What would a Clegg victory mean to the US?

[headscratcher4]

I know he's in favor of greater ties to Europe and de-nuking the UK, but if the Leberal Dems pull it off (still hard to see how but I gather the polls are swinging their way sufficiently that it is becoming possible), what will the relationship with the US look like? Special relationship lite? No special relationship?

 

[Cleon]

Is it my imagination, or are the Lib-Dems almost to the left of Labour these days?

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Pff, we don't even know what your parties are. Is he a communist or a nazi?

 

[andyandy]

Is it my imagination, or are the Lib-Dems almost to the left of Labour these days?

Labour have moved so far to the right even UKIP are probably to the left of labour

re OP question, it's still barely conceivable that he'll actually end up PM (10-1 odds at the bookies) - because of our absurd electoral system even if they get the majority of the votes they'll probably be a distant third in seats won.....

not too sure on what the lib dem foreign policy is - there's a leadership debate on it tomorrow, so i'll be able to contribute more then

 

[Ryokan]

Is it my imagination, or are the Lib-Dems almost to the left of Labour these days?

I think that would depend a lot on what kind of issues you care about. As a social-liberal center party, some of their issues will be considered to the left and others will be to the right.

 

[andyandy]

Pff, we don't even know what your parties are. Is he a communist or a nazi?

On the American scale, somewhere between Castro Commie and Peacenik Socialist....

On the normal politcal scale, somewhere between centre to centre left....

 

[Chris Hegarty]

andyandy got it right. Last election they got, what, ~25% of the vote and ~10% of the seats? They'd need something ridiculous to be able to form a government by themselves, but I can forsee a possible LibDem-Labour coalition, since Labour obviously isn't doing too well by themselves.

Hey, but someone threw an egg at David Cameron. That's a step in the right direction.

 

[geni]

I know he's in favor of greater ties to Europe and de-nuking the UK,

Thats mostly theoretical. Any greater ties to Europe hit issues that post consitution/treatly no one wants to go through that again. No plans for reductions in nuclear weapons for the time being. Reductions are in delivery systems (at least some of the ideas would actualy allow the UK to deploy a greater number of weapons although I'm not sure our tritium stocks would allow that).

but if the Leberal Dems pull it off (still hard to see how but I gather the polls are swinging their way sufficiently that it is becoming possible), what will the relationship with the US look like? Special relationship lite? No special relationship?

Depends who the US next invades.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

If Clegg becomes Prime Minister I will run through the streets of London naked before farting in the face of a Community Support Officer to the tune of yakety sax.

 

[Cleon]

If Clegg becomes Prime Minister I will run through the streets of London naked before farting in the face of a Community Support Officer to the tune of yakety sax.

Well, dang. Is it legal for me to send him a campaign contribution?

 

[Darat]

Well, dang. Is it legal for me to send him a campaign contribution?

So you are behind this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8636311.stm

 

[VonKleist]

I know he's in favor of greater ties to Europe and de-nuking the UK, but if the Leberal Dems pull it off (still hard to see how but I gather the polls are swinging their way sufficiently that it is becoming possible), what will the relationship with the US look like? Special relationship lite? No special relationship?

As far as I understand, the Lib-Dems are not saying they will scrap Britain's nuclear deterrent. They are against replacing Trident on a like-for-like basis. This doesn't rule out cheaper delivery systems for nuclear warheads.

As to the Lib-Dems actually getting a majority, this is extremely unlikely given the UK Election system. They would require something like 42% of the vote to gain a majority of seats. Labour could get a majority with around 33%.

 

[Duffy Moon]

If Clegg becomes Prime Minister I will run through the streets of London naked before farting in the face of a Community Support Officer to the tune of yakety sax.

That's my mind made up then.

 

[Duffy Moon]

UKIP it is.

 

[Garrette]

Depends who the US next invades.

If Clegg wins, perhaps the Midlands.

BTW: What's a Clegg?*


*Don't answer; I investigoogled.

 

[Darat]

I know he's in favor of greater ties to Europe and de-nuking the UK, but if the Leberal Dems pull it off (still hard to see how but I gather the polls are swinging their way sufficiently that it is becoming possible), what will the relationship with the US look like? Special relationship lite? No special relationship?

I think it will cause an increase in heart attacks and strokes amongst Republican politicians in the USA. Can you imagine any of them having to deal with someone who is a proud and self proclaimed "Liberal" and "Democrat" and considers himself a "European" - apoplexy all round!

Slightly more serious - don't think it will have much impact, us not updating Trident would of course mean some lost revenue for the USA but in the scale of the USA's economy that won't even be a blip (the same with any military advantage us having Trident has for the USA).

Otherwise the only issue would perhaps be any future cooperation with armed conflicts, it is going to be much harder for the USA to secure UK cooperation however I think that will be case going forward no matter who forms the next UK government.

 

[Darat]

If Clegg becomes Prime Minister I will run through the streets of London naked before farting in the face of a Community Support Officer to the tune of yakety sax.

If that doesn't bring their chances crashing to the ground nothing will.

 

[Rolfe]

I can forsee a possible LibDem-Labour coalition, since Labour obviously isn't doing too well by themselves.

Bit of a problem there. Rewind back to the 2007 Scottish election. The previous administration was a Labour/LibDem coalition. In 2007 the SNP beat Labour by a whisker. However, the LibDems found it was politically unacceptable to then prop up the "rejected" Labour party by re-forming the coalition.

Same thing is likely to apply for Westminster. If the country rejects Labour and gives a majority (seats or votes?) to the Conservatives, I suspect the LibDems would find themselves unable to put the "rejected" Labour party back into power.

Rolfe.

 

[Rolfe]

If Clegg wins, perhaps the Midlands.

BTW: What's a Clegg?*


*Don't answer; I investigoogled.

Clegg. The journalists in Scotland are certainly punning this one, I don't know about elsewhere.

Rolfe.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

BTW: What's a Clegg?*

A Clegg [Ay Cl-egg)  
-adjective
1: To ignore the mainstream due to disgust and indulge in unknown but blissfully vague optimism.
"What the **** is that? Well, as everything else sucks, I'll give it a clegg."
"I can change! Give me a Clegg! "