A few weeks back, it was Ken Clarke. Now William Hague has become the latest senior Tory figure to hold out the prospect of a Tory-Lib Dem coalition at the next election.
No link I'm afraid as the story was in the pesky Spectator which continues to run a subscription only website, but what he said was as follows:
"There is going to be a greater likelihood of hung parliaments and parties having to co-operate in government. There are some sensible Lib Dems, but others whose instincts are very left-wing.
"I have no idea whether the split Liberal Party, and one now with rather weak leadership, would be willing or able to work with a minority Conservative administration."
The flaw in Hague's thinking, to my mind, is shown up in those phrases "split Liberal Party" and "sensible Lib Dems."
The implication is that the Tories will somehow be able to pick-off the Nick Cleggs of this world to serve in a David Cameron-led coalition, even if the Steve Webbs of this world are vehemently opposed to that.
For my part, I find it very hard to believe that the Lib Dems would allow themselves to be carved-up in this way, given that it would lead to their certain demise as an independent party.
Hague also fails to mention proportional representation, which would be the absolute minimum requirement of any Tory-Lib Dem deal.
1 comment:
I agree totally, Paul that a) cherry picking the rightleaning Lib Dems would end the party's effective role.
b) PR would be the sine qua non of any formal deal.
But this doen't mean that a) can't happen without b) does it?
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