Category: Politics

The screams from the Tory (“bluetop”) press this morning are frightening. If this is what money from wealthy Tories can do, give me the “dishonest and grubby” attempts by the LibDems at trying to achieve a consensus on policy every time. When you add the backing of individual wealthy Tories (Lord Ashcroft’s name comes to mind) targeting LibDem seats and you can see that the LibDems have not much to feel comfortable about in any arrangement with them. Will the headlines tomorrow read differently if Nick Clegg came out with a principled argument for coalition with the Tories – I think so – these newspapers are totally unprincipled other than in the promotion of greed, bigotry and self-interest. Hence my praise for the Tory negotiators who have been very reserved and statesmanlike to date – that will of course break down in the event of no deal … I’m absolutely certain of that!

And if a deal with the Tories was achieved, would it be a “comfortable” one. Could they deliver on voting reform. I don’t think so. An offer of a vote on a referendum to adopt the alternative vote is a) not acceptable anyway – as it’s not PR, and b) not deliverable as the Tory old-guard would in all probability vote it down.

Then there’s Europe. Paddy Ashdown has said “We have, on one hand, the question of stability and on the other hand, the programme of what is best for the country. He suggests that having a party “that is rabidly anti-European” in power – i.e. the Tories – is not in those best interests. Like it or not, the whole question of economic stability is connected to Europe, the Tories would be shouting from the sidelines and our best interests would not be protected.

Then we have the old Labour guard – why don’t they just fade away? To hear Diane Abbott, David Blunkett and John Reid pontificating about credibility and viability you’d think they were honorable people, but no … they are just looking after their own skins and old Labour because under PR there would be a re-alignment of the progressive left and they would become as much dinosaurs as the Tory grandees that Cameron is lumbered with.

So with the likelihood of bad press whatever you do – go LibDems with your heart and principles. I don’t believe either arrangement will offer strong and stable government – it’s bound to end in tears. All you can do is hold out for political and electoral reform in the context of a fixed-term parliament and just hope that you have a good story to tell at the end of that period.

After an energetic and quite breathtaking few hours, we now have the possibility of real progress towards electoral reform. This is a historic moment which the LibDems must not let slip from their grasp. Nick Clegg and his team have been masterful. They have been tight together as a team, and steadfast in working towards what they believe to be in the nation’s best interest. Don’t let a reform of the voting system be not to be thought to be in the national interest. It will be bumpy for most of the commentators in the short-term as they will have to unlearn the confrontational politics of the past and have to learn what consensus and compromise means. What a joy.

The LibDems don’t have that much to lose, whatever the commentators say! When you have little to nothing, what is there to lose! I’m afraid I’m an old enough Liberal supporter to remember parliaments with 5, 6 and 13 Liberal MPs. Those days will NEVER return under PR – so there’s so much less to lose if there was a temporary reversal in their fortunes. What they will have achieved will be a fundamental change in the way the UK is governed.

It doesn’t stop at PR. There’s the House of Lords. The LibDems can provide the backbone to a new government to finish the job that Tony Blair should have completed back in 1997.

Whatever the electoral outcome of any decision to go for PR (and I mean PR, not the Alternative Vote) this is the moment that they hopefully will grasp.