The Lib Dems’ alternative budget showed the difficulties of a Lib/Lab coalition

The Tories described the Liberal Democrats’ alternative Budget statement today as ‘part of price they had to pay to have a Budget.’ But the Liberal Democrats, oddly, didn’t seem to take their own statement particularly seriously. When Danny Alexander got to his feet there were only six Liberal Democrat backbenchers present. Two of the Liberal Democrats’ Secretaries of States didn’t bother to turn up either and Nick Clegg left long before the end of it.

This lack of Lib Dems’ strength in numbers was a particular mistake as Labour predictably barracked the statement very aggressively; Andrew Gwynne even stood up and shoved a copy of the Treasury Red Book at Alexander. But for all the satisfaction this heckling might have given Labour, one wonders if it is wise of them to remind the Liberal Democrats of just how tribal they are just before an election which is likely to produce another hung parliament.