… thinking about New Labour cheerleaders here, that they feel a bit betrayed by what the Lib Dems have done – getting a bit of power in return for shacking up with the Tories and biting the bullet on stuff they used to believe in.
Why do people feel betrayed?
The LibDems might have compromised on some stuff they believe in, not used to believe in but still do, in return for what? For getting some other stuff they believe in. What was the alternative? Being the third party in the parliament, or a smaller part in a coalition of even more competing voices in ‘rainbow’ coalition, with less say, and less chance to influence things.
Sometimes you have to get what you want in small steps. That is what the LibDems have done. They’ve looked at the bigger picture and thought they could get some stuff done now rather than wait bugger knows how long for the chance to do everything at once.
The Tories are going to do what is most important to them whether they have a junior partner or not. At least this way, with the LibDems in there as well, it’s not going to be all their way.
Betrayl? Look at the bigger picture without your parties blinkers on and it becomes anything but.
I hope I didn’t give the impression that they were *right* to feel betrayed, because I don’t think they are. LDs have been pragmatic.
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I didn’t read it like that. It was a nice arrangements of words to get me started.
What were their options? Make the best of the situation and get called traiters by the Labour lot or let the Tories get on with it however they wanted.
No choice, really.
I can see this point of view. However I think there was a 64% anti-Tory vote – if we include the Lib Dem vote in that as we always used to! – and that the Lib Dems should have allowed Cameron a temporary Minority Government which they required to be more liberal and also more statist that it would be otherwise.
“The people voted for a rematch in 6/12/18 months” is at least as valid an interpretation as what they’ve done.
Fact is the Lib Dems have got five cabinet posts, salaries, pensions, jaguars, and at least one grace and favour; they’ve got 15 further ministerial salaries, pensions, assorted Toyota’s and Tom Watson’s mini; they’ve got some 100 peers with all the allowances and ermine and shit that goes with those. And they’ve provided the Tories with cover for doing most of what they wanted to do.
Those 100 peers being based on a meaningless share of the vote when every fool knows that a large part of their vote share under the FPTP system they so despise is negative tactical “anyone but X/anyone but Y” – including many many progressives and anti-Tories.
So they’re anti Life Peers yet they’re filling their boots?
The Libs have very specifically given Cameron permission to take the ring-fence off EVERYTHING and they’re letting him away with epicly raised TUFs, with early doors cuts, with a secret Labour mess narrative, and so on.
They will “get” stuff the Tories were ready to give like cutting iD cards, and being kindlier (eventually) to asylum seeker/refugee/overstayer children. Oh and the IHT heist kicked into the medium length grass.
They will not get stuff like AV, PR, Europhilia, delayed or reduced cuts, tax reform (to the degree they promised), increased police numbers, or quite the recall/clean up that they wanted.
Of their four main ha ha “commitments” all they will get is the vague one slogan fits all: “Action to get our economy moving again”.
“What were their options?” you ask Sim-O. You then present a false dichotomy. Two other options at least: 1. Struggle with “progressive alliance” hampered by arithmetic and their hatred of key LP personalities and 2. Allow Cameron to rule liberally as a propped up (for now) minority government.
Number 2 there would provide all the immediate upside politically, perhaps more, AND the opportunity to go to the country again once the worst is past.
Number two would not have given the posts, salaries, pensions, jaguars, peers and nor would it provide a platform for a term two Tory government that is proper Tory.
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