![]() ![]() On many issues, they have managed to transcend, synthesise, compromise, park or fudge their differences. Senior Lib Dems still speak ruefully about how they managed to harvest nearly a million extra votes on 6 May last year and yet were deprived of five parliamentary seats.īroadly speaking, the coalition has been a considerable feat of party management by the two leaders and their key lieutenants. This struggle pits the blue tribe, who loathe electoral reform, against the yellow clan, who yearn with an equal passion to overthrow first past the post, the system which has so often left them short-changed. But something much bigger is in the ring: changing the voting system for MPs. They would be perfectly capable of pulling this off if it were only council seats at stake. The challenge for them is to get through the slugfest of an election without anyone saying anything so unforgivable that it does irreparable damage to the government. Once the elections are over, they need to be able to take off their gloves and have a laugh in the dressing room. The longer-term, overarching ambitions of both the prime minister and his deputy depend on the coalition going the distance. The election period is one in which they will both want to put less emphasis on where they agree and more weight on where they differ in order to galvanise their activists and in the pursuit of votes. The rather synthetic spat about that speech actually served both parties. ![]() That was the scene of a bitterly fought byelection which the Lib Dems won in 2000 at the expense of the Conservatives. Mr Cameron made his contentious speech on immigration – another indicator that there's an election on – in Romsey in Hampshire. They may be partners at Westminster, but David Cameron and Nick Clegg are also leaders of two distinct political gangs who have spent many previous decades battling each other both at local level and in Parliament. ![]() But they will be throwing punches rather than blowing kisses for the 18 days between now and the local elections. In the words of one adviser to the Lib Dem leader: "You are going to see the gloves come off."įor the sake of the long-term harmony of the partnership, both men will try to abide by the Queensberry Rules. Side by side in coalition since last May, now the two leaders are reverting to head to head. David Cameron and Nick Clegg will give separate interviews on rival television political shows, a competitive conjunction they normally try to avoid. T his morning, something unusual will happen. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |