What Lib Dems will do in a hung Parliament

In the event of a hung Parliament, the Liberal Democrats may briefly become the most powerful party in Britain and decide who becomes prime minister. Yet they refuse to talk about it, claiming that they are focused only on "maximum votes and maximum seats".

This is not true. Last March 8 and 9, when Ming was leader, the parliamentary party spent a weekend at Henley management centre to discuss what they would do if there were a hung Parliament. He mentioned the event in his autobiography (boasting how they tricked the media into thinking it was about something else). Now the internal presentation has been leaked.

It is a revealing document. It indicates timetable, priorities and what the party's MPs must say if asked about hung Parliaments before polling day. It also talks about "poison pills" in the manifesto (what are they?) the importance of PR legislation (as well as a referendum) and the possibilty of a quick second election (presumaby if they pull out of the coalition).

Its publication (I'm not the first, it appeared on Iain Dale's site yesterday) will make it harder for them not be drawn on discussions about a hung Parliament.

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Comments

[Agincourt]

What sick people the Lib-Dems are! There's nothing about democracy in their current plotting, nor about what being genuinely "liberal" involves - & how they intend to promote gliberalism. Despite their name, the Lib-Dems continue to be the most deceitful, hypocritical, & valueless of all the political parties in Britain - & that says a lot, bearing in mind all the current parties' penchant for constant lies!

[John Wilkinson]

A hung parliament ? If we ratify the treaty there will be no parliament to hang - only the traitors who have led us into the EUSSR.
The EU will start to ban political parties it who don't agree with it's political agenda.
Westminster will become redundant. Is this why all MP's at the moment seem to be intent on promoting the EU ? Or are they like lemmings ? The future is not in Britain's democracy if the Lisbon treaty is ratified nor any other EU member country. Let's fight for Britain and democracy by opposing this treaty and hanging the traitors who promote it.

[IAN PAYNE]

Reading and hearing about the new leader Nick Clegg recently made me evaluate the state of British politics differntly for the first time, realising that the clones have arrived on every bench in the House of Commons. I couldn't resist but link this part of the poem THE OLD LIBERALS by Sir John Betjeman to the recent antics of all political Parties

"....The rose of a world that was not has withered away
Where are the wains with garlanded swathes a-swaying ?
Where are the swains to wend through the lanes a-maying ?
Where are the blithe and jocund to ted the hay ?
Where are the free folk of England ? Where are they ?....."

Indeed food for thought and indeed where are they ? I wonder what Sir John would say about Britain and the British in the C21st and to the British establishment in particular ? Probably much of the same as he ever did is my view.

[robin]

lib-dems are not ''liberal'' or ''democratic'' they were formed in 1988 to boost up europhiliacs in labour&tory parties. with 80-85% of our laws(42,000 ?) being made in brussels and strasbourg no proper scrutiny,but ''rubber stamping'' by our whipped ''gravytrain''not savvy mp's no wonder we have apathy and democratic deficit in BRITAIN.corrupt postal voting,
*the EU has helped break up UK
*destroyed our fishing 200mile limit,cod stocks
*destroyed our farming CAP payments etc 15%imported milk
*helped promote ''brown envelope'' politicians
in uk,sleazy
VOTE ONLY FOR GENUINE INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES-OR UKIP IN 2009 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS,GLA 2008,AND GENERAL ELECTION

[D.L.; Stephens]

The lib-dems will first of all pursue the completion of the sell out of our country to the cess pit in Brussels. If that involves a few changes of mind, on matters where they currently oppose part of the great plan , such as Identity Cards, well " a small price to pay".

Someone said " There is nothing so illiberal as a liberal. For a liberal knows what is good for you, and will ensure that you get it, no matter what harm it may do to you."
Regretably our recent history is littered with examples of just such "good". The lib dems and their allies will have plenty more up their sleeves, given the chance.

[JamesStGeorge]

Shows the power of cynicism and deceit. Our political class know it works for them. They have no interest in us after all.

The Lib Dims have been clearly the nastiest in this respect for many years, say anything to anyone even the opposite to the last thing they said to 'cheat' a vote.

Unfortunately they know the general masses take no interest in these sorts of things, and a few more lies soon cover it up on the day it may momentarily be a news item.

Democracy is a confidence trick not an action to our political class. The EU referendum lies from Labour and the Lib Dims were as clear as one can expect but the dumb masses do not lift their noses from the grindstone of life to react. Everything is arranged so only violence or disruption might get anywhere, all petitions, demonstrations, so called enquiries are all deliberately ignore-able. It is why they insist those are the 'democratic' means we may only use!

[Spirit of St Grimond]

LOL everybody getting their nickers in a twist because the Lib-Dems (insert mock shock) may actually plan for the possibilty that there may have been a hung parliament!! The fact is that the people commenting have already decided they dislike the Lib-Dems and are using the planning for a hung parliament as an accuse to say there cynical without putting forward any coherant arguments. NEW FLASH all parties plan for the aftermath of the elections in private, the rest is just ballsh*t. And the public know it.

[philpolitico]

i agree with James St. George. It seems to me that everyone arguing against the Lib Dems policies here have their own political leanings. what a suprise there?? is it really impossible for us to look at this objectively? The Lib Dems are simply ensuring they achieve the most votes they possibly can in the next election, to ensure that they can shake off the label of being just a third party and rise in the face of increasing weaknesses from the leading parties. The people who give the liberal democrats their vote will be represented within the coalition that is formed if parliament is hung. ultimately all parties are the same, that is how British politics works, so what exactly are the Lib Dems doing wrong? trying to have the views of their voters represented? come on!?

[philpolitico]

sorry i disagree with james st george - should have guessed by the name! - i agree with spirit of st grimond...

[Christopher Squire]

A 'poison pill' in this context is a manifesto commitment that the other parties cannot immediately agree to. Something which the Lib Dems can agree to drop in return for concessions elsewhere.

[Only Sane Poster?]

Do you have to a foam-flecked Euro-sceptic nutter to post on this site or is it just that they have more time on their hands and access to PCs in the secure hospital in which they reside?