Bollitics: The General Election 2010 Exit Poll

[Richard]

Pretty much agree, it's not really a good time to govern at the moment. If I was Labour I would sit and wait and come back stronger with a good leader as you say. There is opportunity here to make the Tories life hell if the votes are close in the commons. "Call me Dave" promised change but the best he can hope for is to limp along wounded for a couple of years delivering virtually nothing.

so just to verify you would rather the country was made worse so labour could come back in?

if people had faith in labour they would have won this election. i think its silly for anyone to want another party to fail so another oen comes in. for me i wnat WHOEVER is in power to sort this mess out

A bot of that I think but also, and this is the bigger bit, Labour supporters trying to put a brave face on what happened last Thursday and convince themselves that everyone still wants a Labour government

The election last week is very much like the election of 92 , in many ways. A government in power for three terms / 13 years, the country facing econonmic difficulties (to a much larger degree because we have had 13 years of Labour spend and tax and borrow) and a ruling Party who had changed it's leader two years previously. However (and this is why that youtibe from Brown was so interesting and revealing) despite being way ahead in the polls during that election Labour failed to ensure that the Conservatives didn't get a majority, they came nowhere near. This time the government lost it''s majority and the Conservatives became the largest single party, by far. Interesting was that in 92 the Tories one despite the economic difficulties, something many said could not be done.

[mjmooney]

BREAKING NEWS "I can reveal that the Liberal Democrat negotiating team met over the weekend not just with the Tories but, in secret, with a team from Labour consisting of Peter Mandelson, Ed Miliband, Ed Balls and Andrew Adonis", says the BBC's political editor Nick Robinson. "So far, I can get no official comment from either party about what was discussed".

No Brown, I see. Looks like Milliband makes his play.

[mjmooney]

If there was another election now the Conservatives would get a landslide

Actually, this might be Cameron's strategy. Stumble along with the LibDems for a while, and then blame them for all the problems and call a snap election in the hope that they'll get a majority.

[Amsterdam_Neil_D]

Pretty much agree, it's not really a good time to govern at the moment. If I was Labour I would sit and wait and come back stronger with a good leader as you say. There is opportunity here to make the Tories life hell if the votes are close in the commons. "Call me Dave" promised change but the best he can hope for is to limp along wounded for a couple of years delivering virtually nothing.

so just to verify you would rather the country was made worse so labour could come back in?

if people had faith in labour they would have won this election. i think its silly for anyone to want another party to fail so another oen comes in. for me i wnat WHOEVER is in power to sort this mess out

Apologies, I was not on a wind up.... I was just thinking about a strategy Labour could use. If people had faith in the Tories they would not be having desperate meetings with the LibDems, it can be spun either way and that's the problem the election result. The problem the Tories have is that there is a big slice of the population that cannot for any reason ever vote for them. Once the Tories work out why they are half way there.

From an opposition point of view I would think they all want the others to fail, it's about winning and losing after all.

[Jon]

I would think they all want the others to fail, it's about winning and losing after all.

shouldn't be. It should be about what is best for the country.

This is where party politics is plain wrong

[Ads]

Tony - changing policies to suit aims is clearly a Tory trait

Says the man who supports Labour, who after the Jenkins commission came out simply brushed it under the carpet all those years ago.

Perhaps an even greater irony being that Brown was part of the block of Labour MP's that did the sweeping.

[bickster]

If there was another election now the Conservatives would get a landslide

Hmm I'd sugest quite respectfully that this is in fact a load of codswallop, what would happen is that the Lib Dem vote would get utterly squeezed as long as Labour without Brown at the helm promised electoral reform because the amount of Lib Dem supporters that are currently mightily pissed off that Clegg and Cameron are actually talking is immense. And between them they got considerably more of the share of the vote than the Conservatives in fact between them they got 53% of the popular vote.

I honestly think that if Clegg does jump into bed with Cameron the Lib Dem's will implode in a most spectacular manner

[mjmooney]

If a deal is agreed between Messrs Cameron and Clegg, the Lib Dems' so-called "triple lock" procedure comes into play. Mr Clegg must get support from at least three-quarters of his MPs, and also three-quarters of the Federal Executive - made up of activists, regional representatives and a handful of MPs and peers. If he does, the deal goes ahead. If he can't, a special conference of party members is convened to vote on the deal. If that also fails to produce a two-thirds majority, Mr Clegg has to consult all members of his party and must get the consent of a majority to proceed.

