Labour Lib Dem coalition

Dickens

^They can be promoted to ministerial posts without any expertise, or even interest, in the area they have responsibility for.^

This has become quite noticeable with the current government, perhaps more so than with any other?

Since 2019 - and now on the third PM - the reshuffles have become a veritable game of musical chairs.

That's why they should listen more closely to their civil servants rather than to the SPADS.

I don't need to read a book to understand the failings of our Parliamentary system. Too many MPs are election winners with few other skills, hence a need to scrape the barrel when appointing Ministers. PR might lead to a more considered legislature but that would depend on the ruling coalition and a significant improvement in the quality of MPs.

They can be promoted to ministerial posts without any expertise, or even interest, in the area they have responsibility for.
I’ve suspected that for a long time, and in a range of governments. It’s like asking a PE teacher to teach maths or the other way round.

They can be promoted to ministerial posts without any expertise, or even interest, in the area they have responsibility for.

This has become quite noticeable with the current government, perhaps more so than with any other?

Since 2019 - and now on the third PM - the reshuffles have become a veritable game of musical chairs.

MaizieD very good points. Uk government is in the hands of the bureaucratic elite as you rightly say.

Any further thinking on the power of the Executive? Is this power so deeply embedded that it can continue to act against consensus politics regardless of the composition of the House of Commons?

Half way through😄

Grantanow

If things go on as they are Labour will be the largest Party but short of an absolute majority. Hence it's either coalition with some other Party or Parties or a confidence and supply arrangement. Either way involves compromises. PR might be on the cards but I think MPs might worry they would lose their seats in a revamped system.

If you were to read Ian Dunt's book you'd understand that the whole Westminster system is ineffective and frankly undemocratic. All that most MPs are are lobby fodder. They aren't given time to properly scrutinise proposed legislation but are expected to vote on it as their party demands. They often don't have a clue about the detail of what they are voting for.
They can be promoted to ministerial posts without any expertise, or even interest, in the area they have responsibility for.

On the other hand, they're expected to be all powerful glorified social workers by their constituents, or they can ignore them altogether and pursue lucrative alternative careers because of the magic letters, MP, after their name.

In the meantime, the Executive runs on unchecked to do whatever it pleases.

This is not good government, nor does it concern itself with the welfare of the country as a whole. I think that a more representative distribution of seats and the need to reach consensus is what the country needs, and the whole Westminster system needs.

MayBee70

Everyone says how great the Green Party is and I always make a point of listening to Caroline Lucas when she speaks in parliament: she’s very good. But, apart from wanting to rejoin the EU can anyone tell me what their actual policies are?

Well, they would work much more quickly to a carbon free future I would imagine. I suspect that they would like to see reform of the tax system towards greater equity.
Sustainable farming and country management?

Stuff like that

MayBee70 you ask what the actual policies of the Green Party are but that question can be asked of the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems. I have the impression that it’s all under wraps/being formulated/better not say because the Tories will steal the ideas. Same usual pantomime.

Everyone says how great the Green Party is and I always make a point of listening to Caroline Lucas when she speaks in parliament: she’s very good. But, apart from wanting to rejoin the EU can anyone tell me what their actual policies are?

Wouldn’t PR lead to us having coalitions in the future anyway?

If things go on as they are Labour will be the largest Party but short of an absolute majority. Hence it's either coalition with some other Party or Parties or a confidence and supply arrangement. Either way involves compromises. PR might be on the cards but I think MPs might worry they would lose their seats in a revamped system.

I suppose I would class myself as a centrist but I am a labour centrist, I am not and never will be a liberal Democrat. I would prefer a labour government, and that's what I am working for, so to speak.

I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that the nation itself is - certainly at the moment - very much either Left or Right and those of us 'in the middle' who would be happy with a coalition, are a minority.

That's the impression I'm getting from SM sites.

We're not schooled in coalition government, it's not part of our tradition (apart, obviously, from the devolved governments).

I think it's sort of the usual, done-thing, for parties to play down the possibility of a coalition ahead of an election. In 2010, it was assumed that a Conservative - Liberal coalition was "highly unlikely", and one of the Lib-Dems was supposed to have insisted that they'd find it nigh on impossible to be part of a Conservative led coalition - or words to that effect. But - it happened!

If the recent local elections turn out to have been the usual "bloody nose" voting, and, come a GE, voters return back to their fold, it's not impossible that the Conservatives would again win, but without an overall majority. But I can't see how they could form a coalition with the other parties now - because of Brexit.

The current Conservative party's reign is though, I believe, over. I know there is a faction that believe 'bringing back Boris' will restore their fortunes, but I believe, and hope, they are mistaken. Brexit is "done" (in the sense that Johnson wanted it over and done with and out of the way) so goodness only knows what 'ticket' he'd ride back in on. Even Rees-Mogg acknowledged that “If we’re a grown-up party we cannot change leader again between now and an election.” As Tobias Ellwood said, "bombastic populism may rally a small base but does not appeal to the wider electorate whose support is needed to win elections.”

But, I've reached that age / stage where nothing much surprises me anymore, so...

A coalition government led to the past 12 years

You can call it 'wheeling and dealing' I'd call it intelligent cooperation if avoiding extremes. See saw extreme politics have been a disaster in UK for a long time.

Nothing can be more unstable, but sadly not short lived, than the current disaster and that of the past 12 years.

I'm not a fan of coalition Governments, as they tend to be both unstable and short-lived. Labour have traditionally never been a fan of them, although of necessity, they have sometimes had to resort to them. Coalitions always involve a lot of wheeling and dealing between parties, which I would suggest detracts from a sharp focus on Government, and from the issues which are the most pressing. It can be quite convincingly argued that even a Coalition couldn't do much worse than the current incumbents, but an overall majority would be much preferred. We can but hope

Yep! One group declare that males can be female, one group that takes its funding from a firm selling puberty blockers for young children and one with a leader who can’t admit that no female has a penis.
I don’t want any more Tory government, but really, the choice isn’t that brilliant.

I hope so but I d rather a coalition that these clowns continuing

Oreo

Labour will win on their own👍🏻

I hope so too, but a coalition would be better than this Tory government.

Labour will win on their own👍🏻

BlueBelle

Labour Lib Dem’s and green would be a dream

No! 😖

BlueBelle

Labour Lib Dem’s and green would be a dream

Yes

Labour Lib Dem’s and green would be a dream

True Starmer is no Wilson, Starmer can be trusted