Deputy Prime Minister gave a wide-ranging interview to The House magazine, in which he discusses how it’s right for the two coalition parties to differentiate themselves once a stable government was formed:
In the run-up to the general election, you may remember, the tabloids were screaming, saying that if there was a hung Parliament locusts would descend from the sky and the sun would be blotted out, you know… so we needed for those first few months to show the most important thing of all, which is this is a government that works, and actually works rather well.
Of course, after that phase you then get [that] we’re different parties, we do have different instincts, we do have different values. I just think we are quite relaxed in government that we have our differences – sometimes they are played out in private, sometimes they are played out in public.
Nick goes on to discuss what he sees as significant achievements for the party in government, and, in a telling line, describes the difficulty Lib Dem peers face in supporting legislation they wouldn’t under different circumstances:
Let’s be blunt: I am asking, day in, day out, Liberal Democrat peers to vote on things that they wouldn’t do in a month of Sundays if it was a Liberal Democrat government.
The interview covers such ground as reform of the upper house, Nick’s stance on the Middle East and changes to the tax system.
You can read the whole interview here.
* Prateek Buch is Director of the Social Liberal Forum and serves on the Liberal Democrat Federal Policy Committee
Follow @LibDemVoice on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
Lib Dems set to name 7 new peers for House of Lords, says Sunday Times
Kingston Lib Dems' council leader Derek Osbourne arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children
Congratulations to Sir Andrew, Alison, Flick, Kirsty and Sir Menzies
How not to write for Liberal Democrat Voice
Opinion: Creating a new Alliance
Opinion: Creating a new Alliance
Michael Moore MP writes…Scotland has a role in overseas aid
A picture postcard from a Liberal Democrat in Gezi Park
The Morrissey Report: We must take chance to be a more effective, respectful team
Chessington World of Adventures - May 2000
In defence of Michael Gove
Sefton's Green Belt - Campaigners trying to save the Green Belt meet at Lydiate Village Centre
#EqualMarriage Opponents Have Undermined Their Own Case For Religious Freedom Protections
Fatal stabbing in Newbury - 41 year old man arrested
Community Spirit Action Group - walkabout
Significant changes required if Social Services Bill is to be a success
Tired of voting for rats?
Roland
David Wilkinson
Alistair
Miranda Whitehead
Ed Shepherd
One Comment
” he discusses how it’s right for the two coalition parties to differentiate themselves once a stable government was formed:”
Er..no.
It was right for the two coalition parties to differentiate themselves immediately they formed the coalition. Still, 18 months down the line is better than not at all,if it happens. It would be a delusion to think that the efforts to date have made more than a ‘blip’ with the media and more than little or nothing with the electorate at large.