Can't see it happening.

[Ads]

Its inevitable things will get far worse for most under the conservatives. The good thing about this hung parliament is that it will fall down with in 12 - 18 months and another election will be called. This at least ensures that the Tories won't get anywhere near a full term but just long enough for people to again see them for the useless spineless look after the few **** over the many party they are and they will once again not be elected for many, many years.

Welcome to the world of the left .... blinkers compulsory ..

well if nothing else you proved my post to be correct ..Thanks :-)

Apparently you get a side of outdated rhetoric with those blinkers.

[bickster]

If a deal is agreed between Messrs Cameron and Clegg, the Lib Dems' so-called "triple lock" procedure comes into play. Mr Clegg must get support from at least three-quarters of his MPs, and also three-quarters of the Federal Executive - made up of activists, regional representatives and a handful of MPs and peers. If he does, the deal goes ahead. If he can't, a special conference of party members is convened to vote on the deal. If that also fails to produce a two-thirds majority, Mr Clegg has to consult all members of his party and must get the consent of a majority to proceed.

Can't see it happening.

Yep, if those are the hoops he has to jump through there is no way he'll get approval

[Ads]

I honestly think that if Clegg does jump into bed with Cameron the Lib Dem's will implode in a most spectacular manner

Conversely, if they don’t move into power after 90 years, as Portillio said, what would be the point of the party? A role in government could give the Liberals the sort of legitimacy that they crave.

It will be interesting to see what happens with regards to Labour and how they try and re-build now that the Third-Way coalition vote has ended.

[drat01]

Tony - changing policies to suit aims is clearly a Tory trait

Says the man who supports Labour, who after the Jenkins commission came out simply brushed it under the carpet all those years ago.

Perhaps an even greater irony being that Brown was part of the block of Labour MP's that did the sweeping.

Are you living in some sort of parallel universe?

Yes I voted Labour but does that mean that I have to swear to follow every one of their policies and actions? I notice that you use the word "support" - you treat this as some sort of game maybe? Or is this another Ads causing problems post?

Maybe you can actually add something to this conversation and say why as a Tory party member you feel comfortable with the concessions that Cameron will obviously have to make, or would you be unhappy and want a minority Tory gvmt in power? - note: concessions and changes to policies that Cameron and the media climbed all over Clegg only a couple of days back

[Ads]

Tony - changing policies to suit aims is clearly a Tory trait

Says the man who supports Labour, who after the Jenkins commission came out simply brushed it under the carpet all those years ago.

Perhaps an even greater irony being that Brown was part of the block of Labour MP's that did the sweeping.

Are you living in some sort of parallel universe?

Yes I voted Labour but does that mean that I have to swear to follow every one of their policies and actions? I notice that you use the word "support" - you treat this as some sort of game maybe? Or is this another Ads causing problems post?

Sorry, I must be living in the parallel universe where you aren’t a solid Labour voter. I’m sorry if calling you a Labour supporter is offensive to you.

Back to the point though, I find it rich to talk about Tory flip-flopping when we saw the great broom sweep of the Jenkins report following the 1997 victory. A commission that actually played down its recommendations in the hope that it would stand a greater chance of being implemented. If a landslide, 100 plus majority isn’t a mandate for reform, then God knows what is.

[Demitri_C]

Apologies, I was not on a wind up.... I was just thinking about a strategy Labour could use. If people had faith in the Tories they would not be having desperate meetings with the LibDems, it can be spun either way and that's the problem the election result. The problem the Tories have is that there is a big slice of the population that cannot for any reason ever vote for them. Once the Tories work out why they are half way there.

