Tories offer Clegg referendum on electoral reform
By Ian Dunt and Alex Stevenson The Conservatives have offered the Liberal Democrats a referendum on electoral reform, as the battle for a coalition with Nick Clegg turned into an all-out bidding war. The Tory offer was a frantic response to Gordon Brown’s decision to step down as Labour leader today, as both Labour and […]
Feature: Uncharted waters for British politics
British politics, fresh from the turbulent choppiness of election night’s unpredictable results, is entering uncharted waters. It’s enough to make anyone queasy. By Alex Stevenson “We find ourselves in a position unknown to this generation of political leaders,” Gordon Brown said portentously in Downing Street on Friday. The prime minister was right. No-one really knows […]
Top Tories say no to PR
By politics.co.uk staff A coalition between The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats looks to be on the rocks after senior Tories set their face against electoral reform. Party leaders Nick Clegg and David Cameron continue to talk and had ‘constructive’ one-on-one discussions last night, but the Independent on Sunday reports that Mr Clegg’s supporters are […]
Poll shows support for PR
By politics.co.uk staff Nearly half the public wants some form of proportional representation for future elections, according to a new poll. An ICM survey for the Sunday Telegraph shows that 48% backed a new voting system, with 39% wanting to keep first past the post. A third of those polled favoured a Conservative /Liberal Democrat […]
Tory anger turns on Cameron
By politics.co.uk staff There are growing signs of rebellion against David Cameron’s rule within the Conservative party after he failed to secure a majority at the general election. The Observer reports that Lord Ashcroft, the party’s deputy chairman and a major donor, is ‘furious’ with his leader. The paper says he is angry that Mr […]
Leaked Tory-EU letter widens gap with the Lib Dems
By Ian Dunt A secret letter outlining Tory plans towards the EU has complicated efforts to secure a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition. The document, obtained by the Observer, was written by civil servants last week on the assumption of an outright Tory victory at the general election. It adopts a firm approach to the EU, and […]
Voters want Brown out of No 10
By politics.co.uk staff Nearly two-thirds of voters believe Gordon Brown should have conceded defeat on Friday and quit No 10, according to a poll. The Labour leader remains prime minister until he is certain he cannot command a majority in the Commons, but a YouGov poll for the Sunday Times newspaper found 62% of voters […]
Another Labour MP calls for Brown resignation
By Ian Dunt Former Cabinet minister Kate Hoey has become the second Labour MP to demand the resignation of Gordon Brown. Ms Hoey told BBC Radio Five Live’s Stephen Nolan show: “I think he must go and I don’t think we will have renewal until we get a new leader.” The Vauxhall MP is the […]
Hung parliament: Lib Dem/Tory talks ‘positive and productive’
By Alex Stevenson and Ian Dunt Talks between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives at the Cabinet Office on Sunday were “positive and productive”, William Hague said. The shadow foreign secretary made the statement after emerging from the meeting, which lasted nearly seven hours. “We’ve had some very positive and productive discussions over many key […]
Chaos in Westminster as Clegg addresses protestors
By Ian Dunt There were chaotic scenes in Westminster this afternoon when democracy activists surrounded a building with Nick Clegg inside to demand a meeting. Protestors gathered to call for a meeting with the Lib Dem leader so they could demand electoral reform – a key plank of the party’s demands during talks on a […]
