Leader: Papering over the cracks?
Newsdesk • Published 13 May 2010 11:00
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IT WOULD appear that in the course of the last week the nation has entered a new era of compromise with the historic deal which brings the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats together in coalition at Westminster.
Whether Tuesday's momentous events were simply papering over the cracks, or indeed hailed a new chapter in Britain's democratic story, remains to be seen but it is quite evident that among the political establishment the enthusiasm for such back slapping co-operation is not exactly universal.
It is clearly too early and too sudden for once sworn enemies to ditch policies and beliefs they have nurtured since their days as idealistic students, but in some cases the ability of politicians to adopt a chameleon-like pose and flip their convictions as easily as some MPs in the last Parliament flipped their homes will continue to stretch our credibility to the limit.
In Reading, of course, there has been a hung council since 2008 and until now nobody has seen either the attraction or necessity for a coalition deal in order to improve the administration of local government in the borough.
But, at this level, it might be said that democracy is better served by a minority ruling party having its every move being closely watched with both eyes by a potentially stronger opposition.
Meanwhile, South East Green MEP Caroline Lucas wins a Westminster seat and is automatically replaced by an unelected party colleague on a reserve list under one of those much vaunted voting systems we've been lectured about.
Maybe democracy still has some way to go.
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