Dirty Bricks

National Unity?

The last time that there was a Liberal in Government was during the Second World War, when token ‘Liberal National’ candidates were stuffed into posts to make the whole thing seem representative. The last time that the Liberals really had power was 1922, when the Conservatives pulled out of a coalition government that had been keeping the Liberals, led by Lloyd George, in power since the end of the First World War. The thorny issue that ended power-sharing was a familiar enough complaint: allegations that honours were being sold off. Contemplating the new Coalition, I can’t help wondering what the issue will be that will start the unravelling process.

This morning we woke up to news that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Lib. Dem. David Laws, has been outed by The Daily Telegraph. Ostensibly, the article is about an expenses scandal, but really it is an opportunity to discuss the sexuality of the minister in charge of tightening the national belt. The timing is impeccable: cuts announced during the week, first rock chucked at the beginning of the weekend.

Some mettle is about to be tested. The Government is being pressured into sacking Laws, because, the argument goes, he will be seen as a hypocrite for stopping other people spending money that he has been caught misappropriating. It will seem to a lot of Liberal Democrats that the Telegraph is really attacking homosexuality: do you really want a gay man telling you what to do with your money? This will enrage every Lib. Dem. supporter in the country. It had better enrage David Cameron, if he wants to keep his partners.

But sooner or later a Minister is going to make a real mistake, an actual error in their job and will need to be fired. All sorts of problems begin. Does a Liberal replace a Liberal, or is this about appointing the best person for the job? There are three times as many Conservative MPs to choose from, and soon the new MPs are going to want jobs in Government. How patiently will they wait?

Hopefully Laws will survive and we can all rest easily in our beds, knowing that the person over-seeing the deficit has a double-first in Economics from King’s College, Cambridge. The alternative, Laws being forced from office by a right-wing newspaper, would reaffirm every worry that Lib. Dems. have about the deal they’ve made.

Could be an interesting weekend.