Nick Clegg Grows Up

On the news that the Liberal Democrats have lost Oldham East and Saddleworth I would like to congratulate Nick Clegg and his party for entering the big, bad political world. Over the New Year period they have shown that they can be just as ‘old politics’ as the rest of the Westminster village. That this by-election was held so close to Christmas (at the request of the Lib Dems) is evidence enough of that-any latter and Clegg would have risked the return of hundreds of student voters from their break wrecking havoc with the results. It also meant that the campaign for the by-election was hidden behind Santa Claus and so any focus of disgruntlement by voters could be mitigated by some mulled wine. Of course politicking failed to hand a victory to the Liberal’s, but with a defeat of only 12 points it may have prevented complete annihilation. Indeed Elwyn Watkins (the Liberal candidate) actually increased his share of the vote by 0.3%. Perhaps that will be enough to stop Nick Clegg’s nightmare about complete electoral oblivion. The next big test will be the regional and local elections in May: if the Lib Dems manage to remain about level or even gain a small increase in their share of the votes then I think party activists will become less nervous and the Coalition will become a little more stable as a result. If however, Liberals begin to disappear of the political map then Nick Clegg’s leadership and his party’s position within the government may be in doubt. Let us wait and see...

A Letter

A letter sent to my local MP.


Under the First Past The Post (FPTP) system the Liberal Democrats are not likely to form the sole party of government anytime soon. Likewise another hung parliament at the next election is a rather dim prospect. A far more likely occurrence would be utter rejection by a nation sickened by Mr Clegg’s self-serving betrayal of Liberal values. However, AV is a glimmer of light in an otherwise dark horizon. Under AV far more of Clegg’s MPs shall be returned at the next election than under the FPTP system. As an added bonus hung Parliaments are thrown up with greater frequency, and it is the Liberal Democrats who shall always be the victor in situations warranting a coalition. Nick Clegg can say what he will, but the truth of the matter is that Liberal support for AV is grounded in nothing more than self-preservation.
Sir, you would think me a fool for wasting a letter if the self-preservation of a few Liberals was all that motivated me in my opposition of AV. I think I am with a majority on the left in wishing some vengeance on the Liberal Democrats, but my own dismay at their betrayal is not so strong that I would sacrifice what little chance this country has of escaping the FPTP system. No, it is the precedent set by the only nation on earth to embrace AV which fills me with a dread that the bill will be passed through Parliament. In Australia the National-Liberal coalition has ruled for 40 of the past 60 years. Now, if our own version of the National-Liberal alliance can so easily become bed-fellows under FPTP, what is to prevent such a coalition forming under a new system? Indeed, Australia has shown that Conservative voters placing Liberals as second preference and vice-versa can work as an effective electoral strategy.
Of course, we have our own Liberal Party’s cast iron guarantee that no such electoral pact shall occur, and they have even spread a rumour that they may form a coalition with the Labour Party at the next election (as if a hung parliament were a foregone conclusion). Personally I do not believe that a party which promised the British people that it opposed Conservative policy on immediate cuts, and a party which entertained talks with Labour for the sole purpose of drawing further concessions from their intended partner can be trusted when they talk of guarantees.
Sir, AV in itself presents the spectre of perpetual Coalition rule, but it is what is attached to the bill which makes the threat almost certain: if the bill passes parliament, and if the referendum is supported by the people, the constituency boundaries shall be reshaped in a manner which will make it nigh impossible for Labour, or any other left-wing party, to gain enough seats to form a majority. The gerrymandering of constituency sizes will work to the benefit of the Conservative and Liberal parties.
Sir, I have presented as best as I am able the argument against the upcoming AV bill: in all probability it shall lead to the demise of the Labour party as an effective force of opposition against right-wing dominance. As such I urge you to vote against the upcoming bill on the referendum, and to support a No campaign if the said bill happens to pass parliament.

Are Labour Insane?

Of late I have been a bit of a post-election news glutton. Hung parliaments certainly make for interesting politics. Anyway, Labour last night announced that they would be willing to do a deal with the Lib Dems so as to form a ‘Progressive Alliance’, and Gordon Brown would stand down as leader if this were to happen. Despite the fact that adding the Liberals to the Labour bunch still does not make a majority, this would be utter madness. Although the Labour loyalists doing the TV circuits claiming that there is no constitutional barrier to imposing another unelected PM are correct, this does not mean they are justified in doing so. A Party leader will shape the policy and persona of their party, and as PM is the face of Britain abroad-for instance Thatcher Tory Party and Cameron Tory Party are different in many respects as too would a Milliband or Balls Labour Party. As such I think the electorate should at least have the right to know who they are getting as their leader when they vote for a party at an election. If Labour impose yet another leader on the British people without recourse to an election then I think they deserve to be punished at the polls.

In the personal opinion of this blogger I think that the Lib Dems should side with the Conservative Party. Although I may not like it more people voted Tory than any other single party, and a Con-Lib coalition may take the sting out of some of the worse Conservative policies-perhaps they will be more gentle with a southing yellow at the Cabinet. However, if they form a Lib-Lab pact then we are in for a messy term where nothing much gets done. This is bad in the best of times, never mind when just coming out of a recession. Come on Clegg, side with Cameron!