New PM

We have a new PM in the UK, David Cameron. It looks like a Con/Lib coalition government will shortly be announced. As a Lib Dem voter, pre-election, I'd have found this prospect horrifying but somehow, at this point, it seems right.

A Lib/Lab coalition would have been a doomed exercise I feel. Although I would argue that such a coalition would have had some claim of "legitimacy"(representing 52% of the vote) in reality it would have been ungainly and likely to collapse. Had this happened the damage to the "centre-left" support would have been catastrophic, rejigging politics in the UK to the "right" for a generation.

If this coalition works the Lib Dems should hopefully hold this new government towards the centre ground. Manage this feat and the Lib Dems, in proving the benefits of pluralist coalition government, may just do the cause of PR reform some good despite not securing a commitment to electoral reform.

Then of course it may all turn to custard. That'll be the end of the Lib Dems.

UK Election

Well we've had the Leaders debates, now just the last few days of campaigning and then the vote next Thursday. The press, even the Guardian for goodness sake, seem to be starting to call it Cameron's way.

We really must rally the "keep the Tories out" vote. On current percentages of support the majority of this country (Labour+Lib Dem supporters) is still very much "centre-left". The Tories will almost certainly gain a marginally higher percentage than each of the other parties, but that will hardly be a mandate to unleash what is likely to be a policy programme resembling THATCHERISM ON STEROIDS.

Lib/Lab centre-left coalition, representing a majority of the British people, must be the best outcome that can be hoped for. With the Lib's unexpected strong showing in the polls "centre-left" progressives potentially have a unique opportunity here. With The current flawed FPTP system a political party can normally only re-invent itself while in Opposition. A Lib/Lab coalition will bring political re-invention without passing power to the Right. It should also bring much needed electoral reform which will make it difficult for a minority party of the Right(Tories) to ever govern again as what Lord Hailsham referred to as an "elected dictatorship".

Labour deserve to be punished for Iraq, the erosion of civil liberties, their role in the credit crunch, and their pathetic inability to replace an utterly lame PM, Brown. Alas punishing them too much will only lead to us all being punished with 5 years under Tory rule. A tactical Liberal/Labour "keep the Tories out" vote can give Labour a "black eye" without passing power to Cameron. It's unlikely under the current voting system that the Libs will garner more seats than Labour, but with a larger share of the popular vote they'll certainly be wearing the trousers of "LEGITIMACY" in any coalition.