Moving towards a 2 party system in the UK

This is just an observation, I have no proof other than reading articles on various websites, concerning the increasing popularity of the lib dems in the run up to the general election, and the now new coalition government we have.

For a very long time, the UK had 2 main parties, the Conservatives and Labour, and power was passed between these two parties. Then as the discontent of the voting public increased in the UK, the liberal democrats emerged offering an alternative.

From what I read into, labour lost the election, as many of their voters turned to the lib dems instead, and the conservatives stayed a strong contender.

Since the new government has been in office, the Lib dem voters have been leaving in droves, due to their policies being muddled up with the conservatives, or being negated, when they would have been better served joining the labour government, as their policies are more alike.

Therefore, the Lib dems once we return in 4 years to the next general election, will have lost a massive following, and be reduced to a much lesser party. Thereby leaving the 2 parties to once again fight it out.

What I'm trying to say is, are the Lib dems being targeted in this new party more so, and given more bad publicity in the media, so that TBTB in the UK can then return to the 2 party system, where power can better controlled, and the people given less of an opportunity to vote for anyone different.

Like I said, its only an observation, maybe I'm miles off track.

Its a bit of a joke that this has even been allowed to happen I think. Its not really a coalition, its Lib Dems changing their tie colours to blue because they really have very little power and it looks like they've just amalgamated so therefore we are already back to a 2-party system who appear to be opponents but lets not kid ourselves. Sending our boys and girls to die enforcing democracy in far-away countries, when it seems pretty obvious we dont REALLY have it here.

Proportional Representation would help fix the problem of two parties having all the power.

Aye, but how do we get that?

Originally posted by niblo
Aye, but how do we get that?

By putting enough pressure on Politicians for them to start seriously considering it, I guess.

The referendum on AV+ is a step in the right direction, in my opinion. Such a radical change to the way Politics is conducted in this nation shouldn't be done all in one go, no matter how good we feel the change will be.

In my opinion the ONLY way the libs can get any support from voters ever again is to VOCALLY speak out against some of the more barbarous cuts used by the coalition and distance themselves from the more right wing ways).

I can see the Libs becoming divided between the dissolved and the purist and could eventually split to two opinions.

Also labour will use the current mess to try and regain public support (i'm guessing they'll try and clinch the working class who will suffer the most under the lib/cons)

and then the next vote will either go to Labour or conservatives.

Swings and roundabouts. The whole thing needs to be changed from the bottom upwards. Im no expert but the flaws are clear and it needs to change, somehow.

Originally posted by niblo
Swings and roundabouts. The whole thing needs to be changed from the bottom upwards. Im no expert but the flaws are clear and it needs to change, somehow.

It will, in time. A large section of the populace (mostly readers of The Daily Mail and other such newspapers, it has to be said) is still against the idea at the moment. I suppose we'll see how the referendum for AV+ turns out first.

I don’t think we are moving towards a two party system in the sense that libs are going to be swallowed by the conservatives because ideologically they are polar opposites, we are already seeing some cracks in Lib/Con government. The real problem is how close to the centre of the political spectrum our political parties are working, we need some real choice coming from the big parties.

It is possible that at the next general election the libs will become a fridge party and this would lead to a two party system. By joining with the conservatives and the controversial way in which they went about it, its highly likely that allot of their voters will defect to the other parties. I agree with you on that point. What will be interesting is how this will work, by the next election it is probable that we will have the alternative voting system in place, therefore we could see the Green party, UKIP, SNP or even the BNP emerge as a third party. One thing is for sure the next four years in British politics are going to be very interesting.