It’s a far cry from the egregious Tory right of Sayeeda Warsi’s imagination. Mark Pritchard, Secretary of the 1922 Committee, has looked at
the result of the Oldham and Saddleworth by-election and has concluded that the Tories and Liberals may have to reach an arrangement for future by-elections. He said:
“I think this has wider questions for other by-elections that will invariably come along over the next few years, and that is whether we have an open discussion now over whether we have some sort of close co-operation with the Liberal Democrats in Westminster by-elections…a quid pro quo type of arrangement. “It is absolutely clear that every by-election that comes along there will now be a media discussion about whether the Conservatives are working hard enough.”
That seems sensible. The coalition might well have won in Oldham East had it fielded just one candidate. However, even a pact supported by the ’22 has its shortcomings. If the Tory right is warily tepid at the prospect of a purple pact; the Liberal Democrats are dead cold – determined to defend their identity regardless of the cost in seats. Also, Pritchard is adamant that the two parties would uncouple in time for a general election, which would be fought in the traditional style. That’s implausible: Westminster may be able to forget ‘close co-operation’ at the drop of a hat, but the public won’t.
UPDATE: Mark Pritchard is in contact to stress is that all he wants is a debate. He added that the survival of the coalition was key and that he would clarify what he meant by ‘close co-operation’ in a newspaper article later in the week.
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