A most fascinating article in the New Statesman that looks at how the Liberal Democrats might be able to salvage something from their, up to now, not very successful collaboration with the Tories:
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/politics/2012/09/case-truly-liberal-party
I have often maintained that a good many of the electorate are 'natural' Liberals. We believe in taking care of what we can for ourselves but having the government there to deal with the things that are too big or too important to leave unplanned and at the mercy of the market. We don't want to be left to sink or swim, as the Tories would have us do. Nor do we want to have our lives mapped out and micromanaged from Whitehall as the Labourites have (sadly) come to represent.
Whether the Liberal Democrats can survive the present impressions of being a 'Yes Man' to an essentially Tory led coalition is problematic, however. How much of that depends on whether Clegg stays as the party leader or not I am unsure - it certainly won't affect my voting when the time comes as I am 'policy driven' rather than 'personality led'.
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/politics/2012/09/case-truly-liberal-party
I have often maintained that a good many of the electorate are 'natural' Liberals. We believe in taking care of what we can for ourselves but having the government there to deal with the things that are too big or too important to leave unplanned and at the mercy of the market. We don't want to be left to sink or swim, as the Tories would have us do. Nor do we want to have our lives mapped out and micromanaged from Whitehall as the Labourites have (sadly) come to represent.
Whether the Liberal Democrats can survive the present impressions of being a 'Yes Man' to an essentially Tory led coalition is problematic, however. How much of that depends on whether Clegg stays as the party leader or not I am unsure - it certainly won't affect my voting when the time comes as I am 'policy driven' rather than 'personality led'.