From an opposition point of view I would think they all want the others to fail, it's about winning and losing after all

no probhlem neil. i think its all down to probably the fact that they are deemed as racist and posh/stuck up. dont think people like that

but theres a load of people that will never vote labour either. thats politics

Conversely, if they don’t move into power after 90 years, as Portillio said, what would be the point of the party? A role in government could give the Liberals the sort of legitimacy that they crave.

i agree with you ads. what is the point of the lib dems if they will never come to power? they are as much use as the greens

this is the best chance they will get in my eyes. i think with labour the only problem is you will have so many different parties in it the amount of squabbling it wont last and their would have to be another election and the tories would just humilate them in that

[bickster]

I honestly think that if Clegg does jump into bed with Cameron the Lib Dem's will implode in a most spectacular manner

Conversely, if they don’t move into power after 90 years, as Portillio said, what would be the point of the party? A role in government could give the Liberals the sort of legitimacy that they crave.

It will be interesting to see what happens with regards to Labour and how they try and re-build now that the Third-Way coalition vote has ended.

How patronisingly idiotic that post is and Portillo's opinion. See this is why politicians are tossers. Maybe, just maybe the ordinary Lib Dem supporter believes in something which isn't about "Power", the only people that talk about "power" are those that want it and crave it, the politicians themselves. What Lib Dems and a large proportion of the population want is some form of electoral reform because this system is clearly broken (because of said power crazed tossers), they want some form of consensus politics, that so far is how the people have spoken in their voting and that to a degree is the point right now of the Lib Dem party

[drat01]

Being a Labour voter is not offensive at all, and despite the results in the election my views have changed not one bit about what is right and correct. I notice you won't answer the flip / flop on policy and working with the Lib Dems and how you reconcile working with a party who only a few days ago you were totally anti.

You can try and try with deflection re the Jenkins report, but I suppose it's only to be expected.

[drat01]

i agree with you ads. what is the point of the lib dems if they will never come to power? they are as much use as the greens

Bloody hell Dem - what a patronising statement that comes across as.

[Ads]

Maybe you can actually add something to this conversation and say why as a Tory party member you feel comfortable with the concessions that Cameron will obviously have to make, or would you be unhappy and want a minority Tory gvmt in power? - note: concessions and changes to policies that Cameron and the media climbed all over Clegg only a couple of days back

I comment on what I find interesting, within the rules, the same as everybody else. If you have a specific query for me then I’d be happy to discuss it.

With regards to the concessions, I think everybody is aware that a consensus has to be reached and so ground must be given on both sides. Given the number of seats the conservatives won, I feel they have less to give. That said I wouldn’t be unhappy with some of the Liberal tax reforms with regards to the poorest people in society. You won’t find many conservatives complaining about tax breaks. What does worry me is whether it’s affordable and I have my doubts as to whether the Lib Dems loophole plans are actually workable.

I’m also happy to see the Lib Dems idea’s on individual liberty, as I feel that our civil liberties have been greatly eroded in these past few parliaments.

I agree with their armed forces pay increase, as defence is a key issue personally for me, but I don’t agree with their stance on Trident, which I’ve written a fair bit about already. I think a Strategic Defence review would be valid though and by all means discuss it.

I would be strongly opposed to electoral reform if it means moving from a pluralist system to a proportional one. I don’t think it’s a critical issue and I don’t think they’ll get it from the discussions. I also disagree with them on Europe, but then I don’t see that as being an issue.

By the same token, I feel a Conservative minority government could work as well, due to the problems any party would face in opposing the Conservative deficit plan at the subsequent election.

[Ads]

Lib Dem supporter believes in something which isn't about "Power"

Well then they’re the idiots. You cannot effect change without first having power. If the Lib Dems want to see their policies implemented, then they have to be in government. If they don’t crave power, then what is their point?

[Demitri_C]

Bloody hell Dem - what a patronising statement that comes across as.

ok point out to me when have lib dems won a majority in the last 20-30 years? never, they really dont stand much of a chance of ever getting into power. alot of people feel this way but are too scared to admit it. the ebst way way for them is a coalition thats the truth as sad as it is to say as i actually like nick clegg.

as shown people are scared to vote for them for whatever reason, even with labour and tories both not having very convincing leaders. brown is unpopular as ever and still lib dems couldnt capatilse on that

everyone was going clegg-mania and they did worse than last election!!!