Nick Clegg won't support Labour in a hung parliament.

[Bigthumb]

Speaking to Andrew Marr on the BBC this morning Nick Clegg was asked if he would support Gordon Brown in a hung parliament if Labour polled 3rd in terms of votes.

 

Clegg ruled out going into coalition propping up Labour under such circumstances even if they won most seats.

 

Well that gets my vote.

 

Vote Lib/Dem and get the unelected & unelectable Brown out of Downing Street.

[Unregistered]

Nick did fantastically well with Andrew Marr.

 

Sheffield should be proud of him.

 

In fact, the Nation should be proud of him.

 

This Nation needs Nick Clegg.

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[wellyman]

It is pretty obvious really. It wouldn't make much sense to prop up a government who didn't get most votes if the L/Ds are pushing for proportional representation.

 

The whole idea of PR is that the number of votes reflects the number of MPs.

[Gessa]

But hasn't Nick Clegg also ruled out working with the Etonian priveleged toff party too?

[max]

According to the OP Clegg will support the Tories even if Labour get the most seats.

 

Clegg ruled out going into coalition propping up Labour under such circumstances even if they won most seats.

 

So there you have it, vote Lib Dem get Tory.

 

Same old Tories but yellow.

[wellyman]

According to the OP Clegg will support the Tories even if Labour get the most seats.

 

 

 

So there you have it, vote Lib Dem get Tory.

 

Same old Tories but yellow.

 

Sounds good enough to me. Get Brown out. Get Brown out. He's damaged this country more than Hitler.

[uksmurf]

mmm.I'm in High Peak and a natural Lib Dem voter.Since 97 I've leant my vote to Labour, as before then it had been a Tory seat forever. You remember labour welshed on a reform as soon as they got that whopping first majority.

 

Theres a good article about tactical voting by Polly Toynbee in the Guardian.

So with misgivings , I'll still vote labour. The Conservatives have no interest in giving us all a fairer voting system,its wrong that as low as 22% of the electorate get a majority in parliament

[Gessa]

I will vote Labour because I hate them least and I want a National Health Service. The Tories would completely destroy the NHS such that less well off people cannot get treatment.

[Greybeard]

OTOH at different times in different places Clegg has stated that he would support the party that won the most support from the electorate. He hasn't said whether he means the party that gained the most seats or the party that received the most votes, which gives him some leeway.

 

I didn't see the interview but I suspect it is Gordon Brown he won't support rather than Gordon Brown's party.

 

The Tory stance on electoral reform and Europe would make an alliance with the Tories pretty hard to swallow for most Lib Dems and could lead to a split in the party.

[tonkatoy]

mmm.I'm in High Peak and a natural Lib Dem voter.Since 97 I've leant my vote to Labour, as before then it had been a Tory seat forever. You remember labour welshed on a reform as soon as they got that whopping first majority.

 

Theres a good article about tactical voting by Polly Toynbee in the Guardian.

So with misgivings , I'll still vote labour. The Conservatives have no interest in giving us all a fairer voting system,its wrong that as low as 22% of the electorate get a majority in parliament

 

According to today's opinion polls Conservatives are on 35% L/D on 33% and Labour on 26%.

 

So a coalition between Tory and Lib/Dems would actually empower 68% of voters rather than 59% with a L/D Labour one.

 

I can see Clegg's point. Why would you want to prop up a government that had polled far fewer votes than yourselves. I think Clegg should tell Labour that they should support him as PM in such circumsances and chuck Brown out on his useless backside.