Lies, Damn Lies

Coalition

I hate this government. I disagree with its policies on cutting, and believe we should be raising more income via taxation. I don't believe all these cuts will lead to long term growth- cutting transport and science are short sighted in particular. Worse yet, the government is engaging in social experimentation on a grand scale with things like the free schools, which will lead to more segregation (thanks to faith schools in all probability making up a good proportion of them), and haven't been very well tested at all. Its radical, and I'd rather like the Conservatives to be conservative with a small c too.

But getting angry at the lib dems seems to miss the point. Its easy to forget that funding helps one get elected. The conservatives are always more well funded than both Labour and the liberal democrats, because the majority of political funding currently comes from either wealthy donors or large organisations such as the unions. So if the liberal democrats had refused coalition with the conservatives (who did, after all, have the largest parliamentary representation), seeing as coalition with Labour was pretty much sabotaged (and probably would have failed), they would have forced the conservatives to rule as a minortiy govt. Well the cons would then probably announce a new election fairly sharpish, as ruling in minority rarely lasts, and then, being the only party with any funding, and good media support (seriously, their media support is currently astonishing. Labour has been pretty much abandoned for now), they would have managed a much larger majority. Arguably as well, the country DID need some strong govt during that time- while the crisis was never as bad as some made out, it wasn't non-existent.

So the lib dems got into government, and as a result affected some change- they certainly pushed for stronger civil liberties, and while they have failed on some counts, theres no doubt they have an influence. Not an all powerful influence, and certainly a lesser one. but thats how it should be. This is how coalition government WORKS. I don't like the conservatives, but they have the largest parliamentary representation, much larger than the lib dems, so they get the lions share of power.

Whats more, under any electoral reform, which practically every lib dem is in favour of, this is exactly what one would expect to happen. If we do get more proportional representation, then we will have more coalition. Thats inevitable.


I'm not saying I'm not going to disagree with the coalition, or indeed the lib dems, or be disappointed or worried by changes being made, but I'm not going to stop supporting the party just yet. Its much harder to support a party in government than in opposition, after all.

Labels: politics, rant

posted by Mr K @ 5:53 pm