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Thursday, May 13, 2010
I never thought I'd see the day...
2:38 PM / General / 
5 Comments
Liberal Democrats in Number 10 - my God, did I go to sleep and wake up in some fantasy dimension?
I find myself in a rather bizarre situation in which the outcome I wanted least - the Conservatives in power - is combined with the outcome I always wished for but never truly believed would happen - the Liberal Democrats in power. When I woke up on Wednesday morning to find that Nick Clegg had been appointed Deputy Prime Minister, rampant glee took over momentarily and I forgot, for a moment, that one of my reasons for voting Liberal Democrat in the first place (though not, I hasten to add, the only reason) was out of a desire to keep the Conservatives OUT.
Clegg and his new boss, David Cameron, are making a big deal out of this "Liberal Conservative" coalition, and ignoring for a moment the fact that that would appear to be a complete oxymoron (think "Vegetarian Carnivore"), I am for the first time in my life feeling cautiously optimistic about the political situation in this country (and under a primarily Conservative government too - maybe I really DID wake up in another dimension). I don't for a second believe that there won't be squabbling and infighting. The ties of this partnership are going to be stretched to their absolute limits, and you only have to look at the manifestos they published in the run-up to the election to see that, while they agree on many issues such as civil liberties and the environment, they are also bitterly opposed on others, most notably Europe, immigration and political reform. Still, I've been taking a look at the coalition agreement that was published yesterday, and I'm genuinely amazed by just how many LibDem policies that the Conservatives previously opposed have made it through. (The BBC News web site has a handy breakdown of the winners and losers for each of the various key issues.)
Really not bad at all for a party that came third in the popular vote.
It's important for the Conservatives to make this work, for the simple reason that in the event of the LibDems walking, they would immediately find themselves in the position of being a minority government with a very tenuous mandate to govern the country. I suspect it's even more important for the LibDems, though. For years they have lobbied for our unfair and archaic voting system (First Past the Post) to be replaced with something more democratic and representational of the popular vote. Under true proportional representation or even a less extreme system like the Single Transferable Vote (or indeed the Alternative Vote that seems currently to be on the cards), coalitions would become more common, or indeed the rule. It's therefore vital for them to demonstrate that they can work successfully with a party with whom they have a great many ideological differences.
Election 2010 results: actual seats (left) and what they would have looked like under proportional representation (right). (Source: BBC News)
At the next election, I suspect the LibDems will lose many voters, who will view any deal with the Conservatives as a pact with the Devil. While I myself have no great love for the Conservatives, and personally think David Cameron comes across as a shifty, insincere weasel who will say anything if he thinks it's what people want to hear, I won't be one of them. This is not the outcome I expected or even wanted, but I'm willing to give it a chance. Already, we can see from their published agreement that both parties have been willing to make concessions, with the LibDems seeming to have a calming effect on some of the more ludicrous Conservative policies (most notably their refusal to even consider electoral reform), and vice versa (the LibDems' anti-nuclear power stance, for instance, or their rather odd plans for an amnesty for illegal immigrants who meet certain preconditions). And, when it comes down to it, I have to ask the LibDem supporters currently in a huff over the party's deal with the Conservatives what they would have preferred to happen. The way I see it, the only viable alternative would have been for Clegg and co to stomp off in a huff and get NONE of their legislation through rather than some of it. In my opinion, they've made the best of a less than ideal situation.
And so the Labour party skulks off to lick its wounds and find itself a new leader. In a way, I actually feel rather sorry for Gordon Brown, a distinctly uncharismatic individual who seems to have been made the fall guy (both by his opponents and the Murdoch-controlled media) for every single problem in this country over the last thirteen years. Again, I'm no fan of New Labour, but I do hope, when the dust settles, that people will remember the good the previous administration did rather than merely the bad. Civil partnerships, reductions in crime rates, the minimum wage, peace in Northern Ireland (and others highlighted in Brown's speech at the 2009 Labour Party Conference)... really not that bad a legacy to leave.
5 Comments
I think the Euro is a superb idea in theory. In practice, I'd like to see what sort of state it's in once we come out of the current economic situation. At this moment in time, I personally wouldn't be in any rush to join a single currency. Further down the line, though, I certainly wouldn't want to rule it out.
On the other hand, I'm completely with you on ditching Trident. I have no objection whatsoever to nuclear power, but the thought of billions being spent on an antiquated Cold War defence system (which basically equates to "Nuke us and we'll nuke you back"), particularly in the current economic climate, makes my stomach turn.
As for crime rates, again, I can't help thinking that you're looking at the situation in your own area (or the sensationalist stories the media like to fixate on, or whatever) and assuming the same is true for the country as a whole. I know it won't be much of a comfort, but the statistics DO show that crime levels have fallen across the country, particularly serious crime (murder, assault, etc.).
And, on the issue of the economy, I agree that Brown should shoulder his share of the blame for the current situation. However, I feel inclined to point out that it's possible to trace this whole nightmare back to Thatcher, who was the one who deregulated the banks in the first place.
(Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 4:19 PM)
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1. FoxyMulder said:
I didn't want the Liberal Democrats in power for one simple reason.
They want to go into the Euro and give more power away to an unelected
( by UK voters ) European parliament.
I don't want the Euro, i like the pound and i feel being able to control your own laws without interference is important, unfortunately we have already given up a vast quantity of these law.
I'm also not in favour of the immigration policy the Liberals have and feel our island is too small to cope with the large numbers who come here, i would prefer an Australian type policy for immigration ( and for our banking system )
To be even more honest i'm less than thrilled at our political system and feel like many disillusioned at the state of politics in this country, i want to see parliament cleaned up and i think it will not happen while they police themselves and vote for their own pay rises and expense claims.
The one thing i agree with is ditching Trident and nuclear weapons, lets get the UK off the world stage and start concentrating on ourselves and fixing local issues before we start policing the world, we don't have colonies anymore and we should stop interfering in other countries when our own needs fixing. Nuclear weapons is a waste of money, who is going to use them ?
I keep hearing nuclear weapons is a deterrent, did it deter any war to date and there have been plenty, its ridiculous, the very fact we have USA army bases here means if someone nukes us the Americans would react, therefore why waste money on a nuclear deterrent that is not an actual deterrent to actual war and just a deterrent in some peoples minds to another country nuking us.
The 100 billion saved would do fantastic good for the services which are threatened with cuts, i wish our leaders were brave enough to show the world you can survive without weapons of mass destruction instead of taking the negative approach.
I cannot see this alliance lasting long.
(Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 2:58 PM)