Holding the Country to Ransom?

Whilst I understand the Prime Minister's decision to resign as Leader of the Labour Party and the desire of his party to hold onto the reins of government by forming a coalition with the Lib Dems, I am very concerned, anxious even, with this evening's statement by Mr Clegg that whilst he is very appreciative and grateful for the constructive talks with David Cameron and the Conservatives over the past 4 days, he is nevertheless now ready to enter into similar discussion with the Labour Party.

It smacks of a policitian enjoying immensely his new found power as 'king maker'.

It would be easier to take if the Lib Dems had demonstrated confidence in the National mood by securing more seats than they had this time last week.

Ironically, they lost more seats than they gained and ended up with less seats overall than they had this time last week.

And yet this party now seeks to play as if it has a huge influence in the national mood, an enormous vote of confidence by the British People. It did not. When it came to making informed judgments, the public pronounced clearly and uniquivocally that they were not prepared yet to support the Lib Dems' approach to Politics.

For the last 4 days I have been quietly confident that there was the possibility of good government coming out of this.

This evening I am not so sure.

The party that won the most votes is being denied the right to govern despite the overwhelming majority of the public stating otherwise.

We have the rediculous spectacle of a defeated government now having the affront to presume that it can act in the national interest by securing power by means of a coalition with the Lib Dems and other minority parties.

If that happens I suspect it will be shortlived and I suspect too that the British People, angered at being dragged back to the polling booths, will pronounce once and for all on the subject - a full blown return to a two party system and the rout of the Lib Dems and all the other minority parties that seek only to cause upset and disunity.

I have been heartened by Lord Steele over the weekend. I have been saddened and indeed angered by the deliberate attempts at sabotage by Mr Salmond north of the border.

I have long been an admirer of Nick Clegg. But my admiration over the last 4 years is being put to the test this evening.

I do not like what I see happening. I do not like seeing political parties riding roughshod over the will of the British People.

Kenneth T Webb
The Editor
Liverpool CityLife

10 May 2010