BBC, CNBC both reporting that the Tories will rule in Britain

[Tesha]

Source: BBC, CNBC

The BBC's ongoing live coverage is very strongly implying
that the Tories (Conservatives) have reached an accord
with the Liberal Democrats and that their coalition will rule
in the UK.

CNBC is reporting it as a fact.

(No links yet.)

Tesha

No link yet.

[Kelvin Mace]

1. I though Brown's agreement to step down

had removed the main obstacle to a reconciliation with Labour?

[Oregone]

2. After Brown announced, maybe it made the Tories put it all on the table and offer a better deal

It really doesn't matter what party Clegg teams up with in the long run. What is more important is the sheer quantity of his reforms that he can get through. Any coalition will probably not last entirely too long.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Brown said he will step down as Labour leader, when they've elected a new one

which will take the party at least 2 months. If a Labour-Lib Dem deal had been done, he would remain as PM until then. This is about stepping down as head of government, tonight or tomorrow, with the Tory Cameron replacing him at once, leading the new government. It seems the only real question is whether there will be an official coalition of the Tories with the Lib Dems, or if the Lib Dems will just say "OK, form the government, we'll stand aside for a bit and see how things go".

[IndianaGreen]

10. Brown will be calling the Queen tonight to advise her to invite Cameron

sometime tomorrow morning, the Queen will ask David Cameron to form her new government. It is always the Queen's government!

[harmonicon]

37. from what I heard it seems like grumblings within labour killed the deal

Some very old-fashioned idiots didn't like the proposed electoral reforms because it would mean they'd (potentially in fantasy land) lose their chance to be a strong majority. The truth of course is that that would never happen again anyway.

[IndianaGreen]

4. Heads up! David Cameron to become PM with Lib Dem coalition

I am watching the live BBC feed. Talks with Labour have broken down. Many in Labour rejected the idea of a minority coalition government involving Labour, Lib Dem, and a handful of minor parties.

A Tory government will support Obama's wars, and will oppose further UK integration with EU.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Former Sun political editor: Clegg as deputy PM, 6 Lib Dem cabinet posts in coalition with Toreis

via his Twitter feed:

Libdems have six cabinet posts, Clegg becomes deputy PM, sources say.


Coalition government, I'm told, not minority govt.

http://twitter.com/GPW_Portland

[Nye Bevan]

14. Wow. Deputy PM and 6 cabinet positions for the Lib Dems?

I guess they finally hit the big time.

A related question: are there any UK political blogs that you would recommend? The only one I am familiar with is Guido Fawkes (order-order.com) and I was wondering what else is out there.

[muriel_volestrangler]

27. Liberal Conspiracy is the best, I think

http://liberalconspiracy.org - several contributors, Labour, Lib Dem and a few others on the left

http://www.chickyog.net/ Chicken Yoghurt (originator of the #nickcleggsfault Twitter meme to counter the riduiculous RW paper attacks on Nick Clegg)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree - Comment Is Free, at The Guardian (not strictly a blog, it's both comment pieces from The Guardian and many other contributors)


http://www.jcm.org.uk/blog - 'Nosemonkey' - EU related stuff (though he's been quiet recently, from pressure of work, I think)

[Nye Bevan]

36. Thanks a lot (nt)

[totodeinhere]

21. I was hoping that Clegg would get the foreign secretary's portfolio.

And that would be a bigger plum than deputy prime minister.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Link:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23832558-david-cameron-its-decision-time-for-lib-dems.do

This is the London evening newspaper. They seem to be what others are basing the report on.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Lnk to live TV coverage by BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/liveevent/

[Tesha]

8. Thanks, yes, that's the stream I was reading and to which I was referring. (NT)

[BeyondGeography]

9. Smart move by Labour not to cling to power

Tough times ahead. Regroup under a new leader as the opposition. The brand will be stronger as a result, and the return to meaningful power will be quicker.

[amandabeech]

11. If they start being Labor and stop being Third Way I'd like them better.

If I were a U.K. citizen, that is.

[Joe Chi Minh]

13. You and every true Labour supporter, though the depraved right-wing media

are already anointing a Blairite, David Milliband, to replace Gordon Brown as leader of the party. Ironical in view of their hatred for Blair and his larceny of the Tories' right-wing policies.

