Tag Archives: #ge2010

Clegg’s conundrum: Cameron or Brown?

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Be careful what you wish for. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg faces an appalling dilemma this weekend. Should his party help David Cameron form a Tory government? Or partner the election’s biggest loser, Gordon Brown, to create a Lib-Lab pact?

Clegg made it clear on Friday that the Conservatives had won the right to try, as they won the greatest number of seats and votes in Thursday’s general election. Cameron quickly offered the Lib Debs a partnership, but one that would have required Clegg’s party to give up most of its cherished policies, especially on fair votes. The parties have been in talks ever since. 

Gordon Brown is desperate for the third party to choose Labour. His death bed conversion to electoral reform means that Labour offers the Lib Dems a far greater prospect of changing Britain’s corrupt voting system. But propping up such a deeply disliked – and defeated – prime minister would be very unpopular. 

Pundits are drawing parallels with the last time a British general election resulted in a hung parliament, in February 1974. (As a precocious 10 year old, I was fascinated by that election, supporting all the three main parties over the campaign.) The defeated Tory prime minister Ted Heath had to resign after the Liberals refused a coalition. But the circumstances are very diferent. Heath’s party was just four seats behind Labour, and actually won more votes. So either main party would have had a good claim to legitimacy had it formed a government. As it was, Harold Wilson became prime minister after winning three elections out of four as Labour leader. 

In praise of tactical voting

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Tactical voting is the love that dare not speak its name. If you're a life-long and passionate party supporter, the idea of voting for another party is like a Tottenham fan cheering for Arsenal.

But many of us don't identify so firmly with a party. We have beliefs and values, not a party card. And Britain's deeply undemocratic voting system disenfranchises millions of people who live in constituencies in which their votes will always be 'wasted' as their chosen parties will never win.

So I have very little sympathy with the idea that tactical voting is somehow dishonourable. Spare your moral anger for the scandal of the first past the post voting system. And if you're on the left, ponder the long years in which Britain's progressive parties – Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the nationalists – enjoyed a majority of the popular vote but endured Tory governments with big majorities. The days when the two big UK parties grabbed almost all the votes have long gone. 

The other reason to commend tactical voting is that it's the only way under our corrupt voting system for voters to be sure of getting what they want. Keen to avoid a majority Conservative government? Well, don't vote Labour in a seat where the Lib Dems are the only possible challengers. (The same applies, of course, in reverse in a Tory seat where Labour is a close second.) 

Some say: vote with your heart, not your head. And I totally understand that party workers would be disgusted to see their hard work rewarded with party supporters voting for the other side. But Britain's future is more important than any parties' interest. First past the post is inherently immoral. If you want change, you need to use your vote wisely. And that may mean voting for your second choice. 

So far, so predictable: the 2010 general election campaign kicks off

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Britain's 2010 election campaign kicked off yesterday after Gordon Brown confirmed what everyone had known for months: the election will be on 6 May.

This worst-kept secret reflected a growing trend in British politics. Everything is trailed in advance. Ministers appear on Radio 4's Today programme to talk about something they'll be announcing later. Newspapers trail speeches, including the ludicrous expression 'is expected to say', as if they've read the PM's mind. And budget measures are openly discussed - a candour that forced Hugh Dalton to resign as chancellor in 1947.

This predictability matters, as it feeds the general apathy about politics. A general election is a great moment in the life of the nation: people died fighting for the right to vote. Yet millions greeted yesterday's official election announcement with indifference, rather than excitement. There are many reasons for that, but the total lack of surprise must have played a part. Let's hope election night is more of an event.