2010 Spring General Election

Tried to stay up all night to watch the election coverage (although fell asleep at times). Just curious to see who other forumites thought gave the best coverage..

Sat down with Dimbleby accompanied by a cheese sandwich and two cans of Guinness on the stroke of 2200hrs with the plan to watch for a ‘couple of hours’ which transpired as is the norm every five years or so into a series of fitful dozes and bed at 0800hrs

Didn’t watch ITV or Sky so can’t offer a comparison but the beeb’s presentation and analysis seemed the same as it always does, professional and by the very nature of the night, repetitive

The ‘celeb’ piss-up was indeed toe-curlingly embarrasing and is just another weary reminder that dumbing-down rules

Here’s my two bobs worth.

I concede that, as things stand, David Cameron has more right to be the next UK prime minister than anyone else. Sadly, Gordon Brown looks a broken man and I feel if Tory talks with the LIb-Dems break down – and there is every reason to suggest they could, then there if there is to be any hope of of Labour-Lib Dem pact, then he must resign for the common good of the country. I see David Milliband as an obvious repllacement as Labour leader.

As for Proprtional Representaion: there are certain pitfalls connected with this, as there are with the first past the post system. The main one being that it would allow a party such as the BNP a much larger representation in the House Of Commons than they would merit or deserve.

However, that said, my hunch is that David Cameron will strike some sort of deal with Nick Clegg and he will then meet the Queen on Monday or Tuesday.

I just want to know who these parents are that will be running the ‘indepenent state schools with smaller classes’. And, what are the ‘tools and powers’ to enable teachers to keep order in classrooms? What exactly does that mean? You can give a 25 year old female teacher the right to physically restrain a 16 year old male pupil, but it doesn’t mean that she will [or could] be able to. And, how can you not give a pupil 24 hours notice of detention? You will then throw a kid out onto the streets having missed their school bus and with their parents not knowing where they are….it’s all empty words to me. I have been totally disappointed with the Labour promise of ‘Education, Education, Education’ being the priority. As for all these whizz kid science and maths teachers; you can have a brain the size of the universe and still be a rubbish teacher if you can’t capture a childs imagination. [and I’m not saying that socialism works, just that capitalism doesn’t seem too healthy at the moment]

As for Proprtional Representaion: there are certain pitfalls connected with this, as there are with the first past the post system. The main one being that it would allow a party such as the BNP a much larger representation in the House Of Commons than they would merit or deserve.

I despise the BNP and much of what they stand for, but if (say) 5% of voters support them, then surely they should be entitled to that much representation,
Isn’t that what democracy means?

It would be nice to have a proper electoral system like PR the big parties don’t want it because they will never have total control again .. they seem to be in love with unfairness be it money, power, privelige or whatever.

I’m glad we’ve got a hung parliament best outcome for the country imo.

Gordon is still squatting then. The constitution needs changing urgently in this situation.

We need voting reform, but it needs to be a fair and sensible system. With the number of different voting systems available, and with the Lib Dems clearly trying to drive their own interests’ forward (almost apart from Clegg), I’d love to know who’s going to put in the hard work of coming up with one, or even two, possible new voting systems to put to the country in a referendum. And that is thinking before the chances of anything being put through the House Of Commons, which probably would be an impossible anyway. Direct PR is a no go for both Labour and the Conservative’s, so what we can be achieved must be considered very limited. I think Clegg knows this anyway,

We might get some changes on the Lords though. And I know one thing, and that is if the voting system was adjusted for the General Election, the first time will probably result in utter chaos. There will be many spoilt ballot papers, more people locked out, and more people furious with the result.

Quote jose 1993:
Gordon is still squatting then.

You know as well as I do that that statement is incorrect.
I suppose Alistair Darling was squatting at the European meeting re the Greece bail out today when he said we would we would not be part of it. Who was supposed to represent us until agreements are reached one way or the other, an empty chair?

Factually incorrect, yes, but true in most ways. As it is, Brown’s powers are limited, so the visual sight of him "squatting" is really annoying. It’s also pointless. We would only need him if we were about to be attacked by foreign military. We just need reform to this process that allows the situation of someone like Mr Brown "squatting." Clegg was quite clear that he didn’t want him "squatting" in April.

And to answer the question about who was supposed to represent us at the European meeting – in an ideal world – shadow MP’s from the Conservative party as they were the party who gained the most seats. They should be the temporary government, who have the limited powers, in this circumstance.

The whole way of processing this is terrible. Brown is out, so get him out.

From BBC News:
Mr Darling also confirmed he had spoken with his Conservative and Lib Dem counterparts, George Osborne and Vince Cable, before he and other EU finance ministers approved £52bn in stand-by funding to help struggling European economies.

Now there’s democracy for you!

Jose, like most of SKY news’ Tory presenters & ITN news journalists ( Tom Bradby in particular – God, didn’t he looked well miffed ) you are probably enraged, because just when you thought the "deal" was in the bag, BANG ! – auld Broonie throws a big spanner into the works – and Nick Clegg has now opened formal negotiations with the Labour Party. The Rainbow Alliance has a certain ring to it, don’t you think ?

Never count your chickens; that’s what my old granny used to say.