From here in the U.S. the UK election is somewhat confusing. Are the Liberal Democrats at least going to get a referendum on PR out of a Tory-Libdem coalition? If so will the Tories be the one to phrase the question? Also, is the choice of allying with Tories rather than Labor really being made essentially out of personal spite?

It looks like a Tory/LibDem announcement is imminent, Typo.

It looks like the LibDems will get an Alternative Vote referendum out of the Tories, which wouldn't dent the Tory vote as much as a Single Transferable Vote system would.

Not sure about the spite thing- there was no love lost between Clegg and Brown, but now that Brown has stepped down that's less of an issue. I think the major issue is that the Tories got the most votes and so have more of a mandate than than Labour, so that's a factor in why the LibDems are talking to them at all, when their policies are so disparate.

I think the main issue is that the Lib Dems are kind of screwed eitehr way - they go into power with the Tories and there's no way they'll move forward on a referendum for STV, in my opinion. But the can't really join a Labour coalition because it will barely be a majority government and there's enough Labour backbenchers opposed to PR that a vote for a referendum would never pass.

I thought the ideological gulf between the Tories and the Lib Dems would prevent them reaching a deal. Seems I was entirely wrong. Bugger it.

So did I, Seska. There's a loop in my head screaming "Don't do it! Don't do it!" The only thing they're both in favour of is scrapping the third runway, from what I can see.

I kind of am hoping that the Lib Dems just don't support anyone, let the Tories form a minority government and have another election in 6 months with David Milliband as Labour leader, at which point Labour would probably stand a better chance in a coalition with Lib Dem. But I don't see it happening.

I gather that by Alternative Vote, what is intended is the same as Australia uses for their lower house, what in the U.S. is called instant run-off?

So you still have single member districts, but then you name your first, second etc choices? And then if nobody wins the constituency with an outright majority in essence a formula figures out who would have won a run-off based on 2nd choice, 3rd choice and so on?

Argh I'm puking a bit in my mouth at the pictures of the Cameronbot in no. 10.

I've got my eye on you, Cambot, you oily entitled little gob.

Argh I'm puking a bit in my mouth at the pictures of the Cameronbot in no. 10.

His smug speech was just dreadful.

On the bright side, there were protesters outside Number 10 as he went in!

Yes! I heard booing even! Someone sent me a Facebook invite for an anti-Conservative deomonstration in Trafalgar Sq on Saturday. Which is quick work I think. If it was a pro-human decency and compassion demonstration I might go.

Argh I'm puking a bit in my mouth at the pictures of the Cameronbot in no. 10.

Right there with you, Jars.

The poor old LibDems really are screwed. First caught between the devil and the deep blue sea; now the Tories are going to blame them for everything that goes wrong the next couple of years.

The stupid alternative vote is going to go to a referendum and end up setting back the case for proper electoral reform by many years. What really gets on my nerves is when the anti-PR people scaremonger that PR will end the link between MPs and constituencies. Um, no. I live in a country with PR and it still elects local MPs; it can be done. But the British people are not being educated about the possibilities.

The only good thing to come out of this will be if the Tories make themselves so unpopular they don't get re-elected for a generation, as Mervyn King predicts.

On the other hand: more Murdoch and bye-bye BBC as we know it.