If you woke up in the middle of the night, chances are you might have heard in the distance a rhythmic humming heartbeat sound. That would be the risograph* in a Liberal Democrat key seat churning out leaflets with this quote from the Financial Times:
The country would benefit from the countervailing force of Lib Dem moderation at Westminster. In seats where the Lib Dems are the incumbent or the main challenger, we would vote tactically for them.
The paper was far from complimentary about the Tories’ divisive strategy. I guess the last thing they want to do is refer to the fact that the coalition has actually worked well:
Five years ago, the prospect of coalition government attracted dire predictions of instability in markets and gridlock at Westminster. Neither proved true. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition has shown European-style cohabitation can work. Curiously, Mr Cameron has not trumpeted its successes. He has preferred to wage a campaign of fear. Labour, he argues, would prove untrustworthy on the economy; and a Labour government would be held hostage by a separatist Scottish National party. The risk of a cross-border leftist alliance is not negligible; but even some Tories worry that its invocation encourages English nationalism.
The FT essentially wants to see a continuation of the current economic strategy which is far from being a Tory-only creation. We all remember what generally happens when the Tories are left in charge during a recession. The 80’s, anyone? In this instance, the Liberal Democrats have ensured a properly national recovery from a massive economic event which could have plunged us into an appalling depression.
It’s important to remember that we could have sat this one out. Had we not been there, the Tories would have continued with severe austerity rather than adjust it when the circumstances demanded. As George Crozier pointed out in an article on this site last week, the Liberal Democrats shaped the recovery:
For different reasons it often suits both Conservative and Labour voices to paint a picture in primary colours of undeviating adherence to Plan A. But this caricature is wrong. The reality is more nuanced and rather more Liberal Democrat. The Coalition has shown commendable flexibility, for example in reversing some of the capital spending cuts that were inherited from Labour once it became clear they were holding back the recovery. The Coalition has balanced cuts with carefully targeted stimulus. And above all it has been willing to forego substantial amounts of tax revenue and even slow the pace of austerity in order to help create jobs and encourage people to take them up.
This approach has worked. Liberal Democrat policies and influence have been at the heart of it. Three of the five key politicians deciding economic strategy in this Parliament have been Liberal Democrats. Liberal Democrats should be proud of this. It should be front and centre of our election campaign.
*Where there’s a risograph churning paper in the middle of the night, there’s also an organiser looking after it, losing yet more sleep. Let today be the day we celebrate these wonderful members of staff who work all hours to makes sure that everything that needs to be done is done. There are just 6 days to go, but for organisers, it’s not been a 38 day campaign, it’s been more like a 450 day campaign. All organisers will be knackered. This weekend, when you go to a target seat, make sure you make a special point of thanking the organiser and, preferably, providing them with cocoa-solid related foodstuffs.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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13 Comments
This has been coming from the FT for some time, but none the less its nice to see.
I suspect that some of those party members that don’t read the paper will think its some bastion of Thatcherite no-holds barred free market economics, it is not. The FT outlook is often to the left of the current coalitions political centre (pro immigration, pro EU, wanted austerity to ease up more than it has, and in general it has been pro higher wealth taxes in where they are sensible).
This probably won’t sway any votes but the FT remains one of the last serious print newspapers, with proper investigative journalism, opinion pieces that say something that isnt immediately obvious, and global coverage of news you cant get elsewhere. So I find it quite heart warming to see their view on our party expressed in this way.
@Joseph – Agree. The FT has endorsed Labour several times and is not “right wing”.
I think “not right wing” is an exaggeration. The FT is right wing, but it is the section of the right wing that is driven by an intellectual interpretation of certain economic theories that leads to some reasonable right wing propositions, rather than the (far too dominant in the Tory party back bench) right wing which is driven by fear of the unknown, unthinking devotion to tradition, upper class selfishness and “gut feeling”.
Does this include Surrey South West?
