If you're EVER going to buy a house, you'd better do it before April - here's why.

wotsthat

I wouldn't rule out a 'grand coalition' between the Tories and Labour to maintain stability and keep the SNP away from government. Germany seems to function and the two largest parties are in coalition together.

It's not as if we're talking about about chalk and cheese - it's hardly Foot and Thatcher.

Another election might be the best option eventually. If UKIP manage a couple of seats and the SNP get the most seats in history they'll be gutted to have to put those at risk.

Apparently the Tories are already making a contingency for a re-run.

fordcapri2000

wotsthat wrote: »

I wouldn't rule out a 'grand coalition' between the Tories and Labour to maintain stability and keep the SNP away from government. Germany seems to function and the two largest parties are in coalition together.

It's not as if we're talking about about chalk and cheese - it's hardly Foot and Thatcher.

Another election might be the best option eventually. If UKIP manage a couple of seats and the SNP get the most seats in history they'll be gutted to have to put those at risk.

Apparently the Tories are already making a contingency for a re-run.

A dictatorship then?

Just what the UK needs.

P.s last dozen posts have already part made my point, the probability is for no overall majority, but nobody can see a coalition that would work together

N1AK

wotsthat wrote: »

I wouldn't rule out a 'grand coalition' between the Tories and Labour to maintain stability and keep the SNP away from government. Germany seems to function and the two largest parties are in coalition together.

It's not as if we're talking about about chalk and cheese - it's hardly Foot and Thatcher.

I'd bet almost anything that there won't be a Conservative / Labour coalition. Based on betting sites (25/1 against on PaddyPower) if you think it's viable you could make a lot of money by putting your money where your mouth is...

In the UK we've had decades of politics where differences were divided down Labour / Conservative lines. Talk to many Tory voters and they passionately believe that Ed will bankrupt the country. Talk to Labour voters and they think 5 more years of Tories will mean people starving to death in the street and the end of the NHS.

If anything the similarity between Labour and Conservatives is exactly why there's no chance of a coalition; it would just underscore the fact they're two faces of the same coin and drive more people to minority parties.

Coalitions are part of the fabric of German politics. German voters expect the party they vote for to have to join coalitions. We might be in that situation 10+ years from now, but we aren't there now.

Besides all this, neither party needs to agree a coalition to stop the SNP. The SNP can't get into a coalition without the ok of either Labour or the Conservatives. If neither party wants them in then they won't get in. Personally I'm confident that Labour are willing to form a coalition with the SNP, so the odds of a Lab/Tory coalition on those grounds is even more ludicrously unlikely.

N1AK

fordcapri2000 wrote: »

A dictatorship then?

Just what the UK needs.

P.s last dozen posts have already part made my point, the probability is for no overall majority, but nobody can see a coalition that would work together

Only someone with a complete lack of understanding of our political system would think that was a dictatorship. We have a representative democracy. If the population votes for a representative who decides to join a coalition it's our democracy in action.

I think Labour/Liberal/SNP is both a viable coalition, and the equal-likeliest result of the next election, alongside no government and a re-run.

wotsthat

N1AK wrote: »

I'd bet almost anything that there won't be a Conservative / Labour coalition. Based on betting sites (25/1 against on PaddyPower) if you think it's viable you could make a lot of money by putting your money where your mouth is...

I haven't said it's going to happen. I'm just not discounting the possibility outright.

At 25/1 neither are PaddyPower.

wotsthat

fordcapri2000 wrote: »

P.s last dozen posts have already part made my point, the probability is for no overall majority, but nobody can see a coalition that would work together

Two posters in the last 10 minutes have offered different ideas for workable coalitions.

What are you expecting yourself - a descent into chaos?

fordcapri2000

N1AK wrote: »

Only someone with a complete lack of understanding of our political system would think that was a dictatorship. We have a representative democracy. If the population votes for a representative who decides to join a coalition it's our democracy in action.

I think Labour/Liberal/SNP is both a viable coalition, and the equal-likeliest result of the next election, alongside no government and a re-run.

Really, a one party politically run system, please give me you're definition of a dictatorship

fordcapri2000

wotsthat wrote: »

Two posters in the last 10 minutes have offered different ideas for workable coalitions.

What are you expecting yourself - a descent into chaos?

Far from it, I am fully confident that we are close to reaching a point where the working average and above average working electorate is going to demand a better life from his/her polticians, and get what they want.

I cannot be more confident and hopeful than that.

N1AK

wotsthat wrote: »

I haven't said it's going to happen. I'm just not discounting the possibility outright.

At 25/1 neither are PaddyPower.

The same odds they give an SNP/Con coalition, which would end the SNP. Heck, the odds on a UKIP majority are only 6x worse.

If it wasn't for the fact that'd I'd need to gather £25k together in order to place a bet for a £1k return I'd be seriously tempted to bet against it. Unfortunately when odds get that long, it's only really worth betting if you think the event they think is very unlikely won't happen.

N1AK

fordcapri2000 wrote: »

Really, a one party politically run system, please give me you're definition of a dictatorship

A country ruled by a dictator.

Dictator: a ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has obtained control by force.

- - -
You either know you're misusing dictatorship to refer to something that clearly isn't, or you have such a worryingly uninformed view of our political system that it's hopeless trying to counter your imagined issues here.

A strong government, even an overwhelmingly strong majority one, isn't a dictatorship unless it begins to do things to retain that overwhelming power (see Russia).