Keeping the troops happy
James Forsyth 12:10pm
A media narrative is rapidly emerging that the Tories are taking advantage of the
Liberal Democrats, using them to defend the coalition’s most unpopular polices. On the Today Programme this morning, Justin Webb pressed Paul Burtstow, the Lib Dem health minister, on whose idea it was that he, the Lib Dem, come on the programme to defend
the government against the Health Select Committee’s critical report. The implication was clear, that Burstow had been sent on because it was bad news.
I think this narrative is a bit shonky. Yes, the Liberal Democrats took the brunt of the criticism over the fees hike but that was because they were breaking an election pledge and because they chose to be out there defending it.
What is certainly true is that Nick Clegg needs some things to show his party that being in government is worthwhile. Clegg can use the pupil premium to demonstrate that the Liberal Democrats are achieving long-held ambitions in office. But that alone is not enough. I suspect that Rachel Sylvester (£) is right when she says that it is now imperative for Clegg that he wins on control orders. I suspect that a fully elected House of Lords, the other Lib Dem essential she mentions, will be used to soften the blow if the AV referendum is lost.
But there are a considerable number of Tory backbenchers who are already saying they would die in the ditch to prevent the Lords from becoming a fully elected House. Clegg and Cameron are going to have to spend even more time on party management in 2011 than they have in the last six months if they are to keep both of their parties happy.
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Vulture
December 14th, 2010 12:39pm Report this commentClegg is finished. The student fees broken pledge will not be forgiven or forgotten and he will lost the AV referendum. In order to survive, his party will have to ditch him - and with him the Coalition will fall. Tories are sick and tired of implementing weak Lib dem policies. Let's have an election in 2011 and done with it.
Jon Staples
December 14th, 2010 12:45pm Report this commentwhat does "shonky" mean? did you mean to say "pants"? or "a bit gay?"
Fergus Pickering
December 14th, 2010 1:44pm Report this commentNo, Vulture. Let's not. Millibum might win it. Perhaps that's what you want, a chap with no policies who is controlled by the likes of Bob Crowe. I'd rather be governed by Silvio Berlusconi.
AndyinBrum
December 14th, 2010 1:49pm Report this commentWhat weak Lib Dem polices have they introduced V?
Frank P
December 14th, 2010 2:02pm Report this commentshonky?
Ian Walker
December 14th, 2010 2:02pm Report this commentThe Tories can't win an election on their own yet. Not enough upside from the austerity measures. The only party that gains from splitting up the coalition is Labour.
Bet you a tenner Cameron comes out in favour of electoral reform. It's the weakest of the Tory positions, and the least divisive to ditch. Clegg will be a hero and the coalition will survive the full five years.
normanc
December 14th, 2010 2:09pm Report this commentThe sooner we can have an election the better for conservatives whilst the Brown Terror is still fresh in the memory. If things lurch on for another year or two in the vein they have been this last 6 months Labour, unbelievably, will be favourites, especially if Miliband can raise his game from the Mariana Trench level it is currently at.
A strong conservative message is what's needed, the myth that voters would prefer a return to the New Labour horror than to sensible, responsible government needs to be squashed.
Chuck Unsworth
December 14th, 2010 2:23pm Report this commentNot having had anything remotely resembling power before the Lib Dems must rapidly learn the lesson that with it comes responsibility. They chose to coalesce with the Conservative party in preference to the Labour party in order to gain power. They must man up and take the rough with the smooth.
Naturally the Conservatives already know this.
Norman Dee
December 14th, 2010 3:03pm Report this commentThe problem Normanc is that most of the labour voters probably didn't realise how bad it was. They weren't being threatened with cuts then, they are now, but from the conservatives, Milliband will play on that. I would love to think that another election will give us a conservative party win with a clear majority, but it just doesn't seem likely at the moment
old fogey
December 14th, 2010 3:11pm Report this commentPlease, please Mr Forsyth, and all you other scribblers, can you stop using this tired and pretentious word 'narrative' when running a story. It's lazy, it's trendbound and its not even apt. Spin merchants love it because it gives off the scent of intellectualism, and also suggests that there is a kind of order or shape to the way events are unfolding, or depicted as unfolding. Radio 4, in the shape of the Today programme ( yes I know, groans all round) has become especially fond of the term, particulary Ms. Montague and that Gordon ( or is it Norman ?) 'Mr hyperbole' Smith; I suspect because the programme is riddled with Eng. Lit. graduates, who flourish the term because its vaguely associative of a technical language, and because its all they can remember of Derrida, Barthes et al. But if you journos realised what a bunch of sheep it's use makes you seem , then you would search around for a less cliched term.
Chris lancashire
December 14th, 2010 4:22pm Report this commentVulture; normanc: The last thing we want is an election. The awful Milliband stands every chance of winning a thin majority on the twin platforms of these nasty Tory cuts aren't really necessary and vote LibDem get Tory.
Just stop, imagine PM Milliband, Chancellor Balls-Cooper. Just stop.
Vulture
December 14th, 2010 4:32pm Report this comment@ Andy in Brum.
You ask what Weak liberal Coalition policies have been followed:
> surrendering more powers to Europe.
> letting crims out of jail free.
> Giving the right to vote to cons.
> Ruling out tax cuts.
> Cutting our defences to indefensible levels.
> Holding a referendum on AV - but not on Europe.
And they have only been in office for six months!
dorothy wilson
December 14th, 2010 4:34pm Report this comment"A media narrative is emerging ...." - from where? The BBC? The Mirror? The Guardian? Now what a surprise!
Lansdale
December 14th, 2010 6:03pm Report this commentAgree with Chris Lancashire, just imagine PM Milliband, Chancellor Balls-Cooper and what would happen. The cuts would be stopped and within weeks taxes raised. Within months the pound sterling will be in free fall and the IFM will have to be called in. Do you really want to imagine what they would impose on the country, massive cuts, force us to join the euro, and worse. By the end of it the UK would be a third world country, that is if it survived!
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