Voting 'for' a coalition.

[Balmoral Green]

Imagine sometime in the future, it is time for the next General election, the Con/Lib coalition has survived, and in fact, has worked out really well.

Let's just assume that the majority of people in the UK are quite happy for the coalition to continue as is.

How would they be able to vote for such a thing?

Edited by Balmoral Green on Tuesday 25th May 18:50

[Jasandjules]

I think unless they were to form a specific new party then you would not be able to do so under current first past the post voting that we have.

Of course, by the time of the next GE it may be the case that there have been some striking changes in electoral reform.

[OnTheOverrun]

The two parties making up the coalition could only put up one candidate in each constuency that is most likely to win out of the two, but it's not overly democratic and very risky.

[grumbledoak]

Balmoral Green said:

Let's just assume that the majority of people in the UK are quite happy for the coalition to continue as is.

We all vote for the same one as this time. Job's a good 'un.

[rs1952]

grumbledoak said:

Balmoral Green said:

Let's just assume that the majority of people in the UK are quite happy for the coalition to continue as is.

We all vote for the same one as this time. Job's a good 'un.

Except that constituency boundaries would have changed by then, so everybody voting exactly the same way as last time might not produce an identical result, leaving to one side the fact that exactly the same electoratre would not vote (ie some would have died since the last election and some would have passed the age of 18).

It does in fact raise an interesting constitutional point. We will not be able to individually vote positively for a coalition, because that is not an option on the ballot paper. We can collectively vote for a coalition by not giving one party enough seats to have an overall majority, but we cannot guarantee what "colour" that coalition will be until all the votes are in.

Put another way, in the unlikely event that we were all 100% happy with the existing coalition's performance when we have the next general election, it would not be possible for an individual to vote for more of the same.

Any constitutional experts around here with a view on this?

[grumbledoak]

We don't individually vote for a government, or the PM. We only get to vote for our own MP, so I cannot see a way to enable us to vote for 'more of the same'.

Shame about all the boundaries crap; that should be put outside of government control. Along with quite a few other aspects of our lives. Cannot see them passing that Bill; maybe an alternative system (no, not the one designed to keep the communists in power forever) is actually a good idea.

[dilbert]

Balmoral Green said:

Imagine sometime in the future, it is time for the next General election, the Con/Lib coalition has survived, and in fact, has worked out really well.

Let's just assume that the majority of people in the UK are quite happy for the coalition to continue as is.

How would they be able to vote for such a thing?

Edited by Balmoral Green on Tuesday 25th May 18:50

I don't think it'll be an issue. If it all works out, then the Liberals will want power themselves outright, and so will the Tories. I predict that Lib votes will be up, with a sniff of power, but it'll still not be enough.

If you want the coalition again, just don't vote Labour.

The real tragedy will be if the coalition looks like it's working out for everyone, and either of the parties in power trashes the deal, just because they think they can win overall. Unless one of the parties in power is actually seen to have done something wrong by the voters, I think it could well be more stable, not less.

In combination it's more difficult, not less, for voters to feel that a particular party has let them down.

Typically at the first general re-election, people are thinking that the parties need to be given a chance. Then it morphs into voter dependence. It tales a long time for people to be really, really, bitter. The reality is that there's plenty of time for green shoots, and that's all that's needed to get "give 'em a chance" stage".

Edited by dilbert on Tuesday 25th May 21:30