"hugh" ] wrote in message
...
In message , John Rumm
writes
On 02/05/2011 22:14, Old Codger wrote:
On 02/05/2011 20:39, Tim Streater wrote:
In article ,
Old Codger wrote:

On 02/05/2011 17:15, Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , Andy Cap
writes
On Mon, 02 May 2011 13:04:26 +0100, Roger Mills

wrote:

Since when did a single party getting an overall majority ever
honour
its manifesto pledges anyway?

Perhaps not, but look at what the blatant dishonesty of the Liberal
Party has
done to their reputation. With a proportional system, all policy
will
be made on
the hoof, so to speak, with the excuse that there was no choice at
the
time.
If you really want more democracy, the only way is to get more
control
over the
programme.

Mainly because of the FPTP system, the Liberal Party is very much
the
junior party in the Con-Lib coalition. It is therefore not really in
a
good position to deliver some of its election promises.

In many cases, in order to preserve the unity of the coalition (and
thereby keep its foot well inside the parliamentary door), it has
been
obliged to take pragmatic approach, and go along with what the
Conservatives have wanted to do.

They weren't forced to join a coalition but, like all politicians,
they are power hungry so junk their principles in favour of power.

So you're saying all parties should stick to their principles and never
join a coalition? Then we'll just have minority governments that will
fall with monotonous regularity. And Brenda will refuse to authorise
the
Prime Minister du jour to call an election, as he won't have exhausted
*all* options. And she'd be right.

Minority governments do not have to fail. They have existed in the past.

None that you would cite as particularly glowing examples of success
though... its usually synonymous with inaction for a few years until
someone gets elected with a workable majority.



ISTR Alex Salmon recently boasting that the SNP operates a minority
government in Scotland quite successfully.

But does the system in Scotland allow for a new election on fall of
government?

Usually, in a PR system, the number of MPs each party has is fixed for the
term of the parliament with no mechanism for early elections.

Under such a system there is no point bringing down a minority government
unless you know that you have support for your own minority alternative.
Which presumably, no one thought that they could manage.

tim