Reply to: Both parties are trying to 'lose' in a hung parliament

[Gonzo]

I will put money on it those Lib Dem treehuggers side with Labour in an event of a hung parliament.

Some sort of Lib-Lab pact to keep a Labour government without an overall majority in power?

Haven't I heard of something like that before?

[Incognito]

Actually, in a hung parliament the sitting PM remains in post until it is proven that someone else can form a workable majority, alone or in partnership with another party. We don't lose Gay Gorgon just becuiase he lost the election - which is a bit of a depressing thought...

I will put money on it those Lib Dem treehuggers side with Labour in an event of a hung parliament.

[TimberWolf]

Sadly, to achieve all of that at the same time would require one of those paradox machines that the Master had made in the Tardis in Doctor Who the other night.

True, but isn't that what fiat currencies achieve anyway, they slowly inflate, and why the gold standard was ditched?

[Doggy Styles]

Yeah, I suppose for many people inflating away debt and holding onto their houses and jobs is preferable to interest rate hikes, austerity and loss of job and home. They'd prefer a run on the Pound.

Like a bloke with emphysema having one last cigarette. Then another...

[HairyArsedBloke]

Yeah, I suppose for many people inflating away debt and holding onto their houses and jobs is preferable to interest rate hikes, austerity and loss of job and home. They'd prefer a run on the Pound.

Sadly, to achieve all of that at the same time would require one of those paradox machines that the Master had made in the Tardis in Doctor Who the other night.

[TimberWolf]

It depends on your point of view.

There are really people that think continuing to rack up debt to support government spending is absolutely the right thing to do in the circumstances.

There are also some people that think if the worst comes to the worst then they can always inflate the debt away.

Yeah, I suppose for many people inflating away debt and holding onto their houses and jobs is preferable to interest rate hikes, austerity and loss of job and home. They'd prefer a run on the Pound.

[Gonzo]

I can't imagine that any government has been handed such a poisoned chalice before. Not just because of how bad things are likely to become reality shortly after election and after the phony recession ends, but because I don't feel the population appreciate that. Most people think the recession is over, I feel.

It depends on your point of view.

There are really people that think continuing to rack up debt to support government spending is absolutely the right thing to do in the circumstances.

There are also some people that think if the worst comes to the worst then they can always inflate the debt away.

[TimberWolf]

I can't imagine that any government has been handed such a poisoned chalice before. Not just because of how bad things are likely to become reality shortly after election and after the phony recession ends, but because I don't feel the population appreciate that. Most people think the recession is over, I feel.

[Waldorf]

He'd appoint Ed Balls as chancellor, and there'd be a run on sterling within days, no wait, within _a_ day.

WHS

[Gonzo]

It would be interesting to speculate what would happen if Gordon won the election outright, without a hung parliament, as unlikely as that is. What would happen to Sterling (immediate crash?), would he implement the savage cuts that many believe believe are necessary? Would we soon be doomed? And given the position we are in, would it be much better under the Tories?

He would have to.

It will be a condition of borrowing money from the IMF once the financial markets no longer support the government deficit.

The same thing happened to Callaghan / Healey in the seventies.

[TimberWolf]

He'd appoint Ed Balls as chancellor, and there'd be a run on sterling within days, no wait, within _a_ day.

I'm not so certain a run on Sterling won't happen sooner than that. Mind you, I'm a bit jumpy because most of my savings are still in £ in a UK bank.

[OwlHoot]

It would be interesting to speculate what would happen if Gordon won the election outright, without a hung parliament, as unlikely as that is. What would happen to Sterling (immediate crash?), would he implement the savage cuts that many believe believe are necessary? Would we soon be doomed? And given the position we are in, would it be much better under the Tories?

He'd appoint Ed Balls as chancellor, and there'd be a run on sterling within days, no wait, within _a_ day.

[TimberWolf]

It would be interesting to speculate what would happen if Gordon won the election outright, without a hung parliament, as unlikely as that is. What would happen to Sterling (immediate crash?), would he implement the savage cuts that many believe believe are necessary? Would we soon be doomed? And given the position we are in, would it be much better under the Tories?

[centurian]

While it is a nice idea for a moment, practically, I don't think that it is possible for anyone to engineer a general election result to that degree of precision.

Agreed, but whether by intention or not, the Tories are certainly heading in that direction

[centurian]

If there's ever an election worth losing, then this one is it...