The rise of the Lib Dems

[Puggit]

...throws up some interesting future scenarios.

It looks like there is a very real threat of the Lib Dems taking huge chunks of the popular vote from the Labour Party, and leaving Labour in 3rd place in the election. I'm no LD fan, but this is good news.

This in turn throws up the likelihood of Labour coming 3rd in terms of votes, but remaining the largest party in terms of seats. This is not so good.

What are we likely to see happen if Labour do win the most seats but 3rd largest vote?

[Puggit]

thinfourth2 said:

Puggit said:

This in turn throws up the likelihood of Labour coming 3rd in terms of votes, but remaining the largest party in terms of seats. This is not so good.

In some ways that is the dream situation followed by a nice revolution and winky hanging from a lampost

[Puggit]

Nick Clegg refuses to prop up 'irrelevant' Brown

I should have read the Sunday Times before starting this thread

[Puggit]

peterpeter said:

Puggit said:

Nick Clegg refuses to prop up 'irrelevant' Brown

I should have read the Sunday Times before starting this thread

he is on bbc with Andrew Marr now.

And Cbeebies is on our telly

[Puggit]

I did catch the last few minutes on bbc (online) - I like Clegg's message. I like it from an anti-Labour point of view. He's trying to appeal to the people who kicked Major out in 97 because they liked Bliar's fresh message.

I see the LD's taking those votes, and working with the Tories as the strongest way forward from the point where we are now, and the creation of an irrelevant Labour party.

[Puggit]

I'm not saying I want a LibDem government, far from it. But with the current situation, with all the parties sharing the vote, a LibDem/Tory coalition seems to be the best fit. It could destroy the Labour Party, and consign them to years in the wilderness.

We could soon end up with the Tories in power and LibDems in opposition.

[Puggit]

TankRizzo said:

One thing I have noticed..

Drove from Portsmouth to Dartmoor and back this weekend, doing the usual Duke of Edinburgh practice. Crossed many different constituencies along the way, and we saw a hell of a lot of Conservative placards in gardens, fields and roadsides. Also saw quite a few Lib Dem ones.

Have a guess how many Labour ones I saw....absolutely none. Zero. I appreciate that we weren't exactly in Labour heartlands, but I would have thought I would have at least spotted one. They must be absolutely skint.

Same in Reading (2 seats: Labour Seat and Tory ultra-marginal). I've seen lots of Tory, no LibDem and one Labour placard/poster.