Lib Dem leadership & Mark Oaten dropping out of the contest.

[mrph]

Ah. So it's going to be one of those leadership elections...

...but then, aren't they all? :-/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4635916.stm

Comments

[the-lady-lily.livejournal.com]

I have to say, I was on the site when the 'breaking news' article went up, and to my shame, the first thing that crossed my mind was 'I wonder if it's anyone I know...'

[gashinryu.livejournal.com]

You might think that Morph...I couldn't possibly comment. ;-)

[mistdog.livejournal.com]

Um, no, I don't recall anything like that in the Labour party.

[aoakley.livejournal.com]

Quite right- I don't recall a Labour MP being that honest, owning up straight away and resigning without fuss either.

Normally they whitter on about "watching badgers" or somesuch excuse for a week first.

leadership elections

[mistdog.livejournal.com]

Possibly not a very apt comparison as Davies wasn't a leadership candidate, Oaten whittered on about not having very much support for a couple of days, and unlike Davies in that story, hasn't resigned his seat, only his front bench job.

[zarbi.livejournal.com]

Oaten wasn't honest, and he didn't own up straight away. He resigned because he got caught. Even worse, he was recently speaking in Parliament on matters that affected him directly (prostitution) without revealing that this was the case.

[jorune.livejournal.com]

He was a fool to stand for an office if he knew that he would immediately stand down when his private life was exposed. Better to show solidarity and not stand than to experience the aftermath.

None of the remaining contenders win, only those who did not take part. Cameron and his conservatives.

[giggly-teapot.livejournal.com]

what the hell is going on
Libs in sex scandals
conservatives wanting to increase social services
labour for more CCTV cameras, ID cards, and phone tapping
what the hell is going
lets all swap parties to fool the electic??
I hope they all wake up and start behaving themselves

[deeply-spurious.livejournal.com]

Very well summarised! All much much too confusing...

I think it might get clearer though...
1 - Labour will be forced to the left as back benchers get increasingly obsessed with defeating Blair - and as Brown looks to differentiate self from Cameron's charade of liberalism
2 - When Labour go to the left, Cameron will spring the trap and go back to the right (a bit) in order to keep the Daily Mail and most of his party happy
3 - Lib Dems will sink into oblivion...
(I hope the last doesn't happen, but it isn't looking good...)