Dear Nick Clegg,
Today is voting day and I wanted to let you know what happened on May 6th 2010. You may remember the day as there was a real buzz around the country. People were generally disaffected with politics and longing for change. We had moved into a modern era of politics where image was the puppet king and Alastair Campbell had been pulling the strings. We yearned for a political arena that actually stood for something. We yearned for a politics that stood for people. This was our Bastille and we were storming it with our democratic right to vote. This was our opportunity to get the politics we deserved.
We awoke to the news that there was no result. Well there was a result but it was that no one was in charge. Suddenly you as the leader of the Liberal Democrats were a big player. You had the power to pick one of three options:
- To keep the current regime in place by forming a coalition with the centre right New Labour Party. You could have joined with Gordon Brown and helped a party who had lost the heart of what they stand for limp on for another term.
- You could have stuck to your principles as the Liberal Democrats and been the voice of those of us who long for a fairer society. You may have found yourselves in a place where you could have had real power in British politics. You could have had power in your own right and chosen which party to support on any given issue. It may have resulted in another election but you know what, maybe more people would have voted for the Liberal Democrats the second time around because they had…. principles.
- Or there was of course another option: random option three. You could have jumped in bed with the Conservatives. You could have handed power to the party who people like me, your core support, would least like to see in charge. You could have elevated to power the party who stand for the polar opposite of what I voted for on that day. But then how likely would that be?!
Well Nick, in one fell swoop, you handed away my vote for “the politics we deserve” to someone else. If it was closer to Christmas this paragraph would probably be filled with WHAM lyrics. In one fell swoop you managed to turn my political engagement on its head. I used to know what I stood for, now I merely know what I stand against. I still stand for those things. I just don’t think there is a political party who share those views any more.
I voted tonight. In fact I voted twice in both of the elections in our area. I voted tonight because ten years ago a man with a number tattooed on his arm told me how he ended up in a concentration camp. Not the guards taking him away but the rise of the far right in a time of financial difficulty and the vote that eventually led to the death of his family. But I stare at a ballot paper not knowing where to put my X. My faith in politics has gone. I have been consigned to voting against the far right instead of voting for what is right.
You did that Nick. Just thought you should know.
Yours sincerely
Revd Robb Sutherland
Vicar of Mixenden and Illingworth
I’m sure Robb Sutherland writes for many old Liberals like me who have to pinch our noses to deflect the stench coming from the Tory part of the coalition. It is distasteful that our party leaders rushed headlong into an unequal partnership with people who’s values we detest.
Nick did tell me about 15 months after the 2010 election that with hindsight he would not have been bounced into the coalition so quickly. His, and the party at Westminster, lack of experience in government showed. The sad fact is that there are many Liberals with years of experience of working in partnership between their councils and the communities they serve, but the Westminster few ignored us and in so doing the principles we have tried to deliver at local level to create a fairer society went out of the window.
Well I’m a LibDem member and supporting 3 local councillors who are doing a brilliant job. They are supporting my churches in making the world a better place. We are achieving things in the real world. The coalition have played a difficult hand well, and we have come through the crisis with a lot less trouble than countries like Spain where there has been a lot more suffering for ordinary people than here.
Glad it’s working out for you. Still can’t see it beyond the microcosm of local government. But that’s not really what I was talking about was it Brunel?
Reverend Robb Sutherland is entitled to his opinion, and I’m not going to comment on wether I agree with it or not as I have other issues, the reverend is in a similar position to nick Clegg, he has power in the Christian/roman catholic whatever domination it is these days to teach and lead people to learn about god and the bible etc etc. But actually, the reverend has completely gone against gods will and bible teachings by actually voting in the elections. The bible quite clearly says that god views his people as ‘no part of the world’ and that gods people should only vote for gods kingdom, no earthly rule will ever bring peace, only gods kingdom can bring that. God says he will transform the earth into paradise like conditions, heal the sick,raise the dead. Bring peace at his appointed time. So why is the reverend getting involved in politics when he promotes that god is the only answer to mankind’s problems?
Before you judge POOR OLD nick cleck, whick one you voting for reverend? You say you’ve lost your faith in politics? Surely your faith is in god? Maybe some soul searching is needed ? You can’t promote both mate.
I had to approve this comment. I’ve haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. Thank you.
Not sure I agree here Robb.
By entering into any partnership, the minority member must be able to add something to improve the mix.
Labour can’t budget, the Tories don’t care for the poor.
Which would do more actual good, offering an ex-chancellor a calculator or sidling up to Cpt Mainwaring and saying “do you think that’s wiiiiiiiiiise sir?”
Better to make a spoiling aunt close her purse or steady the hand of a bully?
That is my exact point. By entering into this partnership they are doing none of the above. By staying independent they could have been the decider in all decisions. Now they are just propping up the conservatives as the conservatives make their ideological decisions. They have no power. They are just giving cameron power.
By sticking to their principles they could have been a genuine critique of both and the casting vote in everything. Sadly they have sold us all out to our worst nightmare.
Option 2 – the hung parliament- is a very dodgy position,
It could be overturned at a snap election and you would lose all power.
By being in a coalition you put a serious obstacle in the way of the more rampant free-market ideas and the LD MPs would still vote to their conscience.
I may be missing something about the intricacies of hung parliaments – but the coalition seems to be offering a chance to make the influence heard from within.
Well said Rob. Sometimes I’m glad I moved to Germany: I’m not sure who or what I’d vote for if I lived in the UK. As you say, anything that stops the right wing idiots is probably a good bet.
We have coalitions here in Germany practically all the time: it ic almost impossible to get a majority for one party. This means our government is generally better balanced so that the worse excesses of the parties are balanced out.
Coming to the UK in Summer so it will be interesting to see what it is like now. Timbo has offered to take me to a Rock Mass at some point, maybe we’ll meet up there…
Sadly it doesn’t feel like a partnership as one party is too small.