We're told there is to be a Lib-Dem in every Government department. On the perhaps outdated Wikipedia entry I count 24 government departments - let's be generous and say this new Ant and Dec led govt is going to slash that back to 21. Every minister has a Parliamentary Private Secretary(PPS): a gloried bag carrier who nonetheless counts as part of the payroll vote.
So that's 42 Lib-Dems locked into voting for all government measures, leaving a rather sparsely populated Lib Dem backbench numbering only 15 MPs. Not a huge talent pool from which to replace the inevitable failures in government/ personal crack ups/disaffected individuals/discredited sleaze merchants who will inevitably emerge.
So, in time, it is likely that the government will take on an increasingly straightforwardly 'Tory' character. There's going to be a 'blue creep'. But that's going to take a little while: we've all got to live through this ghastly 'glad, confident morning' first.
Love the Steve Bell, he's really nailed this slightly dozy look on Clegg's face.
ReplyDeleteThe first serious internal tension appears to be between Cable and Osborne on who gets to decide how to reform the banks. Osborne & the City interest appear to have won the first round on that.
It's the issue I'll watching the closest and I expect will cause the most trouble. If the LibDem influence succeeds in giving the Tories the backbone to seriously reform the banks & City then no-one will be more impressed than me. But I can't believe it possible.