Nick Clegg can be PM if he wants to be

[evanrick]

Nick Clegg should become PM?

Nick Clegg has a unique opportunity to demand to become prime minister, and as a politician he would not let this opportunity go. Labor cannot say that it deserves to be the governing party and the liberal democrats have even less in common with the conservatives.

No party got a majority so now what? Gordon Brown probably is taking a lot of flack for something he had little control over that started in America.

Conservatives will not go along with Nick Clegg and Labour has been courting Clegg on electoral reform.

So here is what should happen:

Clegg should join with Labour and try to get a coalition government.

Clegg should then implement the electoral reform that Brown has been talking about since Brown wont be a popular PM.

This way, Clegg can nearly triple the amount of seats held by the liberal democrats if the voting is done according to proportion. If it was proportional, the Liberal Democrats would have nearly 150 seats instead of the 57 they have now.

This is what the new parliament would look like.

Conservatives: 234 (36%)
Labour: 189 (29%)
Liberal Dems: 150 (22%)
Others: 77 Seats (12%)

As you can see, Conservatives do not have enough base of support to claim leadership under either system. And vote totals for parties other than conservatives is greater than 50%.

Its up to Nick Clegg to decide the future of the UK now, and he should seize the day. Truth be told, Clegg could still work out a deal with Cameron to let Cameron be PM only after these reforms are in place.

But lets face it, electing your PM by using MP's is convoluted in itself. I dont see how this new system is less democratic than someone who got 36% of the vote to become the leader of government. Why not just go strait up popular vote for national office?

 

[Dobson73]

But Nick Clegg has said all along that the party that gets the most votes is the party that deserves to take power therefore he automatically sides with Cameron.

And he would have known that this outcome was coming, I'm sure, so it'd be interesting for him to now turn to Brown to form Government with him. But they would then need all other minor parties to join them as well, including the single Green MP which would be a coalition doomed from the start, regardless of whether Clegg or Brown were leading.

The only logical way out of this is for Clegg and Cameron to unite, compromise on their differences and then Clegg can be a very powerful player in Government and have the Lib Dems well poised in 5 years time. Particularly if they can get electoral reform through.

When I moved to Australia I was bamboozled by proportional representation but it makes so much more sense than the simple first past the post system.

I'd just like to now figure out how our Senate is elected. Even studying books devoted to the subject haven't helped and no-one I've met has ever had a clue how it happens.

 

[unloadonme]

You can't seriously expect that the leader of the party which was the third choice of the electorate will be invited to become Prime Minister.

The result of the election is a disaster. No one party has a majority in parliament and the markets are getting very jittery. We don't need this ever again. Go down the Liberal's proportional representation route, however, and we'll have it every single time.

I think the best that can happen is for David Cameron as leader of the largest party to lead a minority Conservative government with the support of the Ulster Unionists and hope that the Liberals find enough to agree with not to bring it down.

If the Liberals prop up Labour to keep the winners from the prize, they'll never be forgiven. Cameron said during the campaign "vote Clegg, get Brown" and, if that turns out to be true, I'm sure it will damage the Liberal's chances next time.

Whatever happens, there'll be another election within 18 months.

 

[asadoyayunta]

The result of the election is a disaster. No one party has a majority in parliament and the markets are getting very jittery. We don't need this ever again. Go down the Liberal's proportional representation route, however, and we'll have it every single time..

You've been reading the Daily Mail again haven't you?

Why is this such a disaster? Without a strong mandate Cameron will have to compromise and negotiate. That's a good thing. I agree Clegg can't be seen to prop up Labour. But Cameron is going to have to offer much more on electoral reform than a "committee". New Zealand changed to prop rep in the 90s and have found a way to make coalition and "confidence and supply" agreements work.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8665835.stm

 

[kallipolis]

Nick Clegg can be an excellent restraint on the Conservative Party's extremist wing, and their alliance with the more extreme right wing groups in the EU.

Clegg has worked as a European Member of Parliament and knows the strengths, and weaknesses of the EU as a result of his time in Brussels.

