Opinion: The VoNC that will make or break ARichTeaBiscuit's career
ARichTeaBiscuit will need all of the political cunning and force of will they can muster if they are to survive these next few weeks.
The current burning topic in Westminster politics is the Vote of No Confidence against the Government tabled by Libertarian Party UK leader Friedmanite19 and backed by the Democratic Reformist Front's ZanyDraco and Leader of the Opposition ARichTeaBiscuit. The VoNC looks set to pass if party whips hold, with Labour, the LPUK, the DRF, and the People's Movement having 53 seats in Parliament. If the vote passes, Labour will likely look to the Liberal Democrats, Democratic Reformists, and the People's Movement in an attempt to form a government.
A hypothetical Labour-Lib Dem-DRF-TPM coalition would hold 48 seats in the House of Commons, which while not a majority would be a fairly safe margin for the government to survive. However, this relies on such an arrangement being able to hold together. The issue is, I'm not entirely convinced it can.
Before I begin this, I would first like to say that I have a great deal of respect for the leaders of all of the parties. ARichTeaBiscuit has re-energised Labour since the Sunrise Coalition led to the party descending into chaos, and has set the party on a consistent path to improvement that marks them as the best Labour leader since Secretary_Salami. thechattyshow rescued the Liberal Democrats from the brink of oblivion alongside Estoban06 at the beginning of the 12th Parliament, and has continued to run the party efficiently. ZanyDraco, a good friend of mine, has grown a party from nothing into a formidable force that holds 8 seats in the House of Commons. Finally, 14derry is a woman who is passionate about the things she cares about and whom I also have a great deal of respect for.
With that said, holding such a disparate coalition together will prove an immense challenge. The People's Movement are not known for being a group that readily compromise with other parties. While this steadfast dedication to their principles does them great credit in opposition, the idea of the band of anarchists holding to something resembling cabinet collective responsibility seems far-fetched. The Democratic Reformist Front are also not an ideologically homogeneous group. They are well-known for being a party who give their members virtually free rein on any issue not related to the monarchy or the House of Lords, and have just as many (if not more) members to the right of centre as they do left. Additionally, the Liberal Democrats have drifted more towards the centre as of late, led primarily by their backbenches. Exiting a coalition with the Conservatives and entering one with a Labour Party that has grown increasingly left-wing looks unappealing to many Lib Dems.
As a veteran of the Sunrise Coalition, I have very clear firsthand knowledge that cabinet collective responsibility isn't required to form a government. However, it absolutely is necessary to have a good government. I may have some anarchist tendencies, but I can agree that a dysfunctional leftist government is not something that would be good for the nation.
Which brings me back around to ARichTeaBiscuit. They've certainly got experience from their months of service as Labour Deputy Leader, and they're sure to have grown that experience as Leader of the Labour Party. While successfully passing a Vote of No Confidence in an incumbent government is a tempting prospect to any Leader of the Opposition, if ARichTeaBiscuit fails to present a viable governing coalition or doesn't move quickly for a snap election, the vote could be a fatal misstep in their political career.
ARichTeaBiscuit will need all of the political cunning and force of will they can muster if they are to survive these next few weeks. Trying to hold the Liberal Democrats, Democratic Reformists, and People's Movement into a stable governing coalition is something that many do not think to be possible. That said, many didn't think Labour could overtake the Tories in the polls – something that they look set to accomplish. ARichTeaBiscuit will need to once more perform an impossible feat to govern the country and hold on to 10 Downing Street.
lily-irl, The Baroness Braintree is a Member of the House of Lords, a member of the Labour Party, and former Leader of the Opposition. The views in this article are her own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Independent.