Thursday, February 7, 2013

Lost in LONDON

The results of UK’s General Elections were a forgone conclusion, but this long drawn out impasse might throw some strange bedfellows, reports James Landale from London

In 1974, Ted Heath famously asked the question, “Who governs Britain?” It is not a bad question to ask the day after the 2010 general election.

The first decision has come from Gordon Brown. Despite losing seats, despite coming second, he has chosen not to resign. He has instead paved the way for cross-party negotiations to begin by allowing civil servants to “support” the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in any talks they may have.

If Brown had resigned, Cameron would have gone directly to Buckingham Palace and a minority government would have been formed.

The prime minister’s aides and ministers are making it very clear that they believe some kind of deal with the Liberal Democrats is possible, a kind of anti-Tory “progressive alliance” with an agreement on electoral reform at its heart.

The ball thus moves to Nick Clegg’s side of the court. He says he will stick by his campaign promise to allow the party with the most seats and votes – thus the Conservatives – to have the first right to seek to government.

He says, “It is now for the Conservative Party to prove that it is capable of seeking to govern in the national interest.” In other words, what are you offering, David Cameron? Clegg is not saying that he will never talk to Labour or do a deal with them, just that he will talk to the Tories first. He will listen to what Cameron offers him and take it to his party tomorrow. He will not move fast.

The Liberal Democrats will not want to do much with the Tories unless proportional representation is on the table. Remember that Clegg will have to take his party with him; he cannot operate alone in these talks.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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