Brown Steps Down
Gordon Brown has, this afternoon, announced he will be resigning his position as prime minister of Great Britain, following the Liberal Democrats pressure for him to step down.
The Liberal Democrats have stated that in order for their party to agree to any form of Labour coalition, Brown would need to abdicate his position. Having done so, this dramatic result has swung open even more potential outcomes to the formation of a new government. If the Conservative/Lib Dem talks were to break down, and with Brown resigning on the base of facilitating a stable government, many Liberal Democrats will be very persuaded by a Labour coalition prospect, certainly pushing forward more serious talks between the two parties.
Outside of No.10, Brown told the press that it was his, ‘constitutional duty’ to make sure that ‘a stable, strong, principle government is formed’. Brown also said, that it was in the ‘interest in whole country to produce a progressive government’, to which the social democratic parties will look to collude effectively against a Tory government.
Many variations of this Lib/Lab pact have been debated, with the most recent referring to a ‘traffic light’ coalition. This would include red for Labour, yellow for the Liberal Democrats and green, for the Green Party MP, Caroline Lucas. Alongside these key parties needed in order to form a majority government, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru will also most likely join; however this will involve even more financial and political concessions to Scotland and Wales.
The Liberal Democrats and the Conservative party have been discussing policies, since Friday, on which they both can agree on, in an attempt to form a majority government. With so many differences on key areas like Europe, Trident, and immigration, it was always going to be difficult for any form of coalition to succeed. Electoral reform, one of the number one priorities of the Liberal Democrats to push for, has also been set aside by the Tories.
With Labour offering an immediate electoral reform bill, and with Gordon Brown now gone, a traffic light coalition has become extremely more likely. A new Labour leader will be announced by September at the Labour party conference.
Of course Brown’s resignation throws up many questions. Surely, after the Labour party lost the general election, they should not be allowed to stay in power by forming a coalition government? How will Nick Clegg respond to this situation, when today it was reported the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives were making good progress? The fact is this kind of progressive government coalition, Brown has proposed, has not been seen since the Second World War, and there is concern that this form of government will not actually be as stable and strong Brown suggests. It will be very hard to govern, holding barely any seat majority over the Tories.
