Wednesday 12 May 2010

A Blue Dawn has broken. (With just a hint of yellow...)

Lib Dems in the Cabinet would be a price worth paying for a stable government and immediate action on deficit reduction: thus quoth the Major. That has surely to be agreed. On the basis of party politics, this was never going to be the ideal way of interpreting the election results for anyone. Boris Johnson deplored the possibility of the meat in the government sausage not being Conservative, and at some points over past days this seemed a distinct possibility - but if party politics had won out, the result of the negotiations would surely have been very different:

Undoubtedly the best outcome for Labour would have been for them to form and justify a progressive alliance with the Lib Dems under the refreshed and revitalised leadership of a fresh-faced, charismatic, inspirational young leader. A quick look at the [shadow] front-bench potentials tells us that this mythical personality is sadly absent. We await the leadership election with anticipation; in the mean time, the party is consigned to the naughty corner to think about the mess they've made. The message seems to be that they made little or no effort to reach a compromise with the Lib Dems. Well done, Lord Mandelson, and thank you for once again removing yourself from our lives. Stay away for a long time please.

The Lib Dems seem to have caused immediate (and inevitable) ructions among supporters with their decision to collude with the right. The ideal outcome for them surely would not be the risk of electoral punishment in five years' time, regardless of the immediate gains to be made, and to have stayed away from the Tories at all costs. How illogical that Lib Dem supporters who have done nothing since the coalition was made public but snipe about how they would never have voted Lib Dem if they thought it would put Cameron in No 10 are the very same people who would advocate a full PR electoral system that would command this sort of compromise and bargaining after every election. If they stopped to read the agreement before they started to encourage division within their own party, they would doubtless find that the compromise that has been reached allows for many of their most important policies to be accommodated.

Arguably, the Conservatives might have done well to make little effort with coalition talks, and to stand by and watch the Lib Dem and Labour Parties tear themselves apart over a deal (or rather, no deal) whilst lining themselves up to win an early second election by a good margin. 

So, it seems obvious, then, that this historic agreement has been reached genuinely for the good of the nation, and that party politics and tribalism have been at least temporarily consigned to the bin. How long will it last? Who knows. But it has certainly started in the most positive manner that it possibly could have done. The way forward now is to recognise the great effort that has been made on both sides to reach consensus whilst preserving key principles, and to get behind the new government so that it can start the good work that is proposed in the agreement. Further analysis of that to follow, but one thought: the raising of the income tax threshold is, apparently, to be partially funded by revenue generated from capital gains tax. Does this mean that everyone who stands to benefit from this decision owes personal thanks to Hazel Blears?