The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Influential Lib Dem calls for closer links with Labour

Tuition fees betrayal should make grass-roots members “sit up and think”, says former policy director.

By Daniel Trilling Published 12 December 2010 21:19

In today's Observer, Richard Grayson, a former Liberal Democrat director of policy, reveals the deep anger among the party's grass roots over the coalition's higher education reforms. He argues that it points to a split between the party's centre right, which now dominates the Lib Dem leadership, and the centre left:

Those on the right generally favour privatised and marketised policies. On the left, we really do take the view that we are all in it together. We seek democratic and localised policies and yes, we do generally favour higher spending and more redistribution.

Grayson asserts that most Lib Dems have "more in common with members of the Labour Party and the Greens than we do with our own leadership". He also singles out Ed Miliband for praise in particular, arguing that his support for AV and his stated commitment to pluralism suggest he is a Labour leader who shares many Lib Dem "values".

He suggests that Lib Dem members, including MPs, should begin to work with Labour on areas of policy and even draw up joint amendments to legislation.

The intervention comes as a new poll commissioned by the Conservative deputy chairman Michael Ashcroft suggests that up to half of Lib Dem voters could desert the party at the next general election.

Special Offer: Get 12 issues of New Statesman magazine for just £12

Tags: Coalition Liberal Democrats Electoral Reform

More from Daniel Trilling

16 comments

Mon, 2010-12-13 11:59 — zzllaq

welcome come to our ( http://madejerseys.org/ )
website:
everybody!sorry bother your time a min,we are serious and professional
jersey supplier,we can offer NFL,NHL,MLB,NBA jerser,the NFL jersey 18usd each,
the NHL jersey 38USD each.MLB jersey 18usd each,
NAB jersey 18usd each.we have many jerseys of other players,
so please contact us for more information if you are interested in .
1) More pictures available on our website (http://madejerseys.org/ )
2) Many colors available .
3) Perfect quality, small order accepted .
4) 100% safe door to door delivery, within 5 - 7 days air express for small orders .
5) We have lots of jerseys in stock
6) Letters and number are sewn on b2cshop body, 100% embroidery
7) Size: .48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 60
8) Delivery by UPS, DHL, EMS door to door
9) Delivery in 5 - 7 days NFL,NBA,MLB all are 18usd!!!! The jerseys in stock may be updated everyday !
come on,join us! ( http://madejerseys.org/ )

Mon, 2010-12-13 12:09 — shoestrade52

========= http://www.1shopping.us/ =========

Best regards for you all,

Looking forward to your visiting.

========= http://www.1shopping.us/ =========

Best regards for you all,

Looking forward to your visiting.

========= http://www.1shopping.us/ =========

Mon, 2010-12-13 12:13 — Mulligrubs (not verified)

Any political party that goes into peacetime coalition with the Tories should know that they need a very long spoon indeed - particularly when cooking up coalition policies. Labour were almost destroyed by their dancing, cheek to cheek, with the blue devils in the notorious National Government. Those who do not learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them. That's something the Lib Dems are finding to their cost- now it is too late to extricate themselves from their inevitable and willingly self -inflicted fate. Tories are toxic - and poison any who get into bed with them. That's what history teaches clearly - the LIb Dems will be associated with this Tory shredding machine mis-government - for years to come. There is no redemption for them, so don't think of letting 'disaffected', (or disinfected) Lib Dems contaminate future Labour policy with weakness and failure. The country won't order that indigestible 'potage of volte face moderation' from the political menu again, you may be sure of that.

Sun, 2010-12-12 21:34 — Dave C (not verified)

I don't think the Lib-Dem left will be able to salvage their kind of party from the wreckage that Clegg will bequeath them.

Better that they defect to Labour (or Greens) now and build a party more to their liking.

