Coalition Politics - June 2010

This is my first column since the election so I should like to thank readers for their continued support.  I will endeavour to serve all the voters of the parliamentary division irrespective of how they may have voted.  It was an excellent campaign and the candidates got to know each other quite well after six hustings together, including two in Ringwood and one in Fordingbridge.  Mike Plummer, the Liberal Democrat candidate, did observe rather presciently during one of the Ringwood meetings, that as all the candidates had some good ideas wouldn’t it be better if the parties could work together.

Let me be absolutely clear - I would have much preferred to be serving in a Conservative Government with a clear majority to implement the election pledges that I made.  Unfortunately, the voters chose differently.  Having failed to secure a majority, it was absolutely right in my estimation to come together with the Liberal Democrats.  Although I may disagree with their policy profoundly in certain respects – especially their approach to the European Union – we are agreed on the key economic issue urgently facing our country.  All other party differences needed to be set aside in order to give our nation the stable government it needs to tackle the disastrous deficit that has been built up year on year as we have continued to spend money that the taxpayer simply doesn’t have.  It was on this basis that the coalition was formed.

Of course this does mean that we can’t proceed with some of the things that we promised.  I was looking forward to swift repeal of the Human Rights Act and doing away with all the nonsense that it has spawned.  Equally, I wanted early redemption of our pledge to reform inheritance tax.  Neither of these appears to be on the agenda for the foreseeable future.  I have already had letters condemning this betrayal to which I have replied that the voters simply didn’t give us the majority necessary to redeem these pledges and that we will have to try harder next time.  For the most part, however, my correspondents seem to agree with Mike Plummer and are enthusiastic about the coalition.  I hope this will last.  Popular support will be vital in tackling the profound economic problems that we now face. As the Prime Minister said, “we are all in this together”.