Flirt with Clegg, married to Cameron
Posted by Karen | Posted in News, Politics | Posted on 27-04-2010
Nick Clegg has been sending out some seriously mixed messages about what the Liberal Democrats would do if we have a hung Parliament.
A week or two ago he was saying it was up to the public to decide and it was not for him to say what his party would do until after the election.  Then, under pressure to reveal his hand, he began to resolutely list four Liberal Democrat priorities, offering them as bargaining chips for his support.  It seemed that if one of the other parties supported these measures, he’d consider a coalition with them.
He complicated matters by ruling out working with Gordon Brown.  So that would leave him and Cameron sitting round the table!   But then he confused things even further by suggesting he would work with Labour if we had a different leader.  Yesterday he indicated that constitutional reform is the non-negotiable that any partner of his would have to support.  Today he’s softening his criticism of Gordon Brown and going back to where we started, which was ‘let’s wait and see until after Thursday 6th May’.
Do you get the sense he’s making this up as he goes along?   This doesn’t half make it confusing for anyone thinking of backing the Liberal Democrats.  The only clear choice, particularly if you want to avoid a Tory Government and see continued support for our police, hospitals and schools, is a vote for Labour.
For me, the really critical question is not so much which of his policies he is cherry-picking to dangle in front of other parties, it’s this: which policies would he be willing to support in order to get a taste of power?  My view is that, when push comes to shove, Clegg would back Cameron.
He’s already made it clear he’s up for a deal with the Conservatives, as they have enough in common with the Liberal Democrats:  cuts to Child Tax Credits, cuts to the Child Trust Fund, no ring-fencing of the budget for police numbers.  The Tories would also find common ground with some of his tax policies which, rather than being fair, would stretch the gap between rich and poor.  Nick Clegg has even boasted that Norman Tebbit is a big fan, so you can see where his heart lies.  A Times article even said he joined the Conservative Party some years ago.  So, despite the slick presentation, he’s not the same progressive voice we heard from Charles Kennedy or Paddy Ashdown.
This leaves a vast, unanswered question:  what else would Clegg support?  Is he a fan of Cameron’s free-market schools policy?   Would he back Cameron’s plans for immediate cuts before the fragile economic recovery has gained strength?   What about the Tories inheritance tax cut for the richest 3% Рsurely the Liberal Democrats would baulk at this?  How can liberal views be reconciled with the Conservative party in Europe who sit alongside climate change sceptics and the xenophobes?
It’s impossible to know.  This makes a vote for the Liberal Democrats on Thursday 6th May an incredibly risky choice.   I think the stakes are way too high to gamble with your vote.  A chance flirtation with Nick Clegg would leave us in a miserable marriage with David Cameron.
Keep it simple:  if you want to see continued support for the economy and investment in public services, vote Labour.  If you don’t want a Tory Government, vote Labour.
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