What happens to the Lib Dem's if they lose a referendum on electoral reform?

[T_i_B]

I think it's a question worth asking. Could the Lib Dem's credibly continue as part of the coalition if that happens?

And wouldn't their credibility as a political party be shot to pieces if they fail to deliver electoral reform?

[LeftishBrit]

1. I think the coalition would collapse at that point

The electoral reform possibility is probably the ONLY reason why many LibDems are prepared to accept the coalition at all; remove that and there will be massive rebellion. And probably a demand for Nick Clegg's head on a platter. Especially as they will doubtless also suffer serious losses in the Council elections.

[Nihil]

3. Agreed.

Not sure what they can really do about it though other than kick
Clegg out (well, get him to "resign from the position").

Could a Lib Dem revolt force a new General Election?

:shrug:

Don't know what the rules are for coalitions ...

[T_i_B]

4. Could a Lib Dem revolt force a new General Election?

One question here is whether or not fixed term parliaments are part of the referendum proposal. If we still don't have fixed term parliaments after a referendum where the Lib Dems are defeated it would not be unreasonable to suppose so.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. fixed term parliament proposal is separate from the referendum on AV

and the fixed term parliament proposal is that, if a simple majority Commons vote of no confidence succeeds, then there are 2 weeks to form a new majority coalition, or a new election will then be called.

So if all the Lib Dems voted with Labour and a few others for 'no confidence', and stayed with that decision, they'd get a new election. But, of course, the Tories would only need a few Lib Dems to vote with them to avoid that.

[non sociopath skin]

2. The LibDems only have themselves to blame. It was naive to look to the Tories ...

... for voting reform - their opposition is legendary - rather than to Labour who have, for some time, been divided on the subject.

To have your senior partners campaigning against you while giving Labour fuel for opposition by linking the process to gerrymandering looks like carelessness ...

The Skin

[craigmatic]

5. I hope they do lose the referendum they've already shot themselves in the foot by

joining the tories anyway. Labour is now the defacto leftist party and people aren't sure what the libdems are for. I do think they'll stay in the coalition if they lose the referendum because they haven't had power in so long. They'll tolerate the tories until the next general election.

[Nihil]

6. That's a pretty sad joke in its own right ...

> Labour is now the defacto leftist party

Nothing says "leftist" like Tony's cronies and Gordon's Brown-nosers
when they occasionally emerge from the rear-ends of financiers & CEOs ...

:-(