UK Election: A Very British Revolution

This time last weekend now feels like a lifetime ago - but boy was it scary. We were on the brink of a left wing coup, a left wing "progressive alliance", orchestrated by Brown in his cynical 'resignation' move. My favourite headline was the Star above - demonstrating our healthy contempt for all politicians and politics in general! BUt even that didn't raise a smile in this household I can tell you!

And here we are a week later -with the Lib Dems and Conservatives in government. Yes that's surreal – but it feels oddly right.

I think it was a few months ago when Lord Tebbit pointed out that apart from their loonier policies the Lib Dems were offering a Conservative style tax policy. When I ran the figures I realised me and Alex would be better off under a Lib Dem government financially when it comes to tackling the deficit. They were also in favour of reducing the welfare state. But the latter was much higher up the Conservative list of priorities than the LDs who were primarily focusing on electoral reform and Trident. My passion for Britain is longer term: welfare reduction, small government. So my X was always going to be planted next to the Conservatives.

Looking back on it now it all it seemed implausible that there would be any other outcome. It’s easy to say that in hindsight of course. Clegg initially signalled his overtures to the party with the largest numbers in Parliament - as he damn well should have - but when he flirted with Labour, it looked seriously like the hard left would have their new decade - even now they still insist it was possible. Clegg was playing a cool hand. The man knew his party had lost because whilst people liked HIM, his rhetoric about the EU and Trident went nowhere. Being stuffed between two big parties may have gained him some advantage in so far as how he could present his party - but as I said some of their policies were utterly barking and the public knew this.

The Lib Dems also had another interesting set of historical policies concerning civil liberties. And that, alongside taxes and welfare reform, is where the Tories have firmly planted their flag to secure this deal.

The Liberal Democrats are no longer the party of protest voters. Clegg like Cameron recognised that this country’s future was at stake under any weak government. Cameron recognised on the other hand, that the Tories would be insulated from much of the blame for the horrendous austerity measures needed to square our battered economy.

Desperate times call for revolutionary measures and both leaders quite literally seized the day.

This coalition is strengthened not weakened by the extremity of the times. The momentum is there for both parties to succeed with what is at stake: deficit reduction, fair taxation to square it, a return of civil liberties, a reduction of the welfare state, small government and boot in the arse of socialism and it's class warfare. The grey areas that need careful consideration and bargaining by the Tories remain the EU and electoral reform - both of which worry me. But as the EU struggles.....? And if the country wants a demonstration of why a Lib Dem proposed move to PR from FPTP will be a nightmare at each and every election - then look no further than last week's horse trading. At the very least we will have a referendum on this move.

The joint commitment they have drawn up is an old fashioned liberal conservative document. And the Cabinet is pretty sound. Neocons with no soporific love of Obama, libertarians, liberals in the truest sense and whether UKIP will admit it or not a very healthy smattering of europhobes. And whilst I hope there is still room for the tougher harder voices of Tebbit in a loyal Conservative party whilst paradoxically hoping Clegg keeps the lefter loonier elements at bay, there is simply no denying that a Tory partnership with the Liberal Democrats has wiped out the anti-Conservative majority at a stroke and paved the way for a far more reassuring future. The economy will focus minds. It’s going to take at least 4 years to put it right.

What I hope I see happening is the end of big government Britain - and when the shit hits the fan about what Labour got up to with public finances - the end of socialism to boot. I also see a strong premise for the end of the Union - no more Union Jack flag. That's another post.

Britain has radically changed. Right now I realise there are as many doubters as there are positive views on this issue from Conservative Party members - and as one I remain cautiously optimistic. But as someone who was always a big fan of the great Benjamin Disraeli, who also split the Conservative Party - and jealous of more revolutionary conservative/liberal political times, I see this as one tremendous opportunity. And so here we are!

For more - Here are some great links, with varying opinions, on what the Telegraph coined "a very British Revolution":

Daniel Hannan

Mark Liittlewood

Lord Tebbit

:)