British newspapers urge swift election pact
Sunday, 9 May 2010
LONDON, May 8 (AFP): British newspapers Saturday said Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg held the role of kingmaker after inconclusive general elections and urged him to seal a power-sharing pact without delay.
But the dailies were divided on whether the third-party chief should side with the main opposition Conservatives, who won the most seats and votes, or Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party.
They did also not rule out Conservative leader David Cameron going it alone with a minority government -- but stressed that Britain needed a legitimate administration as soon as possible to tackle its debt problems.
The Financial Times said a Tory-Lib Dem pact offered the best hope of stability, because it was the only plausible combination.
"With the Greek sovereign debt crisis threatening to spill across Europe, it is no time for the parties to bicker and jockey for position.
"Speed is of the essence. It should be possible to reach a deal over the weekend. If not, a Tory minority government would be the logical alternative."
The Daily Telegraph said Britain needed a new government in place before Monday to prevent turbulence in the financial markets, adding: "we cannot pretend the outcome of the election is welcome.
It warned that back room agreements and watered down manifesto pledges would "demonstrate the unsatisfactory nature of coalition politics".
The Times said Cameron had earned the moral right to govern and that Clegg should take his offer of a tie-up seriously while Brown should get out of the way.
"Cameron and Nick Clegg must work together for the good of the country and Gordon Brown must get his bags packed.
The Sun took a humorous approach with a front page "property scandal" involving a Scottish squatter called Gordon Brown who was refusing to budge from 10 Downing Street, "denying entry to its rightful tenant".
The Guardian urged the Liberals to team up with Labour instead.
But the dailies were divided on whether the third-party chief should side with the main opposition Conservatives, who won the most seats and votes, or Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party.
They did also not rule out Conservative leader David Cameron going it alone with a minority government -- but stressed that Britain needed a legitimate administration as soon as possible to tackle its debt problems.
The Financial Times said a Tory-Lib Dem pact offered the best hope of stability, because it was the only plausible combination.
"With the Greek sovereign debt crisis threatening to spill across Europe, it is no time for the parties to bicker and jockey for position.
"Speed is of the essence. It should be possible to reach a deal over the weekend. If not, a Tory minority government would be the logical alternative."
The Daily Telegraph said Britain needed a new government in place before Monday to prevent turbulence in the financial markets, adding: "we cannot pretend the outcome of the election is welcome.
It warned that back room agreements and watered down manifesto pledges would "demonstrate the unsatisfactory nature of coalition politics".
The Times said Cameron had earned the moral right to govern and that Clegg should take his offer of a tie-up seriously while Brown should get out of the way.
"Cameron and Nick Clegg must work together for the good of the country and Gordon Brown must get his bags packed.
The Sun took a humorous approach with a front page "property scandal" involving a Scottish squatter called Gordon Brown who was refusing to budge from 10 Downing Street, "denying entry to its rightful tenant".
The Guardian urged the Liberals to team up with Labour instead.