I'll give some more considered thoughts on the outcome of the general election when I have more time, but one quick thought occurs to me, particularly with Vernon Bogdanor's repeated suggestions that we're heading towards a snap second election ringing in my ears - suddenly the SNP's pending judicial review on the TV debates looks a whole lot less academic. And if the legal route isn't successful, I hope they have a backup plan up their sleeves - with the Greens now having made their long-awaited parliamentary breakthrough, there must be some way in which the 'smaller' parties can join forces over this and ensure that the total exclusion of alternative political voices is never allowed to happen again.
We also seem to be unmistakably in a position where Labour only have a theoretical chance of holding onto power if they are willing to court SNP support. Which begs the obvious question - will Jim Murphy be Labour's emissary? If so, how on earth is he going to square that with his most beloved jibe that "the SNP are a total irrelevance in a British general election"?
Well according the the BBC, Alex said that he would have no formal coalition with the SNP James, so it looks like they are flat out of luck there.
ReplyDeleteOf course he is willing to work with anyone on a case by case basis, as happens in Edinburgh.
But I don't think that politicans should be able to trot off to the palace when it suits them to ask for another election.
If they put a bit more effort into it, they could work together. We manage it in Edinburgh, whay can't they?
As my granny would say of Jim Murphy "he says a awffy lot more than his prayers that one".
You're right about an early election, Tris - that's one of many reasons why the Lib Dems would be mad to agree to a deal with the Tories unless they have a commitment to electoral reform signed in blood (which obviously won't happen). Otherwise, it would be far too easy for Cameron to pull the rug from under them by calling a snap election at a time convenient to him.
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