Dave Raval

A large number of Liberal Democrat policies were announced in the Queen’s Speech on May 25th: fair taxes, a fair start for children, a green and sustainable economy, and a clean up of politics - the priorities we campaigned on in Hackney.  Some of the Lib Dem policies in the new Government programme are:

·      Making tax and benefits fairer and simpler, including an increase in the personal allowance

·      Restoring the earnings link to pensions

·      Greater freedoms for teachers over the curriculum

·      Measures to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses

·      Support for low carbon energy production

·      Financial services regulation to learn the lessons of the financial crisis

·      Fixed term parliaments of five years

·      A referendum on a fairer voting system

·      The right to sack MPs guilty of serious misconduct

·      Reform of party funding

·      Moving towards a wholly or partly elected House of Lords

·      A Bill to restore freedoms and civil liberties, through the abolition of Identity Cards and repeal of unnecessary laws

·      Giving greater powers to councils and giving neighbourhoods and communities more control over planning and housing decisions

·      Ending child detention

·      Enabling the creation of a national high speed rail network

·      The modernisation of the Royal Mail

·      Flexible working and promotion of equal pay

·      Strengthening the voices of patients and the role of doctors in the NHS

·      A commission on long-term reform of social care

·      Cutting Quangos and government bureaucracy

Last week, the Labour party had a manifesto. One where they claimed to be helping working people, and to make Britain fairer. This week, the Lib Dems discussed with both the other main parties to see which one was going to deliver the most Lib Dem policies, as 5 million British people voted for.

Today, the Labour party effectively pulled out of the negotiations. Throughout the afternoon a succession of Labour figures ruled out any prospect of a Lib-Lab coalition deal. This morning senior Labour grandees like John Reid, David Blunkett and Tom Harris dismissed the idea – this afternoon they were joined by serving ministers such as Andy Burnham, Jack Straw, Liam Byrne, Sadiq Khan, Diana Johnson and Peter Ainsworth. With the possibility of a stable Lib-Lab coalition utterly dependent on unity within Labour ranks, it became clear Labour just wasn’t prepared to do a deal. So the Lib Dems are left with the choice of doing a deal with the Tories, and getting some of our policies to help poorer people and deliver a fairer voting system … or not doing a deal and letting the Tories govern on their own.

Frankly, I’m disgusted with Labour for running away like this. One week they pretend to want to help poorer people, particularly during our financial crisis right now. Then the next week, they decide not to bother. Whether this is to put their own party self-interest ahead of the people they claim to represent, or simply because they are too disorganised and broken with internal in-fighting, or because some of them are concerned about the leadership election and have their eyes on a few years ahead - I don’t know. Probably all three. Either way, our Labour MPs are being hypocrites: they had the chance to get some of their manifesto delivered in a ‘rainbow’ coalition, but they turned their back on the people of Hackney and Britain. As I write now, it seems that the Lib Dems have no choice but to work with the Tories.