# BritDopers (and nosy foreigners) - The general election 2010 **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 6, 2010, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133 "2010-04-06T11:13:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 43
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/841 "2010-05-11T18:18:44Z")
Balls… Darling… a great pity Stephen Ladyman never got further than secretary for transport, could be the best government roll call ever. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/842 "2010-05-11T18:22:09Z")
It looks like it’s over. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/843 "2010-05-11T19:00:25Z")
Brown has tendered his resignation to the Queen and ‘advised’ her to send for Cameron. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/844 "2010-05-11T19:03:27Z")
I hope the Lib Dems do join a coalition, or at least vote to sustain/abstain from voting against a Tory minority government for a while. Then, come the next election, any traditional Labour voter who went over to the Lib Dems this time round will see the choice for what it has always been - voting Labour or putting the Tories back in power. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/845 "2010-05-11T19:23:26Z")
How long is this government likely to last? Is there a minimum time between elections or could there be one in weeks or months? ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/846 "2010-05-11T19:26:05Z")
Total guess on my part - 12-15 months. In 1974, there were two elections. February and October I think. Wilson gained enough in the second for a slim majority. But Wilson was a canny politician, much more so than Cameron. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/847 "2010-05-11T19:34:26Z")
There’s no minimum (except the statutory 17 working days) as far as I know - but elections are expensive, so I suspect they’ll leave it until they’ve got more money before calling for a new election. There _might_ be one in the autumn, if things go horribly wrong in the coalition, but otherwise I’d expect at least a year - there’s not enough time otherwise for them to say “look what we’ve achieved.” ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/848 "2010-05-11T19:36:40Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And don’t gimme no bullshit about the Nazis. Lakeman (or Lind, or Goering) is setting up a strawman there. Nobody’s ever claimed that PR was responsible for the Nazi victory in the 1933 elections. PR did lead the Nazis to do better than they otherwise would have in earlier elections, though. But this really isn’t the thread for why PR is so horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/849 "2010-05-11T19:53:33Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Total guess on my part - 12-15 months. > > In 1974, there were two elections. February and October I think. Wilson gained enough in the second for a slim majority. But Wilson was a canny politician, much more so than Cameron. The eight months in 1974 (you were right on the months) was the shortest gap in general elections since 1802 (when my source material began). There were eleven-month intervals in 1910 and 1923-24 (the 1923 election very late in the year, with the new government taking office in January 1924). ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/850 "2010-05-11T19:58:45Z")
> [@nicole1912](#): > > there’s not enough time otherwise for them to say “look what we’ve achieved.” That’s a good thing for the Tories given their past history of government. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/851 "2010-05-11T20:12:35Z")
Presumably Cameron has some sort of assurance from the Liberals, even if it’s just ‘confidence and supply’. All the parties will be pretty broke after last month’s campaigning and raising fresh campaign funds for another election will take them all some time. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/852 "2010-05-11T20:15:17Z")
> [@villa](#): > > That’s a good thing for the Tories given their past history of government. Couldn’t possibly comment. (Actually, genuinely can’t - I don’t remember our last Tory government. Will be interesting to see how Cameron’s shiny compassionate conservatism plays out in reality…) I’m also interested from a technical point of view in how this coalition will work - Sky News is talking about this coalition agreement lasting for 4 years; what happens if the Lib Dems just change their mind after 6 months? How will things work with the Civil Service and coalition government? Does anyone have a link to any public Cabinet Office (or other) guidance on the subject? ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/853 "2010-05-11T20:18:43Z")
Well, there is no way of stopping a party dropping out at any time they want. What I am interested in is whether the Lib Dems will withdraw from Thirsk & Malton. Also what happens in any by-elections. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/854 "2010-05-11T20:30:13Z")
Never mind. Google is my friend. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/855 "2010-05-11T20:34:42Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Lakeman (or Lind, or Goering) is setting up a strawman there. Nobody’s ever claimed that PR was responsible for the Nazi victory in the 1933 elections. PR did lead the Nazis to do better than they otherwise would have in earlier elections, though. > > But this really isn’t the thread for why PR is so horrible. Of course it is. It is increasingly apparent the LDs did strong enough this election to make it almost impossible for Labour or Tories to form a government without LD support, and obviously they are going to condition their support on . . . something having to do with PR. But just what remains negotiable – maybe a changeover to PR, maybe a national referendum on such a change. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/856 "2010-05-11T20:37:58Z")
> [@nicole1912](#): > > The rumour the BBC is currently spreading about moving immediately to a fixed term Parliament would surprise me hugely, if it ends up being true - particularly given the whole no-outright-majority mess we currently find ourselves in. The entire system is set up such that if you lose a confidence vote, you have to call a general election, fixed term or not - is this something that’s been a key plank of Lib Dem policy that I’ve just missed? Or is this something they’re floating to see if it will be well received publicly, and will think about the details later? (If the latter, colour me unimpressed. ) I’m assuming that it will still be true that the loss of a confidence vote will cause the government to fall. It’s just removing the PM’s power to otherwise request a dissolution when they think it suits them. The Lib Dem manifesto doesn’t elaborate on any details. ---
**Author:** ![MJinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@MJinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MJinks)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/857 "2010-05-11T20:41:18Z")
Well the next few days/weeks/months will be interesting indeed. I never thought I would see the Lib Dems prop up a Tory government. It’s a little pathetic but I feel slightly betrayed. I consider myself quite left-wing and now no main-stream party can be said to represent my views. Do I have the naive idealism of youth? Labour are too right wing on some issues for my liking but at least I’d know who I’m voting for. I can understand why Clegg has sided with Cameron. Still… ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/858 "2010-05-11T20:56:34Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Lakeman (or Lind, or Goering) is setting up a strawman there. Nobody’s ever claimed that PR was responsible for the Nazi victory in the 1933 elections. Well actually I know that one person has: my GCSE maths tutee, about four hours ago. I told him not to cherry-pick quite so blatantly. Then I got him to work out how many seats the BNP would get (assuming no threshhold), after all, it WAS on his mum’s dime. 🙂 But I’m despondent. Now we’ll never have Balls. We’ve just left our Balls flapping in the wind. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![carm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@carm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carm)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/859 "2010-05-11T20:58:37Z")
Woops, never mind ---
**Author:** ![The\_Urban\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@The\_Urban\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Urban_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133/860 "2010-05-11T21:59:15Z")
> [@villa](#): > > What I am interested in is whether the Lib Dems will withdraw from Thirsk & Malton. As far as I am aware, all other candidates on the ballot must remain the same. * * * I can’t say I’m surprised Cameron-_lite_ ended up backing the Tories. My only hope for this term is that we are offered PR (and not AV), and that new animosity towards the Lib Dems will not prevent this very rare opportunity (that is _if_ we get an opportunity, since no details of a referendum are yet known). I won’t be holding my breath on any wide-reaching fiscal regulation, or a level-headed approach to the pressing Eurozone issues, and the wider EU measures required. I think the latter will strain this coalition from the outset, and could well fracture it at some point down the line. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133.md?page=42) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-and-nosy-foreigners-the-general-election-2010/535133.md?page=44)