FREEDOM!!!!

I don't know that much about the internal dynamics of the Tory party but I question why Cameron is conceding so much given that he is definitely pro-Europe. It can't just be the UKIP thing because they announced the EU referendum idea back in January.

Then again, based on Petty's analyses of Cameron's Scottish policy, he hardly seems like a decisive or confident leader.

Edit: Double simulpost.

bullshit

no pm has control over his backbenches, especially tory pm's

and considering there are no other candiades eying up cameron's postion he is in a really strong position and the backbenchers know it and they don't like it

Eldorion wrote:I don't know that much about the internal dynamics of the Tory party but I question why Cameron is conceding so much given that he is definitely pro-Europe. It can't just be the UKIP thing because they announced the EU referendum idea back in January.

Then again, based on Petty's analyses of Cameron's Scottish policy, he hardly seems like a decisive or confident leader.

Edit: Double simulpost.

but he hasn't conceded anything

everyone knows how this will go CC- Cameron will eventually be ousted and the tory party will put Boris in his place.

except the party knows that cameron has decent ratings for a pm so they won't do that unless they do really badly at the next ge

the tories will probably go into coalition again with labour/lib dems



presuming the lib dem vote picks up a bit

CC12 35 wrote:but he hasn't conceded anything

I may very well be missing something but he seems to be setting up the EU referendum as a sort of significant election promise for the Tories in 2015.

“David Cameron has said if he is Prime Minister, there will be an in-out referendum in the next Parliament and that in this Parliament, we will look at all options to underline the fact that our commitment to the referendum is absolute," he said.

William Hague quoted in the Telegraph

I don't see how that could not be an issue in the election. It's also going to put Cameron in the uncomfortable position of having to defend a fundamentally anti-Europe move despite having been more or less pro-Europe in the past. This is especially true if they do party leader TV debates again.

Well Cameron doesnt seem keen on part leader debates- he has refused to take part in one with Salmond over Independence.

He'd look pretty silly if both Labour and the Lib Dems show up but he doesn't, though.

How were the 2010 debates received in the UK? Is it likely that people would want to see them repeated?

Yeah they are popular enough - i am opposed to them personally as they make it a leadership contest between the three- which is fine for a Presidential system but doent make much sense for a collective government set up like ours. Where the PM, at least in theory, is only 'first among equals'.

that's party politics

your manifesto is obviously made up of things that your party wants. if you don't agree you don't stay leader

the lib dems 2010 manifesto wanted a referendum on europe, it's not conceding anything. nick clegg is pro europe but he recognised this

and i doubt putting it in the manifesto will lose him many votes

The lib dems will crash and burn at next election- if they do get many MP's they are far more likely to side with Labour in a coalition iif the numbers stack up.
Clegg might hang to power for ten years yet.

unlikely, the tories will still control the house, they will certainly be one half of the coalition

labour and the lib dems are simply not popular enough, even in a time when the goverment is at its most unpopular

Still got what 2 years to a general election? Plenty time for labour to continue regaining ground (and the other MIliband to come back and take over as party leader- Ill put m,oney on Balls being gone by then too).
Its the libdems I cant see recovering much ground.

at the moment the projections still suggest that the tories will remain the largest party in 2015

and they won't get a majority but they'll be able to chose coalition partners again, with either party or independents

labour won't want to go into coalition, they'll get rid of ed and choose a new leader

I agree they dont want to- but the chances of them wining an outrigth majority seem slim to me- so mght be only choice- if its coalition or opposition they will choose government every time.

Ed will be replaced though I think, but only if an obvious candidate appears (most likey his brother)- but then the other Milliband seems savvy- he might wait till his brother is defeated at a general election- give it a couple of years then step in untainted by it all as party saviour.

actually they were in talks with the tories in 2010 but failed to conceed any ground so the lib dems got in

and i think they'll look at the lib dems and realise that coalition is a poisoned challice

and yeah we won't be seeing the d till at least 2016

Lab and Tories wont find enough common ground for a coalition. The lib dems will remain the king crowners I fear.
And of course there is the disraction for ameronof fightng the inendence referendum alll next year.

that is literally what i kinda of just said

I thought you said Lab wold see colation as a poisined chalice? I think they will get into bed with lib dems if its only way to power.

you just said labour wouldn't go into coalition and that's what i said 2 x

and what, there is zero chance of a lib dem/labour coalition so wtf

you just said labour wouldn't go into coalition- CC

No I didnt- I said they wouldnt with Tories- it all coms down to if the lib dems hold onto enough MP's or if they get wiped at next election. If their numbers plus labour beat the Tories then we wlill get a lab/lib government next time.

"Lab and Tories wont find enough common ground for a coalition."

that won't happen, the tories will remain by far the biggest party, labour will be far far far behind

What makes you so certain? Cameron seems pretty shake wit his own party right now. UKIP are taking votes of them at european and council level now, and unless they implode will do so at general elections too I reckon. Or do you think the UKIP vote is a flash in the pan?