Friday, May 07, 2010
Postscript
It is far too early to be drawing conclusions about yesterday's General Election and I am not about to do so, although I do have a short debate on Wednesday on the need for constitutional reform.
Nick Clegg has just made a statement outside 4 Cowley Street in which he has acknowledged that the Conservatives secured the most votes and the most seats and that therefore it is up to them to prove that they are capable of running the country in the public interest.
I believe that he is absolutely right to have said this. In doing so he has avoided the mess that Jeremy Thorpe made of a similar situation in February 1974, talking to a discredited and rejected Prime Minister when it was clearly contrary to the national interest, public will and the mathematics of the House of Commons chamber.
What must be clear is that this is not a blank cheque for David Cameron to implement his manifesto. He does not have majority support amongst the public for that. If he is to govern, either as a minority or as part of some other arrangement he must compromise and listen to the clamour for a fair approach to politics, the economy and the need for constitutional reform.
How this develops is up to the Westminster politicians. The one thing they must not do is to allow the media to dictate the pace of talks to them. The time for that is past. Now we must reflect and act to get things right, no matter how long it takes.
Nick Clegg has just made a statement outside 4 Cowley Street in which he has acknowledged that the Conservatives secured the most votes and the most seats and that therefore it is up to them to prove that they are capable of running the country in the public interest.
I believe that he is absolutely right to have said this. In doing so he has avoided the mess that Jeremy Thorpe made of a similar situation in February 1974, talking to a discredited and rejected Prime Minister when it was clearly contrary to the national interest, public will and the mathematics of the House of Commons chamber.
What must be clear is that this is not a blank cheque for David Cameron to implement his manifesto. He does not have majority support amongst the public for that. If he is to govern, either as a minority or as part of some other arrangement he must compromise and listen to the clamour for a fair approach to politics, the economy and the need for constitutional reform.
How this develops is up to the Westminster politicians. The one thing they must not do is to allow the media to dictate the pace of talks to them. The time for that is past. Now we must reflect and act to get things right, no matter how long it takes.
Comments:
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Very disappointed this morning.
The electorate are idiots. I really don't mean to sound like a sore loser, but how in hell did we lose the superb Dr Evan Harris to a young music phd student who lists amongst her....erm..... "achievements" - "picketing a few post offices the last few years".
The public don't deserve good government. They vote without thinking, and in a way that will guarantee they won't get it every single chance they get. (OK, maybe THAT was me being a bit of a sore loser..... ;) )
Anyway, i'm off to play Euromillions. If I win, you can have a donation to your assembly election fund next year Peter!
The electorate are idiots. I really don't mean to sound like a sore loser, but how in hell did we lose the superb Dr Evan Harris to a young music phd student who lists amongst her....erm..... "achievements" - "picketing a few post offices the last few years".
The public don't deserve good government. They vote without thinking, and in a way that will guarantee they won't get it every single chance they get. (OK, maybe THAT was me being a bit of a sore loser..... ;) )
Anyway, i'm off to play Euromillions. If I win, you can have a donation to your assembly election fund next year Peter!
# posted by 
: 7:03 PM
: 7:03 PM
How many times in exchanges on this blog have I told you (and you have denied) that Nick Clegg is on the right of the political spectrum and given the opportunity would put the Tories into Number 10?
Please be man enough to finally admit you were wrong.
Please be man enough to finally admit you were wrong.
# posted by : 7:26 PM
: 7:26 PM
Ah john you cannay call the electorate idiots, it's a democracy after all.. yeah the weathervane following newspapers must not dictate this election and time must be taken, forget about the bankers and gilts and just ignore them..
Nick Clegg finds himself in a real position, as well as look towards the peoples vote as he say he will he must try and gauge the mood of his own party; in my unpolled opinion they would generally prefer a coalition with labour,
Just image a lab, lib dem, SNP, Plaid, Green party and Alliance (moderate Ulster party) pact, this amounts to a precarious 326 seats and a majority government,
It would be giving smaller voices an opportunity in government and would benefit Wales and Scotland, as well as the green movement, the Green Party got their first seat and polled 1% of total vote (120,000 more votes than Plaid overall)
Nick Clegg has got to really think about it. He also said that he would not make an alliance with any party who would make public service cuts. That would be the tories.
