On May 13, 9:00*pm, Basil Jet wrote:

On 13/05/2010 20:41, Mizter T wrote:

On May 13, 7:59 pm, Basil *wrote:

If Boris stands down to become an MP, Simon Hughes would make a good
Con/Lib coalition candidate.

Just because there's a Con-Lib coalition in Parliament at Westminster
it doesn't mean there's going to be Con-Lib coalitions elsewhere.
There isn't going to be a Con-Lib coalition in the London Assembly
(the Lib Dems in the Assembly continue to regard themselves as part of
the opposition),

Of course, because they have no say in running things. And if they stand
against the Tories in 2012, they will continue to have no say in running
things, and there's a fair chance that the Tories will have no say in
running things either. Together they will walk it. Or cycle it.

Bear in mind that the London Assembly is a rather different beast when
compared to a local or county council, or Parliament, or indeed the
assemblies of Wales or NI (which are themselves both rather distinct
from each other). The London Assembly is more about oversight and
scrutiny, as opposed to governing - the executive power is held by the
Mayor. The Assembly does have a vote on the budget, but it's only on
the overall budget, rather than a line-by-line break down of it