Parties working feverishly on coalition government
Ferry Online Travel News 10/05/2010
The Lib Dems and Tories are hurrying to find political consensus in order to form a government.
The Lib Dems are scrambling to create a coalition government. Their most important task is to get a real commitment from their prospective partners to implement substantial electoral reforms. All three main parties already agree on the need to address the stability of the economy and cut the large deficit.
The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have already held several rounds of secret talks. The Lib Dems are anxious to address an electoral structure that prevents them from gaining real long-term traction. The Conservatives can’t wait to get back in to power. However, members of both parties who are unhappy about the compromises a coalition will require have threatened to punish such a coalition. The Liberal Democrats, seeking to put more pressure on the Tories, have also been in talks with the Labour party.
Last week’s election left no single party with a parliamentary majority. This is known as a ‘hung parliament’ because the government can get little done without controlling a majority of parliamentary seats. Meanwhile, parties are keen to present at least an impression that a solution is close by, as the lack of a stable government could be very damaging for both the pound and financial markets.
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