May 2010 London
Liberals and conservatives come together to form a coalition in the national interest. A government with a strong majority to promote a strong economy with fairness as a core value. Back in May 1940 under the leadership of ex-Liberal Winston Churchill - Liberals last sat in the Cabinet working to national victory against Nazi Germany. This was a difficult choice for many Liberal Democrats especially for anti-tories like me who would rather have a formed a progressive rainbow coalition of the centre left. Yet the irresponsible Labour government who had squandered the money, allowed the bankers carte blanche and basically lost the plot couldn't wait to get out of power. Whilst Gordon Brown clung on, hoping for a realignment of politics in his direction, the revolving door of politics swung the other way. Now six months on, the feared "Greek or Irish" financial meltdown has been so far averted. Cuts have made the Liberal Democrats highly unpopular, especially the cuts like student fees which the Liberals opposed and had staged their credibility on. A bitter pill to swallow. The Liberal Democrat human shields, held political hostage by the Conservatives will stay so for the duration - at least five years. Yet Labour's partisan politicking will backfire in the long term, after this unexpectedly competent coalition experiment starts to tackle some of the long term thorny issues which have resisted the attempts of 40 years of single party remedy.
Just like the second world war coalition - a long haul, a bitter struggle but ultimate victory in the end.
No comments:
Post a Comment