I hope that Clegg is wise enough to use his party's coalition with the Conservatives to plan for the next general election, when he might conceivably persuade more people to vote for the Lib-Dems.

A hung parliament is an opportunity to break up the predictable Labour-Conservative carve up that has failed to produce the results that the electorate expect.

I was disappointed that despite polling a few more votes, the Lib-Dems lost seats.

An early general election is a distinct possibility. Clegg should use his time in coalition to prove that he can deliver the goods.

Good luck, Nick Clegg.

 

[pe_gay89]

Nick Clegg can demand to be PM all he wants, neither the Conservatives nor Labour would agree to that. I think a place for him (and maybe Vince Cable, too) in the cabinet is a more realistic demand.

In the past, the first past the post system has resulted in governments with strong majorities. But it's incredibly undemocratic. Almost a quarter of the nation voted for the Liberal Democrats and they got 57 seats. Labour got 6% more of the vote and 201 more seats. The Conservatives got 7% more than Labour, and 48 more seats. The system is weighted so heavily in favour of the big two parties that no parliament can ever be a true representation of the country's will.

Proportional representation will result in more hung parliaments, but it will force politicians to work together. Maybe then parliament could get to doing its job professionally, instead of acting like school children. Not particularly bright children, either.

The Tories will be opposed to it because, as the OP points out, it will reduce their power. However, if Cameron wants a deal with Nick Clegg, he's going to have to offer a referendum at the very least; let the people decide what they want. The Tories will reserve the right to campaign against it, and I don't know how it would go. I'm a student, so most of the people I know are students. Most of them are in favour of PR. Of course, we aren't a true reflection of national feeling.

 

[MrEleven]

I agree with most of you.
I think the best option would be for Nick Clegg and the LibDems to support the Conservatives rather than Labour.

Like someone else said, if he goes against his word and props up Brown, which would still result in a minority government, the next election for Clegg could be a disaster.

However, I think a smarter option for Clegg would be to follow the Canadian example for a minority/hung parliament.

Life was similar in Canada in 2006. The Liberal Party was in power for over a decade. Chretien stepped down as prime minister, and his finance minister, Paul Martin became PM. An expenses (sponsorship scandal) brought the government from majority into a minority during the election, and subsequently defeated by the Conservatives in 2006 with a minority government. No coalition was necessary. They've managed to govern for four years, and pass legislation on a case by case basis with at least one opposition party supporting it.

So, I think it would be smart for Clegg to not demand a full on coalition with the Conservatives, or take a seat in the cabinet. If things go wrong with this government, as it most certainly will...budget cuts, a looming financial disaster, Clegg doesn't wanted to be involved with it. He can wash his hands with the Conservatives during the next election. He should support the conservatives on a case by case basis...But, demand a referendum on proportional representation for that support.

Maybe?

UK politics has become very interesting lately.

 

[rotary]

So, I think it would be smart for Clegg to not demand a full on coalition with the Conservatives

Exactly. When a motion of no confidence threatens to bring the government down, Clegg could then offer the option of a stable coalition government instead of throwing the country into another election.

Minority governments are full of compromise and bluffing. If the Labour party really wants to defeat the government on a bill, they'd have to answer to the electorate, which could reduce their position further. I think you'll find Brown will be full of talk and little action in that regard, just like our Iggy.

 

[Lostlover]

All I'm saying is that I'm glad we have democracy.

 

[andtonic]

Seeing so many other countries working rather smoothly with a minority government or a coalition government, I don't see why the British politicians are so scared of the lack of absolute majority. Every time when they're faced with a hung parliament they could not operate for a full term.

I see a hung parliament as a good thing, as politicians will have to start reaching out to other parties, starting negotiations and making compromises. The results are often bills that are more acceptable to the general public (instead of people from one side of the spectrum).

They're politicians, they're professional in using their mouth, so I don't see why they find it hard to talk to each other.

 

[Ronin84]

Sorry, I don't really care about politics in the UK, but I do care about the close bonds and relationship between the uk and the usa which must be preserved forever.