tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post1228059796519382457..comments2023-10-27T07:50:27.411+01:00Comments on Next Left: The party of coalition in British politics? The Tories (obviously)Tom Hampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917325958130851128noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-2591106076935875832010-04-21T17:07:25.234+01:002010-04-21T17:07:25.234+01:00Sunder, absolutely, was symbolic in many respects,...Sunder, absolutely, was symbolic in many respects, <i>except</i> it did give Tories access to constituencies and voters that would never ever vote Tory; areas in the Highlands, etc.<br /><br />It essentially became pointless with the introduction of FPTP for all seats, before that many seats used Block Voting and there were alliance slates in places (in some, Liberals, Nat Libs and Cons all put up one candidate each to LAbour's two; evidence was a lot of Lib voters supported Labour with second vote, but Tory and Nat Lib voters split all over the place).<br /><br />Myth that current electoral system is traditional is just that; coalitions were the norm until FPTP gave one party dominance as an option.MatGBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02821264556751176639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-51130927308271804102010-04-21T15:29:54.798+01:002010-04-21T15:29:54.798+01:00MatGB,
Thanks, Great point about the National Lib...MatGB,<br /><br />Thanks, Great point about the National Liberals in the 1950s Cabinets. As with the turned down offer in 1951, it is an example of the voluntary cross-party arrangement and coalition, though I think the argument that this is fairly symbolic is a fair one.Sunder Katwalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06671411534003530927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-36113825415152180272010-04-21T14:10:54.728+01:002010-04-21T14:10:54.728+01:00I hope we get a Lib Dem - Tory coalition in the ev...I hope we get a Lib Dem - Tory coalition in the event of a hung parliament. The voting evidence suggests it is the logical one although I guess electoral reform will be the stumbling block - http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mpsee.php<br /><br />Still, it would give Labour the chance to demonstrate that the Lib Dems are essentially a party of the centre-right in a way that we are not, to renew our policies, and to reach out to those genuinely progressive MPs who have, by some mischance, ended up in the Lib Dems. A half dozen at the moment but maybe more like 15 in a party of 100.<br /><br />Still, I see that, after the white flag was run up yesterday, Progress are now running openly pro-LD pro-coalition articles. If the last hope of Labour as an independent party is Ed Balls then I'm even more worried than I was yesterday.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-30945708219592655482010-04-21T13:50:13.018+01:002010-04-21T13:50:13.018+01:00*cough*
Tories were in an electoral pact and coal...*cough*<br /><br />Tories were in an electoral pact and coalition with the National Liberal Party until the NatLibs voted to merge into the Conservative and Unionists in the 60s. There were two NatLibs in Cabinet until MAc sacked them in the night of the long knives (Hill and Maclay).<br /><br />Some say a pre-election pact isn't a coalition, this is bollocks, two parties at the cabinet table makes a coalition.MatGBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02821264556751176639noreply@blogger.com