Blue sun, orange sky... something is not right

[steepholm]

So, should I never vote Lib Dem again because they threw in their lot with the Tories? Or never vote Labour again because they threw their toys out of the pram and chose opposition rather than a progressive coalition?

I'm rapidly ceasing to care, and wishing I'd stuck to my first best instincts and voted Green.

(Either way, I don't really share the disgust that many seem to feel at the sight of the various minority parties - i.e. all of them - negotiating their way to some kind of settlement behind closed doors. What else were they supposed to do?)

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I felt a brief spasm of disgust, yesterday afternoon, at the way Nick Clegg was playing the field- but, really, as you say, what else was he supposed to do? And he's won himself a cabinet seat and the chance that at least some of his party's policies will be implemented- which is more than any third party politician has achieved in my lifetime- so all power to his elbow!

[lady-schrapnell.livejournal.com]

I don't think the depiction of Labour as having thrown their toys out of the pram is quite fair! Some of the party members, doubtless, but you're allowing all the minority parties (which includes Labour, presumably?) a 'what else were they to do?' get-out clause about negotiating in their own interests. I think Labour would have been setting themselves up to achieve absolutely nothing, while taking all the flak for their inability to achieve anything, had they gone much further than GB's announcement that he'd be resigning in order to tempt the Lib Dems into coalition. Not that I've much time for New Labour either, as you know, but I think there was a degree of wisdom in the choice you've outlined above, rather than it's having been purely childish 'Nyah, nyah, you can't make me!'

But that five-year term now being thrown around? Now that's scary.

[calimac.livejournal.com]

It may be salutary to remember the dramatic jump in the Green vote at the European elections of 1989. I've seen no reason not to believe this came from defecting Liberal Democrats, disgusted at the then-recent sight of the Alliance that had been founded for the purpose of inter-party cooperation having proved so singularly inept at cooperating with itself.