"ENJOY POWER" NICK CLEGG TELLS HIS PARTY (FOR IT MAY NOT LAST LONG, ADDS TRIS)

I’m a great believer in coalition government. I’ve heard a lot about how it produces weak government but I’ve never seen any proof of this. What it undoubtedly means is that politicians have to work far harder to do their job.

During a period of coalition government in Scotland we prospered and enjoyed more sensible government than our counterparts in England with their “strong” government, even although the major partner in our coalition formed England’s government.

But for coalition to work there has to be a wide range of policy agreement in the parties coalescing, as well as in their support. The trouble with Britain’s electoral system is that it largely excludes small parties, which makes coalition much more difficult. In some European countries a number of small parties with similar views, will coalesce with a larger party which will provide the Prime or First Minister. In Scotland the Liberals and Labour managed to find enough of a left of centre bias in both parties to marry together quite successfully for 8 years.

In London the Liberals are finding it difficult to accommodate some of the policies of their senior partner. But then that’s not surprising considering the Liberals are a party of the centre left to left, and the Tories of the centre right to right.

So no-one could deny that Nick Clegg will have his work cut out for him at this year’s Liberal Conference. He will doubtless hope that being pushed off the front pages, despite being Deputy Prime Minister, by the Pope’s visit does not portend even worse things to come.

But in a week where the Business Secretary has criticised the Tory policy of restricting immigration from outside the EU on numbers rather than need, and some Liberal back benchers have reacted furiously to George Osborne’s assault on Incapacity Benefit recipients, it cannot be helpful that Shirley Williams, surely one of the Liberals most respected grandees, has criticised the coalition plans to reform health in England, yet again.

Lady Williams has said that the NHS, improved with extra money last year, is now delivering good outcomes on a par with European hospitals and much more cheaply than the private US health system. She accepted that modest changes would be in order but said that transformation to a system run by reluctant and inexperienced GPs dependent on private advisers could split the coalition.

Certainly Nick has his cheerleader, in the form of Joan Walmsley, who urged delegates to maintain party unity, and asked Lib Dems to avoid "rubbishing" Tory policies.

The thing about a workable coalition is that it really shouldn’t need to ask its members not to 'rubbish' the other party’s policies, but, if people as senior in the party as Shirley Williams and Vince Cable feel able to do it, then I can’t imagine the rank and file membership paying much attention to Mrs Walmsley.

What the bigwigs of the party have to remember is that, while they sit in the back of their ministerial limos and take home the ministerial salaries, it is the ordinary Lib Dem workers, councillors and MPs who face the doorstep wrath of the Liberal voters. Joan Walmsley, from the comfort of the red benches (having been rejected by the electorate on two occasions) doesn’t have to worry her privileged little head about such things.

Oh and Nick, power is not there for enjoying; it’s for using to make this place a bit more bearable to live in. If you think you are there to enjoy it, best leave now.

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