Charles Kennedy: Why I couldn't support Clegg's deal with the Tories

[LeftishBrit]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/16/charles-kennedy-coalition-views



'Like many others I was keen to explore the possibilities of a so-called "progressive coalition", despite all the obvious difficulties and drawbacks. It remains a matter of profound disappointment that there was insufficient reciprocal will within the Labour party – and they should not be allowed to pose in opposition purity as a result. We shall have to observe their leadership machinations from the sidelines – but it is important that both the process and the personalities involved use that exercise to think aloud and imaginatively about the opportunities that a national debate on electoral reform now presents. I am not yet holding my breath.

I did not subscribe to the view that remaining in opposition ourselves, while extending responsible "confidence and supply" requirements to a minority Tory administration, was tantamount to a "do nothing" response. I felt that such a course of action would have enabled us to maintain a momentum in opposition, while Labour turned inwards. But the understandable anxiety among colleagues about an early second election scuppered that option. To which might be added the significant reality of devolved general elections in just less than a year's time in both Scotland and Wales.

So now we must look to a centre-right government to deliver the appetising menu of liberal measures contained within the coalition agreement. In so doing the wider, non-governmental sections of the party – inside and outside parliament – will have a continuing family responsibility to help articulate values and a vision that underpins what our colleagues are seeking to enact in ministerial office. We must not forget that the real political personality of this administration, the one that will evolve steadily in people's minds over months and years, will be driven as much by reflex reactions to unexpected events as by carefully negotiated, pre-planned, legislative intent. So there will have to remain room for everyone.'


Some good points here IMO. Despite Kennedy's well-known fondness for the bottle, I always liked him better than I like Clegg.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. That's strange - they said the MPs unanimously voted for the coalition

eg

"To the nearly 7m people who supported the Liberal Democrats I carry your hopes and aspirations into this coalition" said Nick Clegg tonight following a unanimous vote amongst Lib Dem MPs in favour of a coalition. Nick Clegg has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister.

http://www.facebook.com/libdems/posts/121934297824730

So how come Kennedy says " I felt personally unable to vote for this outcome when it was presented to Liberal Democrat parliamentarians"?

[LeftishBrit]

2. Perhaps he abstained rather than actively voting against - and 'silence was taken as consent'?

Or perhaps someone's just plain telling a few porkies; and my guess would be that it's not Kennedy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. The companion article to this says he abstained

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/16/liberal-democrats-rift-coalition-conservatives

Yes, I think that one or more abstaining MPs means that the the vote was not 'unanimous'. The press announcement certainly distorted the truth; perhaps it was a simple lie.

[TheBigotBasher]

4. Nick Clegg has delivered an ability to deliver Liberal Democrat policies.

Everyone can be purist about it, in the same way the two Neo con Labour people were on Question Time, disgustingly pairing up with Melanie Phillips or they can ask why did they support the Liberal Democrats.

Liberal Democrats are not Labour. They are not Conservatives. They do however have for the first time an ability to implement their policies.

Just to add if anyone really believed that Neo Con Labour was not going to start cutting straight away - they never read the budget.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Anything that annoys Melanie Philips has something good about it (nt)

[fedsron2us]

6. The party faithful feel conned by coalition

It's been a lively week at the Liberal Democrat headquarters in the serene south-coast town of Eastbourne. New MP Stephen Lloyd is still full of smiles as he jovially passes around a bowl of sweets. This should, after all, be celebration time in the pokey office on Seaside Road. Yet something is not right. After all their efforts, many of the town's Lib Dem voters feel they have been conned, sold down the river in the deal that saw their leader around David Cameron's cabinet table last week.

For two decades, this Sussex seaside town has been ruled by its former MP, Tory Nigel Waterson, whom Lloyd ousted by 3,435 votes. "I was exhausted, and I am still a bit tired, but very excited," Lloyd insists.

The enthusiasm is not so keenly felt outside these four walls, where an acrimonious yellow-blue poster war reached a confused finale. Volunteers manning the phones at Seaside Road admit that it's not just been congratulation messages that have been coming in since the general election.

"That first day we had a lot of calls," said Beryl Teso, a Lib Dem activist for more than two decades who was part of Mr Lloyd's campaign team. "People were really upset. We stopped recording the calls as there were so many. They were saying: "'We hate you because you've sided with the Tories.'"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-party-faithful-feel-conned-by-coalition-1974685.html

I note Alex Kear, chairman of the Lib Dem branch in Worcester, appears to have quit as result of the coalition deal.

This does not bode well for Liberal Democrats fighting for seats in next years County Council elections where there will be no free TV debates and local activists canvassing and distributing leaflets are all important .

Still look on the bright side it got Nick Clegg into government and that is all that really matters ( to Nick Clegg).

The suckers who work for his party will just have to take their chances.

[T_i_B]

7. I agree with much of Kennedy's article

Mind you, it does look like he is setting himself up as leader of an anti-coalition faction within the Lib Dems.