Browse > Home /

| Subcribe via RSS



The new progressive consensus..

By Angela Harbutt
May 12th, 2010 at 1:36 am | 4 Comments | Posted in Election, UK Politics

… was identifed back in November 2007…

Above is an interview on GMTV from November 2007. Mark Littlewood (once of this parish) is being cross examined by Steve Richards (of slightly leftie Independent fame). Littlewood nails it on the blue-yellow coalition. He is now Director General of the IEA (Institute of Economic Affairs) , the original free market think tank. Looks like the IEA might again be ahead of the curve!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
'

David Laws gets Education in cabinet

By Angela Harbutt
May 11th, 2010 at 10:20 pm | 7 Comments | Posted in Election, Liberal Democrats

ok it’s still not confirmed – but source is quite good… Also heard that Danny Alexander to get Scotland . well which Tory would YOU put in the post?… and from another source Nick IS deputy prime minister…. A less committed source suggests Huhne might get Home Affairs – though that would be a huge leap of faith from the Tories. But who knows….

Tags: , , , ,

Libs to get 6 seats in conservative cabinet!

By Angela Harbutt
May 11th, 2010 at 4:58 pm | 21 Comments | Posted in UK Politics

Yes I know it sounds mad. But I have been told that the deal with the Conservatives has been sealed. It will be announced with in the hour. Liberals have SIX seats in the cabinet . Really? I know that sounds bonkers .. but SO BONKERS , from such a good source, it just might be true! After all I saw The PM resign and the Tories offer the Libs a referendum on electoral reform yesterday! Anything could be true.

Update: Looks, in fact, like 2 or 3 in the Cabinet, and 3 or 4 junior ministers. Plus – Brown to resign this evening.

Update: Source incommincado right now. So I am winging it now. I am guessing the dotting i’s and crossing t’2 taking longer than anticipated. Mp’s and Federal exec meeting not expected til 2030. But interestingly Buckingham Palace was expecting a visit tonight – and may still be.

Update: Brown off to see queen.

Update: Negotiating meeting broken up with an indication that agreement reached. Both teams off to talk to their respective parties.

Tags: , , , ,

The Lib Dems: dithering or duplicitous?

By Angela Harbutt
May 11th, 2010 at 10:40 am | 12 Comments | Posted in Liberal Democrats, UK Politics

This is the first time in most of our life times that we are facing post-election coalition negotiations. It is therefore understandable – as this is new to everyone – that it will take a while to reach a conclusion.

BUT having watched unfolding events yesterday, and listened to various phone-ins this morning, it is clear that the country’s patience is running out. The Liberals are right on the cusp of screwing this up. If a definitive statement is not made in the next few HOURS (not days as some suggest) – then the Liberal’s standing with the electorate may be damaged for a decade – however good the final decision turns out to be.

Reports of the Lib Dems being in parallel talks with both Tories and Labour are not playing out well. Regardless of the facts of the matter, and in spite of statements to the contrary from Nick himself, this LOOKS, for all the world, as though the Liberals are putting party interests before those of the country. Trying to screw out a last few concessions from both parties by playing one party off against the other.

This is NOT the “change” to politics that people signed up for. 

I know Nick, a little. I have no doubt that he is attempting to do “the right thing”. But perception is as important as fact. And the public perception is that self interest is being put first. 

Now comes the time for decisive leadership. He needs to get a grip and bring this thing to a close – and fast.

Having watched the tired old faces from Labour over the past 12 hours, trot out the Campbell-inspired lines on why a Lib/Lab/SNP/Plaid etc etc coalition is legitimate, I am more convinced than ever, that it is not. Even they don’t look very convinced as they mouth the words.

The Tories -the party with the strongest mandate as judged by the electorate – have moved a long way to accomodate the needs of the Liberals – and are sitting smugly on the moral high ground. The Liberals, in contrast, risk looking somewhere between dithering and duplicitous. Sorry that has to be said. 

So, Nick MUST act now. He has in my view has only one option – to go into full coalition with the Conservatives– step up to the plate – and get on with it.

The public will not forgive the Liberals for propping up a defunct Labour party, and a shambolic rag tag of nationalist and independent junior partners (each with a price tag attached to their support). An ugly looking alliance that has little chance of long term stability. Add to that the prospect of a Prime Minister that this country has no say in appointing or judging when they cast their vote for Labour last week and it just becomes an impossibility.

The only other option is to say – for all those demands for PR – that you can’t do a deal with either! One you cant agree with, the other one is too repugnant to contemplate. So you will sit at arms length from the least-worst, like a petulant child. If that is how you plan to sell PR to the public it’s a sorry one. You might as well give up on the idea of PR for good. 

So do a deal with the Conservatives  – take the full blown option – and do it now.

Tags: , , ,

Is a referendum on AV enough?

By Angela Harbutt
May 10th, 2010 at 8:23 pm | 30 Comments | Posted in Election, UK Politics

At 5.32pm I asked whether the Liberal announcements this afternoon were “Calamity or canny politics” .

 Well it would seem that the moves by the Liberals did indeed enhance Cameron’s hand such that – regardless of all those Tory back bench MP’s comments through this the day about preferring a minority Tory government to a Lib/Con agreement – the Conservative parliamentary party are, following their meeting, now backing an offer of a referendum on AV to the Liberals. And fixed term parliaments – though I thought that was already on the table – perhaps not!

There are questions that remain to be answered… WHEN would the referendum be held (ie soon?) andwill they put the legislative process in place beforehand, such that IF the referendum is passed by the voters – it goes onto the statute book a week or two after…. No long grass….

But then just as I am about to hit “publish” …I get a call to say that the Labour party have now privately offered the Liberals legislation on AV anda referendum on PR. Aution-orama…

The Liberals have invited talks with the Labour party – and I suppose to turn around just 3 hours later and say “oh sorry guys we were just using you to get the Tories to the position  we needed” might not be diplomatic. So I guess an hour or two or talks is necessary to save face.

But the lib/lab alliance would NOT be stable…it cant work… and would be a disaster. It’s a small step from being canny to over-egging it . Get this sorted soon.. Tie up the loose ends…do the deal with the Tories…..4 days is enough and people are beginning to tire of it now.

Tags: , , , , ,