Clegg binds himself closer to the coalition (for now)

The quotes emerging, in advance, from Nick Clegg’s Westminster Hour interview are a mix of the unsurprising and the intriguing. To the first category belongs his claim that “parties in government tend to get a dip in their popularity” – I mean, he’s hardly going to say that the Lib Dems’ decline in the polls is a disaster, is he? But this, for instance, belongs firmly in the second category:

“If we weren’t in a coalition now I don’t think people would take any notice of the Liberal Democrats ….  If we were in a coalition with Labour, arguably our identity crisis would be even worse.”

In other words, the Lib Dems are better off in coalition – and they could well be better off in coalition with the Tories. As endorsements of the LibCon partnership go, it’s hard to imagine anything much stronger from Clegg. He seems to be suggesting that this is the best of all possible worlds for his party.

Clegg does dilute the effect by adding that there’s “no question” of a non-aggression pact with the Tories at the next election. But, then again, there’s always time for that to change – and it may need to, if the current poll ratings persist and certain Lib Dems want to retain their seats.