Liberal Democrats

By Jamal Elshayyal in Europe on December 11th, 2010
Photo from EPA

For those of you who've followed the recent student protests in Britain over the rise of university tuition fees, their somewhat violent nature may have come as a surprise. 

The Britain of today is not renowned for being radical, the most disobedient Brits get is usually a one-day strike by tube (metro) workers. In fact, probably the only high point in recent years in terms of civil disobedience was in the run up to the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003.

By Alan Fisher in Europe on May 10th, 2010
Photo by AFP

Even in these unpredictable days - this was truly an astonishing moment.

The podium Gordon Brown uses for announcements was lifted into place. A young assistant made a quick sound check and then moved respectfully to the side.

Just a minute before five, he walked out, notes in hand, the thick black writing he needs because of his eyesight problems clearly visable.

He began talking about the business of government, what he and others had done today. The formality gave no hint of the importance of the announcement.

He revealed his Labour party was to begin formal talks with the Liberal Democrats about forming a government - something that clearly wasn't going to happen while Brown stayed in place.

"I have no desire to stay in my position longer than is needed to ensure the path to economic growth is assured and the process of political reform we have agreed moves forward quickly," he said.

It was clear now he felt his time was up.

By Alan Fisher in Europe on May 9th, 2010
Photo by AFP

For most of us who've covered UK politics, this is uncharted territory.

We are unused to the hurried talks, detailed discussions and the hard bargaining of coalition building.

We normally see the one-in-one-out process of UK elections, where the loser leaves and the winner walks in immediately. And perhaps that is driving the expectation that a deal should be done quickly.

It's unseasonably cold in London, and the pavement outside the Cabinet Office is hardly a tourist attraction. The building is drab and grey and uninteresting. Yet dozens are here, standing quietly, watching and waiting.

Quite what they expect, I'm not sure, and I don't think they do either. But this is history in the making and I can understand why they want to be close to that.

Negotiations

The Liberal Democrats are first to arrive, their cars stopping a short distance from the front door, giving them a short walk in front of the cameras.

By Alan Fisher in Europe on May 7th, 2010
Photo by EPA

1245 GMT Gordon Brown strode out of Downing Streeting - his speech in hand.

The first indication of what was coming was he was alone. If he was about to quit, his wife Sarah would have been by his side.

He made it clear the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats could, and should, discuss a coalition, but the message was clear.

If it falls apart, then I'm free to chat. This is political poker.

Brown is essentially saying: "David have a go if you think you can form a government but I don't think you can. And if you lose, I get to go".

As he walked back in, I felt he was almost tempted to answer the questions we journalists shouted at him.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Europe on May 5th, 2010
Photo by AFP

Britain has held what appears to be the tightest election race in a generation.

The Conservative party took the lead but failed to gain a clear parliamentary majority, leaving the UK with a hung parliament. Eyes are now on the Liberal Democrats, as the two main parties attempt to woo them into forming an alliance.

You can follow the the latest news from Al Jazeera's UK election team right here.  

1636 GMT It's not just Nick Clegg that David Cameron is going to have to convince of the merits of a coalition. As this story from the Financial Times shows, he faces a battle persuading his own party.

By Alan Fisher in Europe on April 29th, 2010
Picture from AFP

The Labour Party in the UK  has had a bad election campaign.  Never in front in the opinion polls, now trailing in third place. 

Gordon Brown has failed to excite the electorate - and the unfortunately named 'bigotgate' scandal where he insulted one of the party's core supporters has undoubtedly had an impact. 

Labour is hoping that it's support stands up in traditional areas, the inner cities of England, large parts of Scotland and the urban areas of Wales. 

There is a chance that even trailing in behind the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats in the share of the vote, the party could still win the largest number of seats. 

Yet, if they're basing the final result on the opinion polls, Labour supporters and politicians could be in for a very big shock.

A quick analysis of the polls and the reality of the last four elections will make deeply uncomfortable reading.  In the elections in 1

By Alan Fisher in Europe on April 22nd, 2010
Photo by AFP

If last week's first ever leaders' debate was a game changer – the second one confirms that Britain's closest general election in a generation is now a three-way fight.

Nick Clegg, the leader of the perennially third placed Liberal Democrats, won that first debate and enjoyed a huge surge of support on the back of it. 

And so this second debate was about seeing if he could shore up his position – or even build on it.

This was a consolidating performance and at least two instant polls gave him victory. It may have been narrow, but it was still a win.

There were fewer 'I agree with Nick' moments from David Cameron and Gordon Brown. Instead we had attacks; a recognition the surge in support wasn't about to ebb away. 

By Alan Fisher in Europe on April 16th, 2010

debate.jpg

By Alan Fisher in Europe on March 24th, 2010
Photo by AFP

14.00 GMT

Conservative leader David Cameron goes on the attack - saying the only decent ideas in the budget were stolen from his party.
 
He makes this about politics too. He tells the commons there should be an election now. Well he doesn't have long to wait.

One political pollster tells me that the political budget should play well with voters.

The pollster said:  "Alistair Darling has made the case for keeping on the same path to recovery. 

"The Conservatives have been thrown onto the back foot and will now need to explain to voters how they would make things better".

13.28 GMT

And he's done. We got the usual increase in sin taxes (alcohol, tobacco) and a plan for a new green investment bank which was heavily trailed.

By Alan Fisher in Europe on February 21st, 2010
Photo by AFP
Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, might be about to surprise us all. 
 
For months most people have thought that he'll cling on to power until the last possible moment and only go to the country when he has to. So that points firmly towards early May being the polling date.
 
So why might he go earlier? Let's outline the case.
 
Firstly the big interview he did last week. 
 
Here the father who famously dismissed using his children to help him politically by annoucing "they're people not props" told us about the loss of his baby daughter, his son's ongoing illness and how he rather clumsily proposed to his wife.
 

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