Over a week ago we went to the polls, and spoke collectively as a nation. I realise that there was no box on the ballot paper for either a hung parliament, or a coalition, however, the fact remains that of all the options, there was no clear majority on favour of any particular party. The Tories will protest that they in fact won, but it was they who insisted all along that the current system was the fairest, so in effect they have been hoist by their own petard. This is new politics we are told. A new way of doing things...well they would say that of course, but is it true? Well it's certainly the first time we have seen Liberals in Downing street for 65 years, but have they been given soft jobs just to keep them quiet? Are they in fact just there in a marriage of convenience? I suspect that this IS the case sadly. Much as the prospect of Clegg, Cable et al being at the table to make the decisions is a good one, the level of their influence is of course debatable at best, and doubtful at worst. We have a government, but only just. It is all very well saying that the majority of the electorate voted for this government collectively, but it is disingenuous to say so. How many Lib Dem and Tory supporters feel that they wanted their own party's policys, not the watered down version that appears to have been served up. It is the equivalent of expecting a three course meal, and being served a microwave meal for one. It feels plastic, has no real flavour, and you still feel either hungry or nauseous at the end of it.
I have heard many commentators saying that we need to give it a chance, and they are quite right, of course we do. This may not, for example, be the tory party of the 1980's that I despised so much, but the inclusion of Hague, Duncan Smith and Clarke hardly fill me with confidence. George Osbourne is clearly out of his depth and this was a fact borne out by the Tories reticence in bringing him to the forefront in the election. Then we have Theresa May, whose views are questionable to say the least. Many of the people who are suggesting that this is a different Tory Party are not old enough to remember the Thatcher years. Sadly, I suspect they are about to gather first hand evidence.
What was the alternative I hear people saying? Surely not a Tory Minority Government? Well why not? That way, we could have true discussion and true open politics surely? If that's what the politicians are serious about then they could have made it work. Perhaps though, they are more interested in gaining power...And they are willing to betray their principles in order to do so. Have they betrayed their members and their supporters and voters? Time will tell, but my willingness to rejoin the Liberal Democrats is no longer there. I want to see what they are made of before supporting them. I do not want to pay money to support a weak, compromised and dishonest Tory government. Before anyone questions my loyalty to the cause, I would ask them to question the leadership's loyalty to it's support.
As it stands, the Lib Dems have "Compromised" on Economic cuts, Immigration, Trident and PR....these are fundamental principles of the party, the foundations of what it is to be a Liberal Democrat. They have no key cabinet posts. They have been used as a stepping stone to power, and can clearly be expected to be paid lip service and little else.
So forgive the lack of optimism, but I am failing to see where the new politics is
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