From my office, high on the thirteenth floor of Euston Tower, one can see the Palace of Westminster clearly. Today, my view is enhanced by the sight of two helicopters flying over the area, seemingly waiting for someone to emerge from an office somewhere, get into a car, and sign a deal between two political parties. And whilst it looks increasingly likely that this will happen, it is clear that it isn’t actually nailed down until the Federal Executive and the Parliamentary Party in the Commons says so.
It’s been a tough few days, though, as the negotiations have progressed, stalled, reopened and then progressed again. Nerves have been shredded as all parties reach the conclusion that they don’t want to be the ones responsible for any failure, yet don’t want to be seen to be condemning their party to the wilderness. Yes, there have been debates in the past, but this is the big one, the decision that may decide the future of the nation. No guillotine, no rules, no ‘negotiating for dummies’, just a game of high-stakes poker. Let nobody pretend that this will have been easy.
For what it’s worth, I’ve always taken the view that politics is about taking decisions, about making your community the best place it can be. The more people you can find to agree, the more likely you are to achieve the desired changes. And sometimes, that involves working with other people, people who don’t entirely share your world view. The only question is, do you have enough in common, are you both willing to compromise sufficiently, to achieve your goal(s)?
If indeed a deal has been concluded, subject to approval, I can only hope that it offers enough Liberal Democrat policy to make the sacrifice of our individuality worthwhile. If it does, I will be supporting it.
We probably don’t have long to wait, one way or the other…
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