State of the parties as 2015 General Election looms.

[P. G. Tipps]

I have always considered the people i've slept with to be more or less people who's views I would endorse.

Now, I had never thought of you as being that boringly conservative, Mr GongGong!

Do you require a signature from your aspirant bedfellows as well ... ?

[P. G. Tipps]

In what sense? The LibDems decided that they supported Tory policies more than Labour, and that the Tories offered a better 'deal'. By entering into a coalition (in which they were a junior/minority member) they enabled a Tory-led government, which was bound to enact Tory policies. If that isn't backing them, I don't know what is.

Labour was in no fit state to form any sort of government. I suspect Clegg & Co considered a glass three-quarters empty is still preferable to a completely empty one?

I would tend to endorse that view ...

[french frank]

It seems some in the same Party would rather keep their hands nice and clean in eternal opposition than getting them dirty in government? Opposition is easy, Government a quite different kettle of fish.

It would certainly have made life easier.

Those who imagine coalition would have been any different with Labour are deluding themselves, imo.

It certainly wouldn't have been any different tuition fee-wise!

[MrGongGong]

It certainly wouldn't have been any different tuition fee-wise!

What was Vic and Bob's Catchphrase ? :wink:

[P. G. Tipps]

What was Vic and Bob's Catchphrase ? :wink:

If it was anything like their usual stuff I bet it was remarkably witless ... :groan:

[french frank]

What was Vic and Bob's Catchphrase ? :wink:

No idea ...

[MrGongGong]

You wouldn't let it lie! - Proclaimed when one of the guests mentions one of his dark secrets or dubious activities.

.

[french frank]

You wouldn't let it lie!

I must remember that one - I'm sure it will come in useful before long!

[visualnickmos]

But of course the Lib Dems did not 'back the Tories' ...

They absolutely did - not in those words, but in reality, that is what has happened. Clegg is only the deputy pm, and his party make up only a very small part of the governing 'bloc' in parliament, so he and his LibDems have no real power whatsoever.

[visualnickmos]

Labour was in no fit state to form any sort of government.

Why not?

[Serial_Apologist]

Why not?

Well they could have run a minority government, but both Gordon Brown's demeanour and the preemptoriness of his exit from No 10 said everything really. Harriet Harman could as deputy leader of the Party have stepped in as temporary PM, and enough voices summoned within and outwith the party folds to pre-empt Ed Millband's leadership; but the maths was such that not enough votes would have been guaranteed for a majority in the event of a parliamentary challenge: it would have been better had the Tories had to face this reality and themselves run a minority government.

[P. G. Tipps]

They absolutely did - not in those words, but in reality, that is what has happened. Clegg is only the deputy pm, and his party make up only a very small part of the governing 'bloc' in parliament, so he and his LibDems have no real power whatsoever.

Sorry I beg to differ ... the whole point of the Coalition from a Lib Dem point-of-view was that they could get some influence in government.

You only have to listen to some of the right-wing Tories in parliament to realise how much they despise this Coalition as well!

[P. G. Tipps]

Why not?

Well, Liam Byrne's scribbled note to his successor saying 'sorry, there's no money left' might provide some sort of clue ... ?

Even if it was meant to be a joke it was in very poor taste considering the dire economic shambles left by Labour.

[teamsaint]

Well, Liam Byrne's scribbled note to his successor saying 'sorry, there's no money left' might provide some sort of clue ... ?

Even if it was meant to be a joke it was in very poor taste considering the dire economic shambles left by the banks.

I have corrected that for you, T bag.

Economic business as normal, ( although whether normal is a good thing is another matter), until the bank failures and bail out sent public finance and the economy into the abyss.

[visualnickmos]

I have corrected that for you, T bag.

Economic business as normal, ( although whether normal is a good thing is another matter), until the bank failures and bail out sent public finance and the economy into the abyss.

Spot on TS, spot on. Need I say more.....