Press
Liberal Conservatism: Cameron and Clegg in coalition?
Publication: |
The Telegraph |
Link: |
|
Author: |
Iain Martin |
Date : |
31st March 2008 |
It is now no longer unthinkable for the Liberal Democrats to consider going into coalition with the Conservatives in the event of a hung parliament. That’s the conclusion of a fascinating new report from Liberal think tank, Centre Forum, by Julian Astle and Mark Bell.
The authors say: “In part, this is a simple consequence of their shared, decade long experience of opposing the Blair and Brown administrations. But, to a much greater extent than is commonly understood, it is also the result of a significant congruence of opinion between leaders David Cameron and Nick Clegg. These two declared liberals share a vision of a new, ‘post-bureaucratic’ politics in which power is devolved, not just from central to local government, but from government at all levels to individuals, families and communities.”
Hmmm, perhaps. But do a majority of Nick Clegg’s activists see it that way? When the Liberals get into government, as they did in Scotland for eight years, the party invariably ends up being just as statist and obsessed with spending other people’s money as any other left of centre party. Clegg’s Orange Bookism is genuine, I have no doubt, but that does not mean that his activists would allow him easily to sign up to a Cameron government with welfare reform and a Swedish-style schools revolution.
And Clegg is smart, he will spot the danger. Paddy Ashdown was led up the garden path by Tony Blair when the Labour leader thought before 1997 that he might not get enough seats to govern in his own right: the Lib Dems were Blair’s insurance policy.
Would Cameron do the same to Clegg and stitch up the Liberals if he won by even a wafer thin overall majority? But of course.