I understand the political rhetoric from the Lib Dems – that they have extracted hard won progressive concessions from the Conservatives, to temper the worst excesses of a traditional Tory government. Some of them may believe this, more are –hopefully- just trying to bring their party with them on a course that was anathema to the Lib Dem membership only a few days ago.
The rhetoric may be politically convenient, but it does injustice to the political reality. The coalition that has been formed is not the product of 4 days of Conservative concessions, but 4 years of change, in both parties.
The Conservatives are a progressive party – for most of us, we are the progressive party, and we should be proud of that label. The fact is that – though too few people have really recognised it yet– our prospectus for government is economically and socially liberal; it is designed to improve the quality of life for the many not the few; it is modern, it is compassionate and it is radical. In short, it is genuinely progressive.
The surprise, if there is one, should not be how much the parties were prepared to give away, but how much common ground there was to be agreed upon. For sure, both parties had elements of their agenda that were not an easy fit with their own economically and socially liberal core – it is these which seem to be the casualty of negotiation and that should not be a disappointment for any of us! For certain, there are areas of disagreement that are more fundamental – on Europe, Immigration and Defence, but these have been resolved in line with public opinion, and are, I would suggest, totemic rather than indicative of our more general governing philosophy.
I do not want to upset our happy marriage, and we should give the Lib Dems some latitude as they bring their membership on board – but it is important that we make the progressive case for our own party. We cannot allow a narrative to develop that the Lib Dems are responsible for all the nice bits, but we are liable for all the nasty ones. The Lib Dems are not the only acceptable face of this coalition, and they should not, for long, make out that they are.
We need to be clear – it is not that a Lib-Lab coalition was the progressive option scuppered by Labour putting renewal in opposition ahead responsibility in government. That coalition failed not through lack of co-operation, but for lack of a common agenda. Labour were not the progressive choice, and when it came to the detail, that became clear:
o The Conservatives are the party of a pupil premium and parental choice in schools; Labour stood for central control where the poorest kids get the lowest results.
o The Conservatives are the party of lower taxes, and incentives to work; Labour was the party that scrapped the 10p tax, and imposed 96% marginal tax rates on low paid working mothers.
o The Conservatives are the party of renewable energy, micro-generation and green growth; Labour was the party that saw our reliance on fossil fuels increase, and voted against cutting government emissions by 10%.
o The Conservatives are the party of political change, and empowered local communities; Labour was the party that increased Whitehall control and tried to block expenses reform.
The Conservatives are the progressive party. Labour are not.
The Conservatives are the only party that offered a progressive partnership. Labour did not.
As a party we must make our case, both now, and throughout out time in office: This coalition is not just built on pragmatic concessions, but on a progressive consensus.
If we as a party fail to do this – it will cost us dear, in the referendum, at the next election, but most importantly in power. We should not dwell too long on this now – but we must set about proving our credentials in government - progressive and proud!
Related posts: