tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post1390961226246606945..comments2024-02-28T22:03:19.609+00:00Comments on A Scottish Liberal: Abandonment of Lords Reform is collective failureAndrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027368242570244912noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-35586368671368589242012-08-06T23:16:40.989+01:002012-08-06T23:16:40.989+01:00Victoria -
Some very well made points there, som...Victoria - <br /><br />Some very well made points there, some of which I hope to address in the near future more fully.<br /><br />As to the incentives of propping up the coalition/continuing to share in government (delete according to interpretation) it has to be, as Nick said today, to help create a more liberal society. I'm not of the opinion that coalition itself is wrong, or our presence within it, but the way we've managed some of the key decisions to date and our tactical naivite. We have to make our presence in government work for both ourselves and the country. So far, we've not been terribly effective at either and, as we've seen, the Tories have been pretty adept at using us to their advantage. They've outmanoeuvred us so many times and now the consequences are fatal. Fatal to our policy ambitions and our electoral chances.<br /><br />I don't (yet) see any compelling argument for us to withdraw from the coalition. That said, I agree with your portrayals of Cameron and Clegg. A key difference between Clegg and Steel is that, for reasons I don't fully understand, the party is prepared to be more patient with Clegg.<br /><br />The idea that we hold significant power is beginning to look silly. That is partly our failure to make the most of opportunities in government, partly because we've taken the Tories at face value and partly because - as electoral arithmetic dictated - we are a minority party. We need to become more adept in choosing the right fights and recognising how to win them. <br /><br />As for the retaliation, that isn't good coalition politics. It isn't even mature behaviour. We should never have threatened it in the petulant way we did. However, now that Lords Reform is dead in the water and there is nothing in the coalition agreement compelling us to support these boundary changes, I don't really object and both Alistair Carmichael and Chris Rennard have made sensible arguments that implementing the proposed boundary changes without corresponding Lords Reform (being part of the same constitutional package) would be a seriously skewed package. <br /><br />I think it's also right that Nick should show some firmness and resolve. What we have to be careful of is being perceived as immature and impulsive - especially when we failed (in the public view at least) to make sufficient a stand on the NHS.<br /><br />As for a GE - that won't happen. It would only benefit Labour and it would be a travesty if their cynical political gameplaying brought Miliband into number 10.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027368242570244912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-30303237210154887992012-08-06T22:52:26.412+01:002012-08-06T22:52:26.412+01:00An excellent analysis but where is the incentive o...An excellent analysis but where is the incentive or reason for LibDem Parliamentarians to continue to prop up the Coalition? Cameron clearly lacks sufficient authority within his own party and Clegg is starting to resemble the David Steel Spitting image puppet of yesteryear. The so-called power and influence of LibDems in Government seems to diminish daily and we risk looking like we're throwing our toys out of the pram regarding boundary changes.<br /><br />If Lords Reform really were such a point of principle, perhaps we should consider precipitating a General Election?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06873130553132671896noreply@blogger.com