U.K. Politics: Boris Johnson referred to police (AGAIN) over potential Covid rule breaches

[Wayne]

Theresa is about to meet with the 1922 committee - she's expected to receive a "frosty" reception according to the BBC.

[LOVE+FEAR]

Why is the world getting so messy :-?

France though

[heppolo]

A bunch of losers
Tories spent £1,200,000 on negative anti-Jeremy Corbyn social media adverts

[LOVE+FEAR]

Ugh, so they're cooperating with a party that is against gay marriage

Well, not like it's that different in Germany ... :-?

[heppolo]

Green - Very poor night. Aside from Caroline Lucas having a personal vote the voters realised that Labour were offering the same stuff, and so switched.

Green mostly even campaigned for Labour this time around, especially in key marginal seats

Lib Dem

I'm sorry for Nick Clegg mostly, but I hope he is going to return for a by-election or something [like Vince Cable did]. He is a humble man and took responsibility for his actions

[matthew_dixon]

Well who saw that coming, eh? Great to see so many young people turn out and vote, and really make a difference to the result.

Conservatives - Disastrous result for them. Theresa May made a gamble and it spectacularly backfired. Very pleasant surprise.

Labour - Far better than expected - but they still lost. If only the backbenchers hadn't spent two years trying to topple Corbyn - they might have won the election.

Lib Dem - "Patchy" sums it up. They basically took a centre ground that was slightly more squeezed, but slightly further right, thus making some net gains. I'd hoped for significantly better results, but Corbyn just squeezed the vote big time.

SNP - Disastrous night in an election shortly after Nicola Sturgeon had suggested a second independence referendum - goes to show the Scots don't want it.

Plaid Cymru - Actually better than expected - gaining a seat. Still, they got nowhere in Anglesey where they'd hoped to gain.

UKIP - Absolute disaster - they're finished.

Green - Very poor night. Aside from Caroline Lucas having a personal vote the voters realised that Labour were offering the same stuff, and so switched.

Northern Ireland - Aside from Lady Sylvia Hermon - really shock result as all three moderate parties got the boot. Worrying times.

Others - Shame the independent woman in East Devon didn't get in. Shame the NHS party didn't scalp the health secretary.

[Robbie]

The rhetoric on BBC news from Conservative MPs and supporters is quite harsh - apparently, the cabinet demanded the resignation of her two closest advisors.

The alternative was apparently if they didn't resign there would be someone ready to stand against May on Monday. The BBC have reported that her resignation speech had already been drawn up by senior Tories.

The DUP have apparently demanded that to work with the Tories all benefit cuts must be dropped so that should make for an interesting discussion. Personally as much as I am against any cuts to benefits I don't agree that 10 MPs (the DUP MPs) should hold the entire country to ransom. It would be better to hold another election although that really would be a shambolic mess, and of May's own making.

Meanwhile Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour shadow cabinet have been drawing up an alternative Queen's speech in case the Tory / DUP "coalition" fails to materialise. The problem there is that even by joining forces with other parties (not including the DUP) they wouldn't be able to form a majority as they would be about one or two seats short so I doubt they could get any legislation through parliament.

[Wayne]

The rhetoric on BBC news from Conservative MPs and supporters is quite harsh - apparently, the cabinet demanded the resignation of her two closest advisors.

[Thriller]

What a messy result

[Wayne]

She needs to widen the circle of those she chooses to consult - this should also appease those Conzervative MPs that are calling for her head.

[Robbie]

Breaking news: both may's chief political advisers have just resigned

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40231107

They aren't to blame for this whole fiasco. The buck has to stop with Theresa May.

[Wayne]

The irony is that a petition on the governments official website would be debated in the Conservative-dominated House of Commons, if over 100,000 signatures were achieved. The change.org petitions are pointless.

