Ho hum.
Forecast: Clegg very publicly opens negotiations with Cameron, in line with his pre-election commitment.
He demands electoral reform. Talks fail.
Clegg waltzes off to No 10 and agrees a deal of some sort with Brown, based around a referendum on electoral reform next year (and probably an election to follow).
Labour + Libs will amount to 315ish seats, Tories 305ish. So no majority for anyone, but the various small parties all want electoral reform as well, so will back Lab-Lib.
This is, apparently what we wanted.
One bright spot is the 80% Scottish vote for the Union. Nice.
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Well Clegg's statement a few minutes ago is certainly consistent with the scenario you outline.
Of course, he's sounding all holier-than-thou in line with his previous statements about the largest party having the right to form a government, but has left it open to abandon the Tories if they're not acting "in the national interest".
He sounds like he knows they won't - ie because he mentioned fair votes and he knows they won't deliver - and thus he'll have to go elsewhere.
The only workable coalition is between the Liberals and the Tories.
The Liberals + Labour still don't have enough without the SNP, Plaid, and the saner Northern Irish.
Oh and the Green (WELL DONE BRIGHTON).
Whereas the Tories and Liberals could pass whatever legislation they liked as long as they could agree it between themselves.
So I think either we get a Lib Tory pact, or the Tories try minority government (which they won't) or Labour try and hold their rag tag collection of them, Scottish and Welsh people, and various assprted others together, in which case I reckon we are back at the polls in six months.
Yes?
The arithmetic certainly favours the Tories/Lib Dems, but they're not natural bedfellows, whereas the Lib Dems and Labour are slightly more compatible.
But either way it's not a match made in heaven, so looks like it could be a rerun of 1974.
Remember you don't actually need to get to 326 (or 323 once you net off the Shinners) to form a workable minority government, you can get by with a bit less.
So Lab-Lib's 315 would be enough.
Matthew Parris in the Times today reckons that would actually be the best outcome.
Let Brown and Clegg put party interest ahead of the nation's and make a mess of things for a few months, and prepare for a landslide in the inevitable election.
I think I might agree with him.
"...80% Scottish vote for the Union."
I don't recall that being an issue in this election.
I know where you can buy more straws.
""...80% Scottish vote for the Union."
I don't recall that being an issue in this election."
No, it wasn't.
The Nats knew it was so unpopular they didn't dare raise it.
I'm sure there was a Nat leader who said "The Scottish people have the opportunity to vote themselves out of the Union at every General Election."
Which one was it, again?
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