Alliances

The Sunday Times carries the suggestion that a Labour and Lib Dem alliance might emerge if certain obscure augurs are to be believed. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis – who is not overtly part of the current dump-Brown brigade - is reported as sucking up to Nick Clegg big-time whilst claiming that there is “no ideological divide” between new Labour and the Lib Dems.

Tempting as it is to compare this engaging fantasy with Hitler’s urgent exhortations from his bunker in 1945 to regiments long since lost in Russian snows, it takes Jenni Russell, guesting in the same edition, to spell out the incompatibility between Labour in government and anyone else – including the New Labour regime that took office in 1997 when things actually did briefly get better.

Regardless of hints and approaches from ex-compatriots, everyone knows that Clegg will give the nod to a slender majority tory government – although he is astute enough to avoid making any commitments just now that would simply bolster the 20% barrier that he must break if he is to retain his own party’s leadership. Similarly, he must be aware that he will be face constant challenges from press, political opponents and his own members in the run-up to the election as to which of the coded tory spending decisions he is prepared to back – Ken Clarke notwithstanding.

Brown seems to be settling into the role of election underdog, according to the Sunday Telegraph, but even though it is David Cameron who once reputedly described the Lib Dems as the Yorkshire Terriers of politics who “yap loudly and only occasionally nip your ankles”, both will no doubt be going out of their way to give Clegg a pat on the head – that is, until the real fight starts.
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(PLR)