[Joe Chi Minh]

12. Yes, and they'll pick up a lot of Lib-Dem voters. But they would have been sure to make a mess of

even a good economy, but the prospect now.... Oh, my.

A strong government the perjurious talking-heads have been telling us, although out of office and untested for more than a decade. It can only end in tears for the Tories and their media lick-spittles.

[PassingFair]

32. It never ends in tears for them....they will rob you blind.

And waltz away with your treasury (what's left of it).

[No Elephants]

15. Bollocks!

[Turborama]

16. Lib Dem-Tory Deal 'Very Close To Being Done' / Sky Sources: Gordon Brown To Resign Tonight

Source: Sky News

A power-sharing deal between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives is "very, very close to being done", Vince Cable tells Sky News as talks with Labour collapse.

The senior Lib Dem made the comment after Sky sources said formal talks between Labour and the Liberal Democrats "never got off the ground".

Sky's political editor Adam Boulton said several Labour sources, including some from inside Downing Street, said the talks between the two parties did not get anywhere.

It has prompted speculation Gordon Brown has quit as Prime Minister or is set to imminently, but his spokesman said he remains in the job.

Read more: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/General-Election-2010-Gordon-Brown-Arrives-At-The-Commons-Where-Parties-Are-Negotiating/Article/201005215629469?lpos=Politics_News_Your_Way_Region_9&lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15629469_General_Election_2010:_Gor

---

Live coverage of the fast changing news: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/liveevent/


Sky Sources: Gordon Brown To Resign Tonight

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to resign tonight, according to Sky's political correspondent Joey Jones.

Jones said: "He just wants to get this over with. It's presumably quite likely now that we will see David Cameron walking up Downing Street in the not-distant future."

More to follow...

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Gordon-Brown-To-Resign-Tonight-Sky-News-Sources-Reveal-Prime-Minister-To-Quit/Article/201005215629953?lpos=Politics_Top_Stories_Header_0&lid=ARTICLE_15629953_Gordon_Brown_To_Resign_Tonight,_Sky_News_Sources_Reveal:_Prime_Minister_To_Quit

-

(Misleading headline as it hasn't been officially announced yet)

Gordon Brown quits as PM as Lib-Dem deal falls apart

Joe Murphy, Paul Waugh and Nicholas Cecil

Gordon Brown is set to resign and allow David Cameron to be Britain's new Prime Minister, Evening Standard learns.

The Labour leader's final desperate attempt to cling on to power with a Lib-Lab deal crumbled amid a rebellion on his own side and policy disagreements with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

=snip=

Mr Brown had planned to stay in power until the summer if the deal had worked, earning himself a place in history as the man who won a historic fourth term for Labour.

However, Labour MPs and ministers reacted with anger to the attempted deal, saying they would prefer to be in opposition than in government with the Lib-Dems.

A friend of the Prime Minister said: “The deal with Clegg was just not do-able.”

Continues: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23832558-david-cameron-its-decision-time-for-lib-dems.do

[shotten99]

17. Not do-able? What fools.

[Pab Sungenis]

18. And six months from now, when the coalition is in tatters

and the Tories' negatives are at a new high, Labour can get a vote of no confidence and force new elections which they just might win.

[PassingFair]

19. Or the Tories can be the authoritarians they ALWAYS are and keep power for YEARS.

:puke:

[Lautremont]

20. See Canada for an example.

[dipsydoodle]

23. We have a limit of 5 years between elections in the UK

Do please enlighten us as to how the Tories KEEP power here for years.

You might also like to throw in incidents, by the Tories, when lies led to to us going to war as was the case with New Labour which led to our involvement in the war in Iraq.

[PassingFair]

26. Maybe you can tell me how Major was elected....

And how, despite the ease with which your PM's can
be dispatched (per the poster I was referring to...)
Thatcher stayed in power for her full term.

Your New Labour is as bad as OUR "New Democrats", for SURE.

No argument there, but aren't your Tories almost as
bad as our ReThuglicans?

I was hoping that Clegg could bring the other "left" parties
into the mix with "labor" and bring about a Progressive-type
of gov't.

Will that be possible under Cameron?

