Comments on: Clegg’s dilemma http://richardskingdom.net/cleggs-dilemma Privacy, security and politics in the digital era Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:08:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Richard King http://richardskingdom.net/cleggs-dilemma#comment-236 Richard King Tue, 11 May 2010 11:53:14 +0000 http://www.richardskingdom.net/?p=354#comment-236 This is a good post explaining why Nick Clegg might have a bigger problem than it seems in taking his party with him on a coalition with the Conservatives: <a href="http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/05/10/liberal-democrats-the-clue-is-in-the-name/" rel="nofollow">http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/05/10/liberal-democrats-the-clue-is-in-the-name/</a> This is a good post explaining why Nick Clegg might have a bigger problem than it seems in taking his party with him on a coalition with the Conservatives:

http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/05/10/liberal-democrats-the-clue-is-in-the-name/

]]> By: Richard King http://richardskingdom.net/cleggs-dilemma#comment-235 Richard King Tue, 11 May 2010 10:17:26 +0000 http://www.richardskingdom.net/?p=354#comment-235 Gareth: point taken about the comment form. It's not my theme and I'm no Wordpress wizard however I'll see if I can hack together some improvements. I agree with you both on the politics of the situation. A Tory/Lib-Dem coalition is the obvious choice given the result of the election. I think Clegg knows this however he's having a hard time getting his party to accept it in the absence of a deal on electoral reform. I understand why this is. The Liberal Democrats perceives this as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get proportional representation. Once this is in place they believe they will be a stronger political force and can then push through their other policies. However I don't believe there is currently any mandate to achieve meaningful electoral reform, and if Clegg intends to die in a ditch over this one issue, then he and his party risk dying in vain. If the Tories don't support proportional representation but are offering concessions on everything else in which the Liberal Democrats believe - taxation, education, economy, civil liberties - then Clegg should abandon the idea of meaningful electoral reform for another day, accept the Conservatives' offer, get large chunks of his manifesto implemented and live to fight another election. Gareth: point taken about the comment form. It’s not my theme and I’m no WordPress wizard however I’ll see if I can hack together some improvements.

I agree with you both on the politics of the situation. A Tory/Lib-Dem coalition is the obvious choice given the result of the election. I think Clegg knows this however he’s having a hard time getting his party to accept it in the absence of a deal on electoral reform.

I understand why this is. The Liberal Democrats perceives this as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get proportional representation. Once this is in place they believe they will be a stronger political force and can then push through their other policies. However I don’t believe there is currently any mandate to achieve meaningful electoral reform, and if Clegg intends to die in a ditch over this one issue, then he and his party risk dying in vain.

If the Tories don’t support proportional representation but are offering concessions on everything else in which the Liberal Democrats believe – taxation, education, economy, civil liberties – then Clegg should abandon the idea of meaningful electoral reform for another day, accept the Conservatives’ offer, get large chunks of his manifesto implemented and live to fight another election.

]]> By: Gareth Simpson http://richardskingdom.net/cleggs-dilemma#comment-234 Gareth Simpson Mon, 10 May 2010 16:41:52 +0000 http://www.richardskingdom.net/?p=354#comment-234 In other news, your form validation is incredibly user hostile. It doesn't tell you email is required up front and then shouts at you from a blank page when you submit. No back button, no indication that my words of wisdom have been preserved. In other news, your form validation is incredibly user hostile. It doesn’t tell you email is required up front and then shouts at you from a blank page when you submit. No back button, no indication that my words of wisdom have been preserved.

]]> By: Gareth Simpson http://richardskingdom.net/cleggs-dilemma#comment-233 Gareth Simpson Mon, 10 May 2010 16:40:00 +0000 http://www.richardskingdom.net/?p=354#comment-233 It seems to me that Clegg has to make a deal with the Tories, even if it has only the weakest promisses of electoral reform. If he can't show that he can work with them now, then what are all Tory/Lib Dem floaters to think? The only conclusion they could draw would be "if the Lib Dems get their electoral reform, then it's perpetual Lib Dem / Labour coalitions in the future" He has to show that Labour are not a shoe in for power forever or he jeopardizes people voting for PR or similar in the future. Best bet would be to arrange a year or two's worth of legislation that includes other Lib Dem key issues like civil liberties, allow the Tories to put through a watered down version of their economic platform and get a firm commitment from Cameron not do anything stupid in Europe. I think the two parties manifestos are too far apart just now to find a full 5 year legislative program, but if they announced it up front as having a time limit, they could go back to the polls in, say, 2 years having demonstrated functional coalition government, fended off the economic crisis (one hopes) and could then ask people "wouldn't you like more of this?" without looking like they've kicked the chair out from under the Government for opportunistic, election reasons or because coalition is "unstable". Yay for armchair quarterbacks :) If it were really up to me I'd just be all, sure Dave, I'd love a ministerial Jag. Whatever you say. It seems to me that Clegg has to make a deal with the Tories, even if it has only the weakest promisses of electoral reform. If he can’t show that he can work with them now, then what are all Tory/Lib Dem floaters to think? The only conclusion they could draw would be “if the Lib Dems get their electoral reform, then it’s perpetual Lib Dem / Labour coalitions in the future” He has to show that Labour are not a shoe in for power forever or he jeopardizes people voting for PR or similar in the future.

Best bet would be to arrange a year or two’s worth of legislation that includes other Lib Dem key issues like civil liberties, allow the Tories to put through a watered down version of their economic platform and get a firm commitment from Cameron not do anything stupid in Europe.

I think the two parties manifestos are too far apart just now to find a full 5 year legislative program, but if they announced it up front as having a time limit, they could go back to the polls in, say, 2 years having demonstrated functional coalition government, fended off the economic crisis (one hopes) and could then ask people “wouldn’t you like more of this?” without looking like they’ve kicked the chair out from under the Government for opportunistic, election reasons or because coalition is “unstable”.

Yay for armchair quarterbacks :) If it were really up to me I’d just be all, sure Dave, I’d love a ministerial Jag. Whatever you say.

]]> By: Paul Beech http://richardskingdom.net/cleggs-dilemma#comment-232 Paul Beech Mon, 10 May 2010 15:01:12 +0000 http://www.richardskingdom.net/?p=354#comment-232 It looks like so far the only solid ground under any coalition is dealing with economic and budgetary problems. Anything else is probably too contentious to make it through the next parliament. So, odds-on for emergency budget, then seeing how long things carry on until the Conservatives start trying to score points with a view to a new Election. It looks like so far the only solid ground under any coalition is dealing with economic and budgetary problems. Anything else is probably too contentious to make it through the next parliament.

So, odds-on for emergency budget, then seeing how long things carry on until the Conservatives start trying to score points with a view to a new Election.

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