UK General Election

Burning Down · 05-07-2010, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

Actually, im not entirely sure about what happens now as there has never been a hung parliament in my lifetime. As seen as one party hasnt taken a clear majority then the party that "wins" the election has the most seats but doesnt necessarily take power.

Sounds like a minority government. We've had minority governments in Canada for way too long (I can only remember one clear majority government in the last 15 years). For example, right now the Conservatives are in power because they hold more seats than the other 3 parties (meaning they are in power), but the other parties hold more seats than the Conservatives combined. I think it's hard to anticipate when/if we will have another majority government in the near future because there are too many parties.

Of course, our government is an exact model of your Westminster system, except we don't use the term "hung parliament". According to one of my political science textbooks, this is how it works in Britain:

Quote:

If no party holds a majority of seats and there is no formal coalition, a party leader with a large bloc of seats will be asked to form a government. Such a situation is referred to as a minority government or a "hung parliament", and this government is entitled to govern as long as a majority in the Commons supports it, or at least does not defeat it.

Burning Down · 05-07-2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

Wont the conservatives be unable to pass a law without agreement from other parties? Which is unlikely to ever happen.

Sorry, I left out this part. They will only be able to pass a law or any other motion if they get the other parties to agree on it. This is unlikely to happen unless it is a pressing issue, but if the party in power is lucky enough to get full support from the Opposition, it will likely go through. In Canada some minority governments have been forced to call an election in the middle of the term to try and win the majority in order to pass the bill. This has happened two or three times in the past 10 years here.

Mojo · 05-07-2010, 12:00 PM

Hmm thanks for that. Thats pretty much how i either understood or assumed things would operate in a hung parliament, having never seen one for myself here. Im still not sure what happens with our PM though because we have a Labour PM in No.10 and Labour didnt win this election. However neither did the conservatives conclusively. Is that enough to put David Cameron in No.10 i wonder or would he need to form a coalition with the Lib Dems for this to happen? It has to be enough surely?

Burning Down · 05-08-2010, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojopinuk

Hmm thanks for that. Thats pretty much how i either understood or assumed things would operate in a hung parliament, having never seen one for myself here. Im still not sure what happens with our PM though because we have a Labour PM in No.10 and Labour didnt win this election. However neither did the conservatives conclusively. Is that enough to put David Cameron in No.10 i wonder or would he need to form a coalition with the Lib Dems for this to happen? It has to be enough surely?

He probably doesn't need to form an official coalition government, but in that case the majority of the opposition has to support the governing party. Coalition governments are sketchy and there is a high turnover of parliament members because elections are being called left and right. Italy is like that - I believe they've had coalition governments ever since the fall of Mussolini.

loveissucide · 05-08-2010, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burning Down

He probably doesn't need to form an official coalition government, but in that case the majority of the opposition has to support the governing party. Coalition governments are sketchy and there is a high turnover of parliament members because elections are being called left and right. Italy is like that - I believe they've had coalition governments ever since the fall of Mussolini.

Ireland's the same, only 3/4 times since the war has there been a majority win.

right-track · 05-10-2010, 11:50 AM

Looks like Gordon Brown is to step down as Prime Minister. Talk about a rat leaving a sinking ship!
And who'd have thought Lib Dem would have sold themselves out with what looks to become a Tory/Lib Dem alliance?
None on these boards, according to the poll.

littleknowitall · 05-10-2010, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littleknowitall

The Liberal Democrats seem to be getting stronger as a candidate for the win every day. Didn't see it coming.

Well now I feel stupid.

Anyway, they announced a conservative/ Lib Dem coalition yet or are the Lib Dem's still trying to screw some more out of them. Anyone else a little scared now that the conservatives are back in power? Woke up that morning and was immediately reminded of a Rowan Atkinson Sketch I saw once.

right-track · 05-10-2010, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littleknowitall

Anyone else a little scared now that the conservatives are back in power? Woke up that morning and was immediately reminded of a Rowan Atkinson Sketch I saw once.