[dipsydoodle]

28. When Thatcher was outed

that was done by her own party mid term'ish. Major then took over as leader of the Conservative Party in exactly the same way that Brown took over from Blair. As I mentioned - we have to have elections at 5 year max periods regardless of antics in the interim period.

No - there certainly not all that the Tories but I would put them in the same league as your Repugs.

I doubt that Clegg could've bought the SNP, Plaed Cymru and the Irish contingents to the table successfully - the other parties have their own agendas quite understandably.

:hi:

[PassingFair]

29. The Tories were in power for 18 years!

"Margaret Thatcher was the United Kingdom's first woman prime minister. She held the office of PM for 11 years -- longer than anyone in the 20th century."

Major followed up for another 7 years.

:puke:

Most of my young (under 60!)relatives
have left England for Australia and Canada.

Only the "wrinklies" are left.

[dipsydoodle]

30. Do you mind

I'm one of the "wrinklie" then but just happen to be in very good nick - the Rock'n Roll and Rockabilly for you. :rofl:

[mwooldri]

34. Same way as Labour kept power since 1997.

Calling the election at the right time.

Sure, there is a maximum limit on how long a government may remain in power - the 5 years, but there is nothing to stop the PM from calling an early election.

Thatcher won in 1979 because the country was fed up of Labour and some of the unions were a bit too militant. (Though Thatcher went way the other way in union reform BTW). Then there was this thing called the Falklands War which boosted her (and the Conservatives) popularity, so she ran on that ticket and won again (didn't help that Labour were completely floundering at that time). The economy improved greatly in the next four years, and she was able to win a third time. Then some unpopular policies came into place (The "Poll Tax" for one) and a number of sex scandals effectively forced her to resign... and John Major won the leadership and became PM. Despite a stronger Labour under Kinnock, Major managed to squeak out a win in 1992. More scandal, a bad economy, and an incompetent government saw Major drag on his government for the next 5 years - 1997... when "New Labour" came in under a landslide. Elections were called when the polls were right in 2001 and 2005. Then Blair resigned and Brown took his place... he had an opportunity to call an election shortly afterwards, but he didn't... then the economy tanked and although he managed to recover well for the UK, his communication style hasn't exactly been very good. As such, he lost the election because come 2010 it was forced upon him. Had he called it in 2008 before the economy tanked and after he came to office, he may well be still PM today.

[PassingFair]

35. Thank you, M....

Sorry you guys are getting played.

:hug:

A choice between the lesser of two evils would
be nice, but we are now being offered only
Hobson's Choices....same horse no matter what
we may need.

[Arkana]

22. So...who's going to be the new PM?

[dipsydoodle]

24. David Cameron

Not currently too much doubt about that. The Queen has to act as standin in between Brown resigning and whoever requests to fill the post about an hour later. I've stated this as amatter of fact - not because I'm a Tory supporter.

[Kolesar]

25. bush wins

He led his lapdog off a cliff. Either way, it was a win for him

[erpowers]

31. Brown Has Stepped Down

It is being reported by CNN that Gordon Brown has resigned. David Cameron, who will be the next PM is meeting with the Queen and is expected meet with the media in a few minutes.

[daleo]

33. Conservatives will renege on electoral reform

Count on it. It would be suicide for them. Clegg is a fool or a Conservative sympathizer if he expects anything else.

[Q3JR4]

38. If electoral reform is part of the

agreement between the two parties then they have to act on it. If they don't there is no reason to think that the Lib-Dems will continue to back them.

I don't know how it works in the UK but a vote of no confidence from a majority of parliament usually means that the PM is thrown out and either another election is called or the opposition gets a chance to try to form a minority government.

The tories don't HAVE an outright majority, just a plurality. That means if they piss of the opposition (and the Lib-Dems), they won't be in power for too long after that.
Or they will, but an election will have to happen that gives them an outright majority first.


Q3JR4.

[daleo]

39. The Tories will attempt to use their (minority) time in office to solidify their position

A full court press by the conservative media will be part of that ("Britain needs a strong government"). Then, when they think the time is right, they will call an election, hoping for a majority.

Otherwise, they will have a plebiscite about electoral reform, with the bar set so high that it could never pass (say a two-thirds super-majority vote), then claim that takes care of their promise.