4 ms·
There were not the numbers of MPs to be able to form a coalition with Labour, a better solution could have been to just support the Tories with a confidence and
by rjsw 4y ago
There were not the numbers of MPs to be able to form a coalition with Labour, a better solution could have been to just support the Tories with a confidence and supply [1] agreement.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidence_and_supply https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidence_and_supply
- lambertsimnel 4y agoI get the impression Clegg was concerned about any Prime Minister (whether put in place by a coalition, by a confidence and supply deal, or as head of a minority government) calling an early election just as soon as polls indicated it would be to their advantage. Partisan elections being a zero-sum game, that would be to the disadvantage of other parties, likely disproportionately including the junior party of any deal. This was before the Fixed-Term Parliament Act, and some of Clegg's energy, attention and political capital went into that act, rather than into electoral reform, tuition fees, etc.
- cjrp 4y agoHow well has that worked out for the DUP though?