lab+Lib-Dems still doesn't give Gordon Brown a full majority - but with a few minority parties added in and some NI parties never attending Westminster it might just work... BUT in a twist the Conservatives are courting the Lib-Dems first, with Labour saying they'll speak with anyone to try and resolve this impasse [please!].
We live in interesting times...

dale

This may require a new poll with only two choices: orange or green

Picture 209.jpg

olishea

go blue wooooooooooo!

lol did anyone else see the value of the £ instantly drop as soon as gordon brown announced he was going to stay in power? (within a minute it dropped by a cent)

olishea

david cameron is now officially prime minister!

solo

Was watching BBC last night, looks like a love fest over there, the Lib-cons are lovey-dovey, optimistic and giddy with each other...wonder how long this will last?

TIG

@solo said:

Was watching BBC last night, looks like a love fest over there, the Lib-cons are lovey-dovey, optimistic and giddy with each other...wonder how long this will last?

'Weeks' - at least... but we do have five years to go !