[Shasown]

Originally Posted by Mark

Lab-Lib ended the disaster in 1974, they can do it again. Brown needs to hand over to Milliband so he can be the new face of politics.

Lib Lab pact was in 77 lasted for a year

In 74 there was an election in the Feb, result was a hung parliament, Heath (the sitting PM) had a greater percentage of the votes but less seats than Labour he tried to make a pact with Liberal Leader Jeremy Thorp it fell through. Took a few weeks to sort out but eventually Harold Wilson made a deal with the Ulster Unionists for support and was returned to power. He later called another general election in the October of that year in order to try and gain a majority. He ended up with a majority of three seats.

Wilson retired in 76 due to ill health and James Callaghan (another unelected Labour PM) took over, in 77 following labour defections and Scottish Labour Party breakaway Callaghan actually ran a minority government so made a deal with David Steel leader of the Liberal party.

This ran for a year then fell apart. Labour then sort support from both the SNP and Plaid Cymru, this led to an extension of the Labour administration however following devolution referendums and Labours refusal to push for regional assemblies, the SNP left the coalition. There was then a vote of no confidence and it toppled the government forcing an election in 79, Up steps maggie to the mark and the rest is history.