You-gov - 63% support a government of national unity

Doh....Just more dither and delay. Crucial is decisiveness and pace in these troubled times.

Mmmmm, not sure, would it make any difference?
Keir Starmer seems to be a highly intelligent and grounded person, I’m sure he’d have lots to offer. Not sure about others though, might depend on who they were. Who is in charge of the LibDems anyway? Scotland is making its own decisions anyway, so not sure about ScotNats being involved.
Just basically not sure.

It is clearly an issue that must be being considered or on the horizon.

In the poll 63% were for. 23% not sure and only 14% against the idea, so it definitely has a degree of momentum.

I absolutely agree. This is no time for party politics - time for Parliament to come together and work as one. It looks like the majority of the UK supports this non partisan common sense approach which is great.

I think Labour would be foolish to go into any kind of formal arrangement with the Conservatives - they should ask the LibDems about their experience in coalition!!

Nevertheless, other parties do have experienced and talented MPs (and lords/ladies), whose experience and talent would be useful in the current crisis. I believe (but could be mistaken) that Starmer was invited to the last COBRA meeting. Hilary Benn and Yvette Cooper are also effective chairs of standing committees. I also think Scotland, Wales and NI should each have a direct voice.

Rather than a national government, maybe there should be an "exceptional" Covid-19 committee, which would be more than an advisory talking shop but have some real clout. This is going to continue for at least 18 months, so is a problem which isn't going to go away.

How many people were polled?

Well you gov are well respected for the quality of their polls even though it is owned and run by a Tory, so I think the sample size will be sufficient to be confident in the result.

Well no one asked me. I suppose it would be a good way for this inadequate Tory government to pass responsibility on to someone else, and for all those who voted for them, who are now realising how valuable our NHS and care system, is to pretend they always supported them. So asking for a government of national unity would assuage their conscience. But it's the Tory's job let them get on with it.

Surely a Government of National Unity is not the same as a coalition? The present government has not exactly been strong. They've flip flopped all over the place about the scientific evidence, about lock down - when and if etc etc.

The home Secretary is hiding somewhere - not self isolating; we'd have heard if she was. PP has one of the most important jobs but she's keeping very quiet.

As Growstuff wrote, the other parties have talented and experienced MPs. perhaps more so than most of the current front bench. IMO the poll referred to suggests that the majority don't have faith in the current government otherwise there would have been a resounding no at the suggestion of a G of N U.

This should have happened much earlier. We keep being told that this is an inexperienced Cabinet so they should have asked others to come on board. It has happened before in times of great national need.

We had a poll in December and it was decisive. We have an elected government. The Labour Party has just appointed a new leader who, like many of his front bench, have no experience of government. The Liberal Democrats don't even have a leader. Only months ago, the Opposition parties (and some members of his own party) were trying to crucify Boris Johnson!

It is no time for party politics. All parties should be constructive in helping with this state of emergency and its economic aftermath.

It wasn't so long ago that the cry on this website was the importance of an effective Opposition. And now we hear it's no time for party politics from some whose sole purpose of visit seems to have been partizan party politics.

Any cabinet would be inexperienced in the current circumstances. We've never dealt with anything like it before. I think labour want to get their foot in the door and can't see they'd have anything useful to contribute. I think most people are quite happy with the current government, not so much with the journalists and their stupid questions.

I would be in favour of this, had it been done earlier.
But it's too late now. By the time it's set up, with all it's many complications and, no doubt, arguments, this crisis will be over, -at least I hope so!
We must just plod on as we are , I think. There does seem to be a sense of national unity now, which is brilliant and I do hope it lasts. But I bet it won't.

I agree with westendgirl in that it should have happened straight away. I think it’s too late now.

There should have been one for Brexit in my opinion but Theresa May and then Johnson wanted to go it alone.
Pulling other parties in would have made them invested in the outcome and maybe helped the healing process too. Who knows?

A unity govt wouldn't have helped Brexit because the country was far too divided. The current crisis is completely different and has brought the country together. Whenever this crisis is well and truly over I suspect that the country will become divided again although perhaps not as strongly as before.

Most of the current front bench lean towards the extreme right. They are not showing this at the moment but who knows what is going on in their heads when they stop thinking about covid - 19?

Unlike most of the current cabinet, Starmer has had an important national role. Select committees (Benn and Cooper) work behind the scenes but are more important than most people think. Ed Davey was a member of the coalition government.

There are two priorities for the current government - supporting the NHS with necessary funding and staffing and ensuring that job losses etc are mitigated. It's known that those suffering most are in the lower income brackets. There is nobody in the current cabinet who represents those people or (most likely) even understands the real problems people are facing. People who do understand are needed.

Now is not the time for ideologues but efficient technocrats - as it was during WW2, by the way.

It's a good job that Cummings didn't get his way about getting rid of the top civil servants.

It would be good for people to come together I think. Reassuring to those who are fearful that the current cabinet might fall short; and/or have little faith in them.

We need people at the top to whom the public give full credence in order for the rules to be fully accepted by everyone, which is the only way we will get through this.