“The Coalition has shown commendable flexibility, for example in reversing some of the capital spending cuts that were inherited from Labour once it became clear they were holding back the recovery.”
A shame I missed the article last week, as the above statement is complete nonsense.
The coalition did not “inherit” capital spending cuts from Labour. Labour had their plan to deal with the deficit, the Tories and Lib Dems had theirs. The Tories and Lib Dems won the election (kind of) so the plan they put forward in October 2010 was theirs and theirs alone.
@ Joseph “I suspect that some of those party members that don’t read the paper will think its some bastion of Thatcherite no-holds barred free market economics, it is not.”
Given the style of writing and the glowing references to Gove’s disastrous educational reforms and peculiar obsession with the UK’s military might and Great Game geo-politics it was almost certainly written by Janan Ganesh, the FT political columnist. He was formerly one of Gove’s “bag-carriers”, a researcher at Policy Exchange and confidant and biographer of Osborne.
He certainly is “a bastion of Thatcherite no-holds barred free market economics” and other other “out-there” right wing dogmas, if you’ve got him on board I’d start to worry.
That’s a great endorsement from The FT.
This is why a Conservative victory is perhaps quite likely. Many people like the coalition but no one can vote for it. Conservatives on their own is the lesser of two evils given the recovery is still fragile.
NB this is a view of what I think will happen not what I would prefer
TCO 2nd May ’15 – 8:03am
Tory Central Office “Many people like the coalition”!!
For balance: As Tony Greaves has explained – Miliband will become PM after the 8th unless there are some major shifts that reduce Labour’s seat tally in their marginals. These are desperate days for the Tories – by giving the Party a glowing reference they hope to help the Party hold seats where Labour is their main challenger.
Farage has admitted that UKIP vote share has fallen because UKIP voters are planning to vote tactically – and it is very likely that the message has gone out internally within UKIP not to fight too hard in Tory marginals – UKIP do need a Tory government to get an EU referendum after all!
There will have to be a significant improvement in Tory fortunes and decline in Labours in the last week – if Cameron is to stay in No 10. Not impossible – but unlikely because the numbers have remained pretty stable since March.
So we will have the company of Tory Central Office for a few more days.
John Roffey 2nd May ’15 – 8:38am
TCO 2nd May ’15 – 8:03am
Tory Central Office “Many people like the coalition”!!
Could be T(obacco) CO(mpany)?
What we do know they aren’t his or her initials and that he or she apparently works for a think tank/pressure group.
I am using my name in support of the stated policy of LDV to be who you say you are and in protest against those who float in and out of this forum using different pseudonyms and just making controversial counter statements.
Hello boys are you having fun? TCO is an acronym and if you google hard enough you’ll get it (hint: it’s not total cost of operating) 🙂
TCO 2nd May ’15 – 8:03am
@John Roffey “Tory Central Office “Many people like the coalition”!!”
Try stepping a little out of your comfort zone and talk to people you would normally avoid. You may find a different picture to the one painted by the Guardian.
TCO 2nd May ’15 – 3:51pm
“Try stepping a little out of your comfort zone and talk to people you would normally avoid. You may find a different picture to the one painted by the Guardian.”
Rural voters feel alienated by coalition Government – poll
http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Rural-voters-feel-alienated-coalition-Government/story-23620963-detail/story.html#ixzz3Yzfr15j0
Highs & Lows of Coalition Government
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/45f73818-d17e-11e4-ad3a-00144feab7de,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F45f73818-d17e-11e4-ad3a-00144feab7de.html%3Fsiteedition%3Duk&siteedition=uk&_i_referer=#axzz3YzfFFK00
Voters not keen on coalition 2.0
http://leftfootforward.org/2014/12/voters-not-keen-on-coalition-2-0/
Tory Central Office – if you ignore the truth most of the time – it can get so that you no longer know what is true and what is not.
The FT also says we need to stop the crazy EU referendum but unfortunately we seem determined to go ahead with that as part of a coalition with Cons. Disaster!!