[heppolo]

^Theresa and Tories are unapologetic, those petitions are pretty pointless

[hun]

Petition to stop the minority government between Conservatives and DUP is nearly on 500,000 signatures

https://www.change.org/p/winston-no-...en_1%3Acontrol

[heppolo]

Some adult humour as well
[youtube:2h8mzzaq]ScRo7g32r5A[/youtube:2h8mzzaq]

[heppolo]

At least some fun
[youtube:1pqmtdma]aMRWUu9WvyM[/youtube:1pqmtdma]

[Hugo]

What a turn of events in recent years in the UK and the US... messy countries.

[heppolo]

Oh, the waffle
[youtube:2054r387]Wiuiy8BxBLo[/youtube:2054r387]

[heppolo]

John Major was in the informal coalition with the UUP for a couple of month after december 1996. Only applied more pressure on Tories prior to their 1997 wipe-out. If only Labour had someone as charismatic as Tony Blair, Tories might have been finished.

[Wayne]

It isn't a formal coalition government so it doesn't violate the agreeement. It isn't expected to become one either - it's expected that the DUP will informally prop up the Conservatives on a case-by-case, issue-by-issue basis - in return for investment in Nothern Ireland.

Either way, it is bad for relations with Sinn Fein - how can the Secretary of State for Nothern Ireland be impartial when they are working closely - potentially - with the DUP?

[Rihab]

Doesn't a coalition between Tories and the DUP also violate the Good Friday Agreement? :-?
Northern Ireland still doesn't have a functioning government and will return to direct rule from Westminster if Sinn Fein and DUP don't come to an agreement by the end of the month. Now if DUP joins a coalition in Westminster, they'll virtually be governing Northern Ireland on their own, without Sinn Fein, ending power-sharing.

[Theodorerichert]

I voted no, because it's still better than what we have in the US.

[SeeForever]

What a mess that was!! I don't agree with these coalition pacts, look what it did to the Lib Dems, now we get a DUP coalition??

What would happen if no one can get a majority (can't make up a coalition) and you end up with a hung parliament, who ends up in government??

I think a lot of the young voters would have voted for Labour, do think it's a bit sad if people used their vote as a protest vote against Brexit, we voted out!! (well I didn't) Though I am sick of hearing about hard Brexit, well just the whole thing

Personally I think all the parties aren't good enough, I did vote but for me it's who is the least worst, I find most party leaders really annoying, I just think is the best they can get to lead them??

[hun]

Ugh I'd've preferred a slight Conservative majority than this coalition with that DUP mess :x They're awful

Right. Now there are 2 parties in charge whom a lot of people do not care for

[Artoo]

I voted other.

I believe in reform, but I do believe first past the post is absolutely fine - a party with the majority of seats should be forming our government. Where I want reform though is on the number of seats.

MPs are paid a basic wage of £70,000 and more on top if they join committees or take on other responsibilities. As we all know, they also get to claim expenses. There are currently 650 seats - I'd like to see this number doubled so that we have more MPs.

The issue of political engagement is often discussed, but hardly ever addressed. Engagement only ever happens in the weeks leading up to an election, and most voters haven't a clue who stands for what, leading to 'generational voting' where you vote based on how your parents voted. Ultimately, MPs must do more and if we double the number of seats, then I believe that there can be more interaction with MPs and their constituents, leading to better engagement and increased voting.

In all honesty, how many of us recognised the names of the politicians on the ballot yesterday? Have you ever met your new member of parliament, or attended events where they are listening to people in your area? The answer for most people will be no - because no one cares until election time. That balance needs addressing and smaller constituencies leads to better engagement and ultimately, better representation in parliament.

How could we afford this? Simple. Half the current wage from £75,000 to £37,500. Being an MP should never be approached as a career choice - it must be a calling. Let them have the salary tax free, but get people engaging with MPs and build relationships - it can only lead to more votes being cast.

As part of this I'd like to see the lines redrawn on constituencies, but I am oppose to the number of overall votes being turned into a reflection on the number of seats in parliament a party gets. I dislike the American way of voting for an individual leader and believe in the separation of party leader and local representatives. If people vote based on party leader then fine, that's your choice. But I want politics to become more local and more reflective of what matters in individual communities.