Now, if Labour "needed" the SNP for the numbers, if they were clever, they could surely call their bluff and dare the SNP to vote them out, basically throwing the Tories a chance to form a new government.
But not everyone could be convinced. Whether it is wise playing their bluff depends on what the cause of disagreement is.
Guys you're basically describing how Margaret Thatcher first became Prime Minister
I don't know if anyone's read James Callaghan's political memoir, but it contains a few pages about how the Government was brought down.
So - Callaghan suggests that:
1. The Labour government, a minority government, was unpopular as a result of the winter of discontent.
2. Scotland voted for devolution, but a rule imposed by a Labour MP in alliance with the Tories and 33 Labour colleagues ensured that any Yes result wouldn't result in devolution.
3. He and Foot wanted to keep the devolution act alive - to attempt revive it after the election, given the Yes vote - but some Labour MPs vowed to block the plan, leading to the vote of no confidence.
4. He had resigned himself to an early election, even if he had won the vote of no confidence.
5. He blamed the election defeat on the Winter Of Discontent. He attributes the Conservatives’ success to that and to their promises of tax cuts.
* About the 40% Rule
