Gordon Brown must go ....

[Doggy Styles]

Like any government, they have a moral obligation to call an election at precisely the same time as they have a legal obligation to do so. To suggest otherwise is to claim that our Constitution is at fault: I don't think it is.

Oh, and it is normal, even for the Tories, for a new party leader of a sitting government to become the new Prime Minister without holding an election. That too is how our Constitution works. The Prime Minister is not elected by popular vote.

Them's the rules. When John Major became PM he put off an election as long as he could too.

[tim123]

The fact is that if there are sufficient seats for Labour and the Lib/Dems to form a majority, they will. If people don't want Labour in again then they should not vote Lib/Dem in a seat where the Tories would probably otherwise win.

But unless Labour is the largest party (unlikely) if there are enough seats for Lib/Lab to form a coalition there will also be enough seats for a Lib/Tory coalition.

The Libs know that forming a coalition with the most unpopular party will see them blamed for keeping them in, so they probably won't do it.

Also, if the Tories are the largest party, but without a majority, you could see them trying to run a minority government (it what's happening in Scotland).

If the Libs dared not to support the Tories is on important issues you could see a new election and the Libs wiped out.

Siding with the unpopular party is a risky strategy.

tim

[Doggy Styles]

Aha! Good point tim. I'm with you there, old boy.

What would the libs have to gain by choosing labour over tory, eh? The libs are just as critical of labour as the tories are.

[swamp]

Them's the rules. When John Major became PM he put off an election as long as he could too.

No he didn't.

He called an election and won. Then he stayed in power for the maximum 5 year term and he was annihilated.

[expat]

No he didn't.

He called an election and won.

Bollocks. He was appointed PM on 28th November 1990, and ultimately called an election for 9th April 1992. Since the previous election had been in 1987, 1992 was the latest year till which he could put it off.

[Doggy Styles]

Them's the rules. When John Major became PM he put off an election as long as he could too.

No he didn't.

He called an election and won.

I think you'll find, as I said, that he only called the 1992 election because he had to, according to the constitution. It was the end of the maximum 5 year term. He was behind in the polls at the time he called it, so he would not have called it otherwise.

[Cyberman]

But unless Labour is the largest party (unlikely) if there are enough seats for Lib/Lab to form a coalition there will also be enough seats for a Lib/Tory coalition.

The Libs know that forming a coalition with the most unpopular party will see them blamed for keeping them in, so they probably won't do it.

Also, if the Tories are the largest party, but without a majority, you could see them trying to run a minority government (it what's happening in Scotland).

If the Libs dared not to support the Tories is on important issues you could see a new election and the Libs wiped out.

Siding with the unpopular party is a risky strategy.

tim

Whilst I take your point, history shows that Lib Dems align with Labour, and there has never been a Lib/Tory pact in my lifetime. It is taking one hell of a risk to think they would form a coalition with the Tories.
Labour is not necessarily that unpopular either. There are the unions, public sector workers and welfare claimants, and many northerners that will support them through thick and thin.
It is aready well known that the Tories need to get 10% more votes than Labour just to win the same number of seats as Labour.