[Closed] Ed has committed to something

I thought that the SNP had already ruled out a coalition? Either way, it doesn't rule out supply and confidence.

They're all busy ruling out coalitions with anyone else, as they have to give the impression that they're confident of winning an overall majority. Which ain't going to happen, I'm afraid, for Ed or Dave.

Think of it as being like when a premiership club comes out and says the manager has the full backing of the board. Its the opposite to the reality.

The SNP ruled out a coalition weeks ago. I've said it before, but it would be interesting to see how many seats a party with the SNP's political policies (minus independence) would win. I reckon we'll be stuck with a Labour/Tory coalition after this vote.

He has been played by the tories, he should have just told them to **** off, it is nothing to do with them who labour forms a coalition with.

Daft that it took him so long tbh- it's a stupid story about nothing that they've let boil on for a stupidly long time.

Apparently it's fine for Scotland to be run by a party that has 1 MP here but god forbid Scottish MPs should have influence at Westminster! Better Together and all that.

So Dave's using the SNP's lead as a stick to beat Labour with. I bet the sole Tory MP in Scotland is really chuffed at that.

Hardly legally binding, he can form whatever coalition he likes post election.

Lab/Con coalition then if SNP hold enough seats that no other group can get a majority?

Well, there's so little difference between their policies that they may as well. It doesn't seem to matter whether we get blue Tories, red Tories or yellow Tories, as we'll get neo-liberal policies either way.

And then the joy of a coalition is that all manifesto pledges (never mind wishy-washy noncommittal tosh like this) are then null and void, so you can gleefully set about doing all the stuff you said you specifically weren't going to do. Like a complete top-down restructuring of the NHS for example (nice one Dave!). Or in Eds case: De Facto Independence for Scotlandshire in all but name (while Scottish MP's are still allowed to vote at Westminster, to prop up a weak Labour minority government).

Causing the Tory party to combust in a foaming-at-the-mouth explosion of that certain strain of petty, small-mined Daily Mail-esque, parochial, middle class, home counties brand of unpleasant English nationalism, we all know and love

Apparently it's fine for Scotland to be run by a party that has 1 MP here but god forbid Scottish MPs should have influence at Westminster! Better Together and all that.

Apparently it also fine for the Tories, who haven't had a parliamentary majority since 1992, to form a coalition with whoever they like. But Labour doing the same with the SNP is an affront to democracy.

Twunts

Its non news anyone. The SNP said months ago a formal coalition with Labour was highly unlikely

Basically, he's given up on Scotland - the Tories lost Scotland a generation ago, Labour lost it last September. Labour's real problem is that it can't win England. For ages that didn't matter, as Scottish and Welsh Labour voes would prop up thier support, but without that - and with 20 years of trianglulation* - they've got nothing to offer English voters. So they're resorting to saying they won't work with that nasty bogeyman Alex Salmond.

*On any policy, pick the middle opinion. Blair was a master at it, it works well for a while because you get voters from both sides and look balanced and reasonable. But eventually, and especially if all the parties do it, they all merge together into basically identical parties with no opinions of their own, just bland soundbites.

If the SNP win anything like the projected number of seats in Scotland then surely it's counterproductive for either of the major UK parties to rule out working with them. If the SNP are the majority party in Scotland but the UK parties refuse to work with them then it'll just help bolster support for independence.

If the SNP support does hold up then it's difficult to see a scenario which doesn't help their independence campaign in one way or the other. Entering a coalition with the SNP might be the best way to stop any independence debate.

Well, the Tories and the SNP are never going to work together - both sides have totally ruled it out, and it'd be electoral suicide for both.

However, for Labour to do the same would also be suicidal - whad they'd be saying is that they would prefer another 5 years of Tory (or ConDem) government, rather than work with another left-of-centre party.

I thought the independence campaign threw up all sorts of interesting ideas and policies, the Labour Party could benefit from all of that and learn a bit about getting young people involved. Both major parties look very geriatric or wannabe geriatric...really hip NOT wearing a tie with your lounge suit ffs. Save me from these people!

Daft bugger has fallen neatly into a Tory trap.

Cameron must be purring...

🙂

Nah, it's not that simple... Scottish Labour are convinced this is the key to fighting back against the SNP- they're so lacking in ideas and character that all they've got is "Vote SNP, get Tory". And so they're now doing their best to make that daft slogan a reality, rather than trying to make themselves a good voting proposition.

Nobody seems to be able to just say "Scotland is part of the UK. You remember, they had a vote about it?". It's pretty terrible, what it all says about UK politics, the whole story's 100% founded on negativity and smallmindedness, and a fear of democracy. And Labour north and south of the border not having the wits to do anything but be dragged around by the nose.