Is a minority government possible?

SailorSam

When they were all giving speeches this afternoon it sound to me as if Gordon was offering the Lib Dems more than David Cameron. It sounded as if Labour are willing to go further down the proportional representation road, I wonder if Gordon is fighting for his job.

Cat695

SailorSam wrote: »

When they were all giving speeches this afternoon it sound to me as if Gordon was offering the Lib Dems more than David Cameron. It sounded as if Labour are willing to go further down the proportional representation road, I wonder if Gordon is fighting for his job.

and I'm sure he said the same thing to the SNP DUP etc etc as he needs their seats to.

tomterm8

misskool wrote: »

So, they can govern with a minority number of MPs?

Labour can goven until they lose a vote of confidence. At that point, the queen will ask Tory Toff whether they can goven. If Tory Toff says they can, then the queen will let them try, and they will govern until they lose a vote of confidence. The queens speech motion, and budget are always votes of confidence.

The Torys can govern as long as the Lib Dems abstain from a vote of confidence. The Labour party can only govern if the Lib Dems actively vote for them in a vote of confidence. Even then, the numbers are so tight it would only take a few byeelections losses for them to be kicked out, unless they get minor party support.

Minority governments can last a long time... there have been minority governments that have lasted 18 months or longer in the past.

Pennywise

SailorSam wrote: »

When they were all giving speeches this afternoon it sound to me as if Gordon was offering the Lib Dems more than David Cameron. It sounded as if Labour are willing to go further down the proportional representation road, I wonder if Gordon is fighting for his job.

Gordon will do anything he can to keep his power. Sod the country, sod the Labour party - he's just a power crazed maniac. He waited so long to become PM, he's not ready to give it up yet. He'll never do the decent thing. He'll have to be dragged out of number 10 in a straight jacket.

Generali

misskool wrote: »

So, they can govern with a minority number of MPs?

Yes they can. AIUI, they have to be able to get 2 pieces of legislation through the House of Commons: the Queen's Speech and the Budget. In practice they'd also have to win a no confidence motion I guess and also be able to get enough legislation through that they can function in a reasonable way as a Government.

ChiefGrasscutter

Generali wrote: »

Yes they can. AIUI, they have to be able to get 2 pieces of legislation through the House of Commons: the Queen's Speech and the Budget. In practice they'd also have to win a no confidence motion I guess and also be able to get enough legislation through that they can function in a reasonable way as a Government.

All these calculations assume that which ever party is "in power" as a minority government can actually deliver 100% of their MP's to vote in 100% of votes. As others have found in the past this can be more of a problem than expected.
Then there is the problems of genuine absenses. Those of us somewhat older can remember all sorts of cases. Ministers having to fly back to the UK in the middle of an international conference/meeting to attend a vote being one example.
Even more notorious were cases where MP's in hospital were almost wheeled into the divison lobbies complete with their drips to cast their vote so desperate was the minority party to remain in government and so high was the risk that a single vote lost would result in defeat and them having to call another General Election

Generali

ChiefGrasscutter wrote: »

All these calculations assume that which ever party is "in power" as a minority government can actually deliver 100% of their MP's to vote in 100% of votes. As others have found in the past this can be more of a problem than expected.
Then there is the problems of genuine absenses. Those of us somewhat older can remember all sorts of cases. Ministers having to fly back to the UK in the middle of an international conference/meeting to attend a vote being one example.
Even more notorious were cases where MP's in hospital were almost wheeled into the divison lobbies complete with their drips to cast their vote so desperate was the minority party to remain in government and so high was the risk that a single vote lost would result in defeat and them having to call another General Election

I think that happened during a vote in 1979 - someone had had a heart attack(?) and was wheeled through the lobbies.

abaxas

The Lib Dems have no choice but to form a collalition.

Why?

Becasue if they dont, it'll make a mockery of they PR plans.

tomterm8

People are assuming that parties will be able to deliver votes in a block. In a hung parliament, this isn't generally the case. Individual MPs know they have a great deal of power, and they exercise it.

There have been national governments before where a party manages to peel off enough members from other parties to form a government.

Historically speaking, this would be legitimate at the moment... because, we are at war, and MPs are supposed to act in the national interest and not party interest during a war.

Generali

abaxas wrote: »

The Lib Dems have no choice but to form a collalition.

Why?

Becasue if they dont, it'll make a mockery of they PR plans.

If they go in with the Tories they probably won't get PR, if they go in with Lab they can insist on it. The Tories have options, Labour don't.