The Staggers

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Why the Lib Dems should not threaten to block the boundary changes

It only encourages Tory and Labour MPs to rebel against Lords reform.

By George Eaton Published 11 July 2012 9:16

Nick Clegg sits in the royal box at Wimbledon.

Nick Clegg sits in the royal box during the men's singles final at Wimbledon. Photograph: Getty Images.

Last week, Simon Hughes said that Nick Clegg's outgoing director of strategy, Richard Reeves, was wrong to warn that the Lib Dems could block the boundary changes if the Tories failed to support House of Lords reform. But on the Today programme this morning, the Lib Dem deputy leader made the connection himself. He told John Humphrys:

We're clear you can’t have a deal broken by one side without consequences, there would be consequences if they broke it ... The one thing that is obvious that the Tories desperately want is the Boundary Commission proposals to go through.

The Lib Dems' anger is not unreasonable. One reason that so many (91) Tory MPs rebelled last night is that they were unsure where David Cameron actually stood on the issue. The Prime Minister, in common with William Hague, the man charged with talking the rebels round, has rarely appeared convinced of the need for reform. To many Tory MPs, this lack of conviction was an invitation to rebellion.

But there are two good reasons why Hughes and others should avoid linking Lords reform to the boundary changes. The first is that it is seen as an act of bad faith by Tory MPs. It was the AV referendum that was the quid pro quo for the changes, not Lords reform. The second is that it encourages Labour MPs to rebel in the hope that the boundary reforms, which will disadvantage their party more than any other, could yet be derailed.

If the Lib Dems want to secure Lords reform, as all democrats should, the best thing they can do is to continue to make the principled case for an elected second chamber better able to constrain an overmighty executive.

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Tags: House of Lords reform Boundary Changes Liberal Democrats

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9 comments

Wed, 2012-07-18 14:07 — Goji (not verified)

Nice article..... interesting.
Goji Goji fructe goji

Thu, 2012-07-12 12:07 — the cleptoid (not verified)

"ill try one last time..." squeaks cameron through a press release. the lib dems are so thick and stupid, they have either been paid off in the background or they are being suckered so easy by the nasty party.

Thu, 2012-07-12 11:14 — TDoc (not verified)

Tit for tat politics is not the way to go. This is a coalition and agreements on policy should have already been discussed and reached between the two parties in advance of the commons votes. If half of the Conservative party didn't agree with them, then the terms should have been re-negotiated before bringing the vote to the commons. Perhaps they could have left more seats in the lords for example. Airing dirty laundry in public helps no one. Clegg and Cameron need to sit down and work there differences out in private. Clegg should know better than to make public threats about border policies which only weaken the coalition of which he is part of (that's called shooting yourself in the foot.) and Cameron should have made sure he had the support of his own party before going for the vote. Come on, grow up boys!

Wed, 2012-07-11 21:23 — niuqqa

http://dv.gd/oej

Wed, 2012-07-11 19:34 — martybee (not verified)

"If the Lib Dems want to secure Lords reform, as all democrats should, the best thing they can do is to continue to make the principled case for an elected second chamber better able to constrain an overmighty executive."

And to achieve this by winning over Labour to their cause by supporting the boundary changes that will dis-advantage Labour ..Hold on!!!!!!

Wed, 2012-07-11 11:56 — Terrymachen (not verified)

Thy should have detained Clegg after he set fire to a wooden hut, when a eco-warrior, he would not be there now to ruin democracy.

Remember Jo Grimmond and decency?

Wed, 2012-07-11 10:21 — Will Slater (not verified)

So they should block Boundary Changes, Lords Reform is pig swill, especially this Bill.

I do not want an American type Senate that can block the Commons and then we have deadlock! At the moment, as I understand it, the Government can still force through legislation anyway. With this... Would they be able too?

How crippling would this be? It does not work with our Democracy

And at the moment they are far more accountable than 15 year, one term, Senators!

Wed, 2012-07-11 09:37 — kenelmist (not verified)

... rocketing student fees (I meant to say)

Wed, 2012-07-11 09:34 — kenelmist (not verified)

The LibDems give democracy a bad name. Vote LibDem, and you get a Tory goverment. Vote LibDem to avoid rocketing and get the opposite. If you had voted in Clegg for 15 years, you would have discovered his fraud within weeks. After that, for the lest of the 15 years, he would do absolutely anything he wants.