May 4, 201016 yr Dude! You *really* shouldn't leave a straight line like that dangling in the breeze!!!
May 5, 201016 yr Author Well, that's what might happen to British politics! (NB A "Hung Parliament" is a situation where no party has an overall majority of seats)
May 5, 201016 yr We call it a minority government (as is the current situation here in Canada). Keep up appraised of the situation. It is nice to have the opinion of someone who actually lives there.
May 5, 201016 yr Author OK, polls open in 12 hours and ten minutes from now. From that point onwards, the TV news coverage has to find other things to talk about than politics until 10pm local time. As a Londoner, I get one vote for an MP and three votes for a member of my local borough council. The polls close at 10pm and we'll get an exit poll straight away. Results should be announced on a seat-by-seat basis an hour or later, with a big flood from 1am to 3am local time. **** Tying things into defence, the British are due to hold a "Strategic Defence Review" this year. Projects that will be up for discussion include the two new carriers, Tranche 3 of the Typhoon fighters and the new SSBN. The Liberal Democrats, who may hold the balance of power, oppose the latter two.
May 6, 201016 yr Author First shock of the night- Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson has lost to the Alliance in Belfast East.
May 7, 201016 yr Author Right then. The Conservatives are the largest party in a hung parliament, Labour did better than the polls suggested and the Lib Dems failed to translate an increase in support into seats. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg wants the Conservatives to form a government that works "in the national interest", which basically is code for "you've got first go at trying to woo us, but we might not reach an agreement". You've got a right-wing Eurosceptic party that wants to limit immigrant numbers and opposes electoral reform trying to reach a deal with a pro-PR party that favours the Euro and an amnesty for illegal immigrants. Seriously, I don't see this lasting.
May 7, 201016 yr Right then. The Conservatives are the largest party in a hung parliament, Labour did better than the polls suggested and the Lib Dems failed to translate an increase in support into seats. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg wants the Conservatives to form a government that works "in the national interest", which basically is code for "you've got first go at trying to woo us, but we might not reach an agreement". You've got a right-wing Eurosceptic party that wants to limit immigrant numbers and opposes electoral reform trying to reach a deal with a pro-PR party that favours the Euro and an amnesty for illegal immigrants. Seriously, I don't see this lasting. The nice thing about your system is with a hung parliment, the various political parties actually have to work together, instead of one party getting a full majority and running amok like what happens here in the US. Democratic governments only work when there is parity and compromise. Full majorities are very corrupt. Like the saying goes: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
May 7, 201016 yr Author The nice thing about your system is with a hung parliment, the various political parties actually have to work together, instead of one party getting a full majority and running amok like what happens here in the US. They usually do get a full majority in the UK.
May 7, 201016 yr Democratic governments only work when there is parity and compromise. Full majorities are very corrupt. Like the saying goes: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I rather like the State Department version of the saying: Power corrupts, and absolute power is actually kind of neat ...
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