PR without a ratifying referendum – the price for a second LD-CON coalition?
Would the blues stomach such a demand?
With the Tories making progress in the polls and the expectation of a UKIP bonus once support for the purples has eased off is leading all the parties to consider what would happen in the event of another hung parliament.
A continuation, if the post election mathematics permitted, of the current Blue – Yellow agreement is going to be a lot harder for both Nick and Dave, to sell to their parties.
A key, almost absolute, demand for the Tories would be the EU in/out EU referendum. Cameron wouldn’t survive if he couldn’t deliver on this.
The LDs on the other hand have very much got their hands tied by the need for any new coalition deal to be approved by both the parliamentary party and a special conference agreeing by a two thirds majority. This would be a lot harder than in 2010.
My reading is that they would only agree to keeping Dave at Number 10 and the EU referendum if there was something very special on the table. That something special would be PR for Westminster seats WITHOUT a referendum. Another possibility is Lords reform.
The alternative for the blues would be a return to opposition and no chance of an EU referendum.
This is all theoretical at the moment but these scenarios are being discussed.
Everything, of course, is dependent on the GE2015 outcome.