Senn welshcartoons.blogspot.com
Nick Clegg finds himself in a real position, as well as look towards the peoples vote as he say he will he must try and gauge the mood of his own party; in my unpolled opinion they would generally prefer a coalition with labour,
Just image a lab, lib dem, SNP, Plaid, Green party and Alliance (moderate Ulster party) pact, this amounts to a precarious 326 seats and a majority government,
It would be giving smaller voices an opportunity in government and would benefit Wales and Scotland, as well as the green movement, the Green Party got their first seat and polled 1% of total vote (120,000 more votes than Plaid overall)
Nick Clegg has got to really think about it. He also said that he would not make an alliance with any party who would make public service cuts. That would be the tories.
Senn welshcartoons.blogspot.com
# posted by : 8:01 PM
: 8:01 PM
Patriot, I think the election campaign that we have just fought proves beyond doubt that Nick Clegg is on the right of the political spectrum if such terms are still relevant. In my view the dividing line in British politics today is not left/right but liberal/centralist. As for putting the Tories into No. 10, that was the electorate.
The electorates are not idiots. They have given a verdict and now the Parties need to work.
I remember seeing a great election poster from the David Alton By-election.
It said something like 'Go Liberal and the others will have to listen'. How true is that today.
I have watched this election from overseas and been fascinated by it. I understand those within the LD Party must be disappointed but it was still 23% of the vote not bad for a third party in a two party system.
To come within 500 votes in a city where I was brought which was always Labour is an incredible achievement. I always thought that if ever Swansea went Liberal then the LDs would be in government.
Peter, your Party isnt perfect, still has some policy flaws but at least we, the electorate knew what your policies were.
I cannot say I am disappointed about Lembit, he was always asking for that though I feel sorry for the likes of Alex Carlile who did enough to make that seat safe for the LDs for another 100 years.
I think Clegg has done himself proud in the non tribal way he has responded and I think the electorate will remember this.
On another note it was a pleasure to see so much of David Steel on the BBC yesterday. He still shows he is calm and rational with a very sharp mind unlike Dr Owen who came across as a bitter old grandfather.
I remember seeing a great election poster from the David Alton By-election.
It said something like 'Go Liberal and the others will have to listen'. How true is that today.
I have watched this election from overseas and been fascinated by it. I understand those within the LD Party must be disappointed but it was still 23% of the vote not bad for a third party in a two party system.
To come within 500 votes in a city where I was brought which was always Labour is an incredible achievement. I always thought that if ever Swansea went Liberal then the LDs would be in government.
Peter, your Party isnt perfect, still has some policy flaws but at least we, the electorate knew what your policies were.
I cannot say I am disappointed about Lembit, he was always asking for that though I feel sorry for the likes of Alex Carlile who did enough to make that seat safe for the LDs for another 100 years.
I think Clegg has done himself proud in the non tribal way he has responded and I think the electorate will remember this.
On another note it was a pleasure to see so much of David Steel on the BBC yesterday. He still shows he is calm and rational with a very sharp mind unlike Dr Owen who came across as a bitter old grandfather.
# posted by : 9:05 AM
: 9:05 AM
"the Green Party got their first seat and polled 1% of total vote (120,000 more votes than Plaid overall)"
Because Plaid does not contest elections in England. !
However although Plaid unlike the Lib Dems did not lose any seats, I would not suggest they had a better night than the Lib Dems. The Lib Dems lost a seat in Wales but grew their vote share slightly, whereas Plaid gained a seat (or held it depending on your view of notionals) but slightly lost their vote share.
It's the Tories who 'won' and Clegg has recognised that they get to have first shot.
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Because Plaid does not contest elections in England. !
However although Plaid unlike the Lib Dems did not lose any seats, I would not suggest they had a better night than the Lib Dems. The Lib Dems lost a seat in Wales but grew their vote share slightly, whereas Plaid gained a seat (or held it depending on your view of notionals) but slightly lost their vote share.
It's the Tories who 'won' and Clegg has recognised that they get to have first shot.
# posted by : 2:16 PM
: 2:16 PM<< Home
