Publications
Lib Con: Can the Lib Dems and Conservatives co-operate?
| Author: | Julian Astle and Mark Bell |
| Date of Publication: | March 2008 |
Liberals have been locked in political conflict with Conservatives for most of the 150 years since the Liberal Party was formed. Yet there are signs that relations between them, which reached a nadir in the mid 1990s when the Liberal Democrats entered into an informal, anti-Tory alliance with Tony Blair’s Labour party, are now improving.
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.
Despite their similarities, the two parties and their leaders continue to attack each other with undiminished vigour. But are their differences as profound as they would have voters believe? In seeking to answer this question, this paper focuses on the underlying values, instincts and attitudes which shape the parties’ policies. It seeks to identify whether, in each of the main policy areas, some form of cross party collaboration might be possible. Finally, it explores what this could mean in the event of the next general election resulting in a hung parliament.
Media Coverage:
The Times: Time for the Tories to look at voting reform
The Guardian: The power of the Lib Dems
The Spectator:Watch the Tories sidling up to the Lib Dems
The Independent: Why the Tories are studying the lessons of history - and what they have learnt so far
Guardian Politics Blog:A Tory-Lib Dem pact is no longer unthinkable
Telegraph Politics Blog:Liberal Conservatism: David Cameron and Nick Clegg in coalition