Brown to step down

[Bob Singleton]

Just been announced that Brown is to step down as leader of the Labour party in the hope a successor can be in place before the party conference season. Of course it also makes it easier for Clegg to do a deal with Labour (a more natural partner for the Lib Dems) if Brown won't be there.

[number 6]

As much as i wanted labour to win,this is abig mistake. The public will never accpet another unelected PM. THhis could lead to labour being wiped out in 6 months time. If they haad let the tories govern as a minority labour would have been back in pwer in a couple of years.

[Bob Singleton]

It's Brown hedging his bets either way.

If Lib Dems do a deal with the Tories, that alliance will have a new Labour leader to contend with who can possibly rid himself of some of the "baggage" of the previous administration. Whoever it is, the "positive" (in many people's minds) will be that he ISN'T Gordon Brown.

If Lib Dem/Tory talks fail, it paves the way for a "Progressive Alliance" made up of Labour, Lib Dems, SDLP, Alliance, Green and (on UK wide rather than English matters) SNP & Plaid Cymru.

As for an unelected Prime Minister... you'll get some people complaining, but they need to be reminded that we have a PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY not a PRESIDENTIAL system. Essentially that means that for all the hoo-haa about the televised debates amongst the leaders, for all the media concentrating on only one person in each party, we are NOT electing a President, we are electing an MP to represent us in Parliament. Even if you acknowledge that people vote for parties rather than individual MPs, if Brown is replaced by, say, Milliband as leader, the only difference we would see is the style, not the substance. The Labour party would still want to see through the programme it set down in its manifesto. That's why, in my opinion, TOO MUCH is made of the leaders themselves and not enough on the actual policies their parties wish to implement.

[Secretease]

I think it's the only thing they could do to try and stay in power. There were reports that the first conversation between Clegg and Brown after the election wasn't pleasant. I'd never have voted for Brown and think he wasn't fit to be a PM in the first place.

[Sam Slater]

The amount of times people come out with the crap about Brown not being elected! Sheeeesh!

Personally I'd like to now see Clegg to come out and say the Tories didn't go far enough with electoral reform and now do a deal with Labour. He said he couldn't work with Brown and it looks like the perception that he was ready to deal with Cameron has forced Labour's hand. He can now work with Labour having kept to his promise of giving the party with the most votes the first chance to form a government.

A quick referendum on proportional representation and then another general election is the right way to go.

[nasty]

Yeah I was gonna say, no PM is elected in our system so any bruhaha about a new Labour leader being an unelected PM is irrelevant.

I would have liked to have seen Gordon stay in charge as long as he stops doing that creepy fake smile his PR people tell him to do any more. He projected a more impressive figure as a demanding, serious, intelligent bloke.

But this news today about Lib Dem/Labour talks is very encouraging, anything to keep out the Conservatives.

[muswell]

Nick Clegg has a hard decision either he goes with the conservatives and his members spend the parliament voting for policies they were elected to oppose while the tories renege on any concessions they have made to get them into no 10. In the process losing any chance for electoral reform and probably losing most of its support base ensuring that the two party first past the post style of election lasts forever...
Or he goes with Labour gets proportional representation and discovers that people don't have to vote Lib Dem tactically so their vote again drops and it boils down to a Conservative Labour contest anyway.

[David Johnson]

"He said he couldn't work with Brown"

To introduce an element of precision into your comments. In the pre-election campaign, first of all, Clegg said he couldn't work at all with Labour if they came third in their votes. The following day he said he could work with Labour, if they came third in their votes provided Brown was no longer Prime Minister. The day after that he said he could work with Labour irrespective of whether Brown was Prime Minister or not.

So if Labour came second in the votes and number of seats why should that change his statement about working with Labour irrespective of whether Brown was PM or not if they were 3rd?

When I pointed this seeming inconsistency to you, you argued that Clegg was acting "strategically". Others might argue somewhat differently.

Cheers
D

[muswell]

Of course another option is a Labour Tory pact. Which means that Gordon( or his successor) and Cameron could duke out a policy down the pub put it through Parliament on the nod and Clegg and his mates could stay at home.

[Sam Slater]

[quote]To introduce an element of precision into your comments.......[/quote]

All true.

[quote]So if Labour came second in the votes and number of seats why should that change his statement about working with Labour irrespective of whether Brown was PM or not if they were 3rd?[/quote]

Because he never wanted to work with Brown and realised that showing a few of his cards publicly was a mistake?

[quote]When I pointed this seeming inconsistency to you, you argued that Clegg was acting "strategically".[/quote]

Yes.........kinda. You didn't say it was inconsistent, you said it was 'confusing' (in a round about way). I know it's pedantic but you started it with the introduction of 'precision' !happy! I mean, general relativity can seem confusing but it doesn't mean it's inconsistent. And, to clarify, I think I said something about me admiring a man who is willing to admit he's wrong. I said it a little tongue in cheek, if I remember rightly and went on to say he was adapting to changes in strategy. Nevertheless, I agree with you; it WAS inconsistent, but not confusing - at least not to me, anyway.

[quote]Others might argue somewhat differently.[/quote]

Of course! We'd never have debates at all if we all felt the exact same! But if Clegg's strategy WAS to get Brown to resign............well..........what can I say?