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The Guardian view on the Tory/Lib Dem government: a pact that endured The Guardian view on the Tory/Lib Dem government: a pact that endured
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Has the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government been a one-off experiment? You could be forgiven for thinking so, even though the polls don’t suggest any majority after May. On Monday the formal campaign begins, and all the parties have been emphasising their distinctiveness, as if confident that there will be no need to repeat the outgoing coalition experience soon. The professed preference in a possible hung parliament, fanned by fear of a confident Scottish National party, is increasingly for issue-by-issue negotiation and minority rule.Has the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government been a one-off experiment? You could be forgiven for thinking so, even though the polls don’t suggest any majority after May. On Monday the formal campaign begins, and all the parties have been emphasising their distinctiveness, as if confident that there will be no need to repeat the outgoing coalition experience soon. The professed preference in a possible hung parliament, fanned by fear of a confident Scottish National party, is increasingly for issue-by-issue negotiation and minority rule.
And yet, in fragmented political times, coalition may turn out to be the only form of stability on offer. It would be dangerous, although understandable, if hostility to the specific record of the Cameron-Clegg coalition turned into antagonism to the very notion of coalition in the future. Indeed, as the five years of the Tory/Lib Dem government draw to an end, it is right to recognise one striking achievement. Namely, to paraphrase one Whitehall watcher, that it has not only survived, but also functioned. That is surely correct, and should not be dismissed.And yet, in fragmented political times, coalition may turn out to be the only form of stability on offer. It would be dangerous, although understandable, if hostility to the specific record of the Cameron-Clegg coalition turned into antagonism to the very notion of coalition in the future. Indeed, as the five years of the Tory/Lib Dem government draw to an end, it is right to recognise one striking achievement. Namely, to paraphrase one Whitehall watcher, that it has not only survived, but also functioned. That is surely correct, and should not be dismissed.
Related: There are better ways to have effective coalition | Letters
Five years ago, many doubted that this kind of government was possible. The unsustainability of a Tory/Lib Dem deal was confidently forecast even before the 2010 election and frequently predicted after it was formed. “When will the coalition break up?” became a political parlour game. Yet the much-touted Lib Dem revolt against coalition refused to happen. In the end, those who argued that the coalition would survive to the end have been vindicated. Although relations between the two partners have visibly deteriorated in the past year, the two parties parted civilly last week. As William Hague said of the Lib Dems: “they are deeply valued colleagues – for another few days anyway.”Five years ago, many doubted that this kind of government was possible. The unsustainability of a Tory/Lib Dem deal was confidently forecast even before the 2010 election and frequently predicted after it was formed. “When will the coalition break up?” became a political parlour game. Yet the much-touted Lib Dem revolt against coalition refused to happen. In the end, those who argued that the coalition would survive to the end have been vindicated. Although relations between the two partners have visibly deteriorated in the past year, the two parties parted civilly last week. As William Hague said of the Lib Dems: “they are deeply valued colleagues – for another few days anyway.”
There has been much to challenge the claim that coalition works. Initial goodwill – the coalition started out very popular – gave way to anger aimed at the Lib Dems over tuition fees and then at the Tories over NHS reforms that were never disclosed in advance and the notorious 2012 budget. Yet midterm blues are nothing new, affecting one-party governments too. True, relations between the partners nearly foundered over the AV referendum, Lords reform and constituency boundaries. Yet splits, too, are not unique to coalitions. The coalition manifestly began to run out of things it could agree to do in its last 18 months: its zombie phase. In 2015, the apparent marriage of minds of 2010 looked like a marriage of convenience.There has been much to challenge the claim that coalition works. Initial goodwill – the coalition started out very popular – gave way to anger aimed at the Lib Dems over tuition fees and then at the Tories over NHS reforms that were never disclosed in advance and the notorious 2012 budget. Yet midterm blues are nothing new, affecting one-party governments too. True, relations between the partners nearly foundered over the AV referendum, Lords reform and constituency boundaries. Yet splits, too, are not unique to coalitions. The coalition manifestly began to run out of things it could agree to do in its last 18 months: its zombie phase. In 2015, the apparent marriage of minds of 2010 looked like a marriage of convenience.
And yet few would call this a weak government. It has a working majority of 73. Though parliamentary revolts have become frequent, the coalition has lost few bills. This newspaper has regularly faulted its economic policy, but the two parties have been united on it. At the very top, the commitment to making the coalition work has been unwavering, even though at departmental level there has been less meeting of minds. The Fixed-term Parliaments Act has proved a safeguard against opportunist splits.And yet few would call this a weak government. It has a working majority of 73. Though parliamentary revolts have become frequent, the coalition has lost few bills. This newspaper has regularly faulted its economic policy, but the two parties have been united on it. At the very top, the commitment to making the coalition work has been unwavering, even though at departmental level there has been less meeting of minds. The Fixed-term Parliaments Act has proved a safeguard against opportunist splits.
The power of each party to veto anything not in the coalition agreements has meant the coalition has achieved less, on Europe or civil liberties, than a benign single-party government might have done. Every form of government, single or multi-party, comes at a price of some sort. Each, though, has its own form of dividend too. Thanks to coalition, there has been, perforce, a revival of cabinet government after the years of Labour centralisation. And parliament has become more independent-minded, with stronger select committees and a Speaker more ready to defy ministers – even when they mount a fairly shabby challenge to his own position .The power of each party to veto anything not in the coalition agreements has meant the coalition has achieved less, on Europe or civil liberties, than a benign single-party government might have done. Every form of government, single or multi-party, comes at a price of some sort. Each, though, has its own form of dividend too. Thanks to coalition, there has been, perforce, a revival of cabinet government after the years of Labour centralisation. And parliament has become more independent-minded, with stronger select committees and a Speaker more ready to defy ministers – even when they mount a fairly shabby challenge to his own position .
This coalition has endured. It has shown that two parties working together can deliver strong government, as they often do in other countries and in the devolved governments of Britain. This is an important achievement which, we stress, stands separate from the ideological hue of this administration. An Electoral Reform Society poll last week found that voters in marginal seats still believe that “parliaments work best when no party is too dominant so that cross-party agreement is needed to pass laws”. As the ERS says, these are not the attitudes of an electorate demanding a return to single-party government. Which, in view of the current opinion polls, is probably just as well.This coalition has endured. It has shown that two parties working together can deliver strong government, as they often do in other countries and in the devolved governments of Britain. This is an important achievement which, we stress, stands separate from the ideological hue of this administration. An Electoral Reform Society poll last week found that voters in marginal seats still believe that “parliaments work best when no party is too dominant so that cross-party agreement is needed to pass laws”. As the ERS says, these are not the attitudes of an electorate demanding a return to single-party government. Which, in view of the current opinion polls, is probably just as well.