I lived/survived through the worst years of Thatcherism.
Scared? I'm ready for a revolution!

right-track · 05-10-2010, 04:59 PM

So this is what has become of our once proud nation.
As if things weren't bad enough already!
Only in this country could a minority party hold court over two dominant factions.
It now seems that Cegg has been having sneaky meets with Labour, while the Tory's have been bending over backwards to desperately accommodate him.
The whole election has descended into a complete farce.

To say Nick Clegg looks smug is an understatement. Not bad for a man who's come a poor last in a 3 horse race.

The first party to tell him to fuck off gets my vote in the next election!

right-track · 05-10-2010, 05:26 PM

To avoid this farcical situation ever happening again!

I present to the nation...R.T.'s radical election reform bill:

THE GENERAL ELECTION WORLD CUP (OK, so the title needs a bit more work)

Group 1
Conservative Party
Democratic Unionist Party
UKIP
Social Democratic Party

Group 2
Liberal Democrats
Scottish National Party
Alliance Party
Scottish Green Party

Group 3
Labour Party
Progressive Unionist Party
The Green Party
Green Party Ulster

Group 4 (The Group of Death)
BNP
Sinn Fein
Plaid Cymru
Ulster Unionist Party

Group matches to be voted on over a 4 year period. (One group per year)

Winners of each group progress to the semi-final stage to be concluded in the first quarter of the 5th year.
The winners of which progress to a 2 party Grand Final staged during the last quarter of the same year.

^ Less ridiculous than the current process and twice the fun.

View Poll Results: What do MB members think the General Election result will be?
Tory win outright	1	10.00%
Labour win outright	2	20.00%
Liberal Democrat win outright	0	0%
Labour/Lib Dem coalition	4	40.00%
Atari Jaguar	3	30.00%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 10. You may not vote on this poll

05-07-2010, 12:00 PM	#33 (permalink)
Mojo Melancholia Eternally Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: England Posts: 5,018	Hmm thanks for that. Thats pretty much how i either understood or assumed things would operate in a hung parliament, having never seen one for myself here. Im still not sure what happens with our PM though because we have a Labour PM in No.10 and Labour didnt win this election. However neither did the conservatives conclusively. Is that enough to put David Cameron in No.10 i wonder or would he need to form a coalition with the Lib Dems for this to happen? It has to be enough surely? __________________ Last.FM \| Echoes and Dust

05-10-2010, 11:50 AM	#36 (permalink)
right-track Atchin' Akai Join Date: May 2005 Location: Unamerica Posts: 8,723	Looks like Gordon Brown is to step down as Prime Minister. Talk about a rat leaving a sinking ship! And who'd have thought Lib Dem would have sold themselves out with what looks to become a Tory/Lib Dem alliance? None on these boards, according to the poll.

05-10-2010, 04:59 PM	#39 (permalink)
right-track Atchin' Akai Join Date: May 2005 Location: Unamerica Posts: 8,723	So this is what has become of our once proud nation. As if things weren't bad enough already! Only in this country could a minority party hold court over two dominant factions. It now seems that Cegg has been having sneaky meets with Labour, while the Tory's have been bending over backwards to desperately accommodate him. The whole election has descended into a complete farce. To say Nick Clegg looks smug is an understatement. Not bad for a man who's come a poor last in a 3 horse race. The first party to tell him to fuck off gets my vote in the next election!

05-10-2010, 05:26 PM	#40 (permalink)
right-track Atchin' Akai Join Date: May 2005 Location: Unamerica Posts: 8,723	To avoid this farcical situation ever happening again! I present to the nation...R.T.'s radical election reform bill: THE GENERAL ELECTION WORLD CUP (OK, so the title needs a bit more work) Group 1 Conservative Party Democratic Unionist Party UKIP Social Democratic Party Group 2 Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Alliance Party Scottish Green Party Group 3 Labour Party Progressive Unionist Party The Green Party Green Party Ulster Group 4 (The Group of Death) BNP Sinn Fein Plaid Cymru Ulster Unionist Party Group matches to be voted on over a 4 year period. (One group per year) Winners of each group progress to the semi-final stage to be concluded in the first quarter of the 5th year. The winners of which progress to a 2 party Grand Final staged during the last quarter of the same year. ^ Less ridiculous than the current process and twice the fun.