Sun, 2010-12-12 22:21 — swatantra nandanwar

Agree. 'Why a closer link'? Why not just join Labour.
Alternatively, the Lib Dems could split back into Liberals and Social Democrats, with the Liberals having a more of an affinity with Labour and the Social Democrats a greater affinity with the Tories.
A Green vote is just a wasted vote.

Sun, 2010-12-12 22:45 — Nick9

Liberals who defect from the wreckage which Clegg has caused, will stand a chance of regaining some credibility. I disagree that Labour can afford to ignore the greens and other fringe parties. They've all got things to say and they did well down in Brighton I recall. Labour need as many votes as they can get, I would not be at all surprised to see a few Tories jump ship and so long as they speak the right values, that's fine.

In no way do I think Labour should resign themselves to the next GE being in 2015, the Country want one a lot sooner.

Mon, 2010-12-13 00:49 — grinningjohnson (not verified)

I agree with Nick (no no that one, the Nick who just left a comment).
Labour should get through this "policy forum" malarkey quickly (although it's important they are pragmatic about it) and prepare for a GE by next year, as bookmakers have the odds of an election next year at 4 to 1. I also sense that the only way to get the twitchy Lib Dems to rebel is to split again into the SDP and leave Clegg, Alexander and Laws in a party of three "Liberals".

Mon, 2010-12-13 00:55 — yuccaplant (not verified)

If anything it became clear the other day labour cant work with those who voted for this legislation the libdems in name all but fell apart neatly down the middle-ish i cant see,for the "big men" saying all is a fine and dandy within their party any way back for them in its present form.

Nick i honestly think this government will cling tightly to what power it has i just dont see a GE before '15 to be honest.

Mon, 2010-12-13 03:00 — Nick (not verified)

Decent social Liberals, sick of the right wing assault on the welfare state created in part by good Liberals are very welcome in the Green Party!

Mon, 2010-12-13 04:56 — lcal

========= http://clothesmall.org =========

Best regards for you all,

Looking forward to your visiting.

========= http://clothesmall.org =========

Mon, 2010-12-13 05:34 — Sam (not verified)

The Lib Dems are doing good stuff. It's only really the liberal socialists and social democrats in the party who have a problem, and that's not surprising given that we have a massive deficit and their natural mindset is tax and spend.

I know very few people in the Lib Dems who can stomach Ed Milibands authoritarianism. It doesn't escape the average Lib Dem that Ed Miliband voted in favour of locking up Muslims for 90 days without charge.

Being in coalition with the Tories may be tough for some Lib Dems, but what would it be like if Labour decided that one minority or another wasn't worth having fundamental human rights if the Lib Dems were in coalition with them.

I say to the disgruntled Lib Dems - be careful what you wish for.

Mon, 2010-12-13 06:42 — Loftustiger

the rats are deserting the sinking ship of state, look for this to bring down the coalition !

Mon, 2010-12-13 07:42 — ellieban (not verified)

Oh come off it. The poll was conducted by Lord Ashcroft and you credit with enough validity to mention it here, even as a throw away final paragraph? Let's wait and see what else happens between now and the next election shall we?

Mon, 2010-12-13 08:17 — Stuart Eels (not verified)

Why would the Liberal Democrats want to jump out of bed from one bunch of shysters to jump into bed with another bunch of shysters?

The Westminster Village is excelling itself, Ed Miliband will change nothing when he gets in in 2015, just find new and interesting ways to tax us to the grave as usual!

We need new radicals to form new parties that will take them on, time for a mass march in London organised by the New Statesman Columnists.

Mon, 2010-12-13 10:30 — Clem the Gem

There is room enough for the LDs to operate as a separate party, and I believe that we can woprk together on a number of issues.
However, we are the opposition, and they are the Government, so "closer co-operation" is a little difficult...
http://clemthegem.wordpress.com

Mon, 2010-12-13 10:37 — swatantra nandanwar

We need new statesmen and women, not new Parties, to lead Britain into a better fairer future for all. The present lot whichever way you look, are a shambles and discredited and soiled. Trust has gone out of the window.