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Lib Dem members favour future Labour deal over pact with Tories – are we ready for a Lab/Lib coalition?

August 14, 2012 10:40 am

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A poll by Lib Dem Voice has found that Lib Dem members favour a post 2015 deal with Labour to one with the Tories by 48% to 19% in the event of a hung parliament. The full poll and the breakdown of the votes can be found here.

So the Lib Dems would be keen to be in coalition with Labour? That’s not hugely surprising. The Lib Dems can read the polls as well as you or I can, they’re not getting a great deal from the Tories, and much of the membership is to the left of where Clegg and his cronies in government  are.

However the party which needs persuading in 2015 won’t be the Lib Dems – it will be Labour. A huge proportion of the Labour Party is angry with the Lib Dems, either because they disliked them in the first place and the coalition has confirmed their views, or because they thought better of them and their “partnership” with the Tories has let them down.

I can understand both points of view, having fought against some fairly unpleasant Lib Dem campaigns but also having worked with Lib Dems who I liked and trusted in the past. There’s no way I could ever trust Nick Clegg – or the vast majority of the Lib Dem parliamentary party. But in just 3 years we might be forced too.

Although we all hope for a majority Labour government – and the probable end of boundary changes makes that more likely – we need to think seriously about how a Lab/Lib coalition might work, so that if negotiations start in 2015, we’re better prepared this time. Because as any (sensible) Tory will tell you – being in power in a coalition is better than being in opposition, even if some on the Tory Right seem to (bizarrely) think the opposite…

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  • externalities

    I think both sides should wait and see each other’s manifestoes. It’s the policies that are important rather than political point-scoring.

    But I find it difficult to imagine that a LibLab coalition would be evil. It would certainly be better than minority government.

  • http://twitter.com/benfolley Ben Folley

    We

    • treborc

      Does nobody think that perhaps the Liberals have had enough of coalitions, going into another coalition could see them seriously damaged.

      In Wales  when the Liberals went into coalition with Welsh labour, they decided not to do so again, Plaid took their place and now they have stated never again.

      I suspect the Liberals will want and need breathing space to rebuild as a party, because going into coalition again with anyone may see them disappear as a party.

  • Brumanuensis

    I agree with what Ben Folley has written, but I’m open to coalition. On condition that neither Clegg, Alexander nor Laws are leader.

    • Billsilver

      They wouldn’t know leadership if it bit them on the bottom.

  • http://twitter.com/1957AJB Andy Birss

    Surely there will be not enough LibDem members of parliament to fill a phone-box after the next election? 

    • Brumanuensis

      We may need to make a call…

      • http://twitter.com/1957AJB Andy Birss

         I’m sure Vince Cable will make room for us.

        • Billsilver

          Plenty of room left in the phone-box then?

  • Billsilver

    Truly “my enemy’s enemy is my friend”.
    Those LibDems are power-seeking and unprincipled and devoid of a single principle worthy of mention UNLESS it involves greasing their way into being Ed’s next ‘best frahnds’.

  • Pingback: Hell should freeze over first… | Councillor Bob Piper

  • Robertcp

    As you say Mark, Labour might be forced to discuss a coalition or support for a Labour minority government with the Lib Dems after 2015.  After 1997-2010, I am not entirely sure if I want Labour to get a big majority.  A small majority or just short of a majority might be the ideal outcome.  This should stop a Labour government doing anything stupid or insane. 

  • LesThompson

    To day i an going to stat my opinion and as a avid supporter of Labour and a member of the party L1188138clp it may grate on some of you it’s not that i do not like the libdem  hell before i new better i voted for them on two Ascension’s  no  it’s not  party political  no it’s more preferred than that  remember when Clegg relied that he was going to be the king maker he said that he in prince-bell would vote with the big-ist vote  well it heralded in the debar-cal of coalescence  but what clegg forgot in is Popocatepetl. was the fundamentalism right of the invaluable  the Minatory got to call the shots over the many  not that as not been so time and time before  that is the norm thees day ‘s but in forming a government bast on the many “vote”  he for got the mandate a prince-ball laid down to stop the executive promising one thing and then doing something completely different in power ,.yes it seems one of the corner stones of the parliamentary safeguards was thrown out of the window and replaced with a contract  of witch we the people have and had no say  on  so what is my pint i hear you ask  well it’s this before entering in to a libdem pact or a coltish-on in as a citizen would like to see some grand rules set down  by the next fully elected government  it will not sup-pries you that one of the changes will be that any collision will need to put there policy to the people for there mandate to be sort  allowing the opposition to put there counter argument if they have one   this would prevent such thing as the U tern on the NHS  top down re’organisational having said it was not to happen and  the cleg promise will have been met or not  but the mandate will have been sort and got or not got which ever was the case  this with great respect should be one of labour’s Roles in the next parliament  as it is we have a lame government that seems to be ran by meanderings  and bureaucrat’s  not a good place to be .well i hope before any such party alignments of the future it is time we got the rules sorted out …les  

  • http://twitter.com/cabalamat Philip Hunt

    It would make sense for Labour to consider talking to the Lib Dems before the next election. A deal where the Lib Dems give Labour confidence and supply in return for an elected Lords would benefit both parties.

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