From Bournemouth
Vince Cable’s “mansion tax” went down well with the left of the party yesterday. But there’s palpable anger among some delegates at the way the policy was bounced on the conference and on some leading Lib Dems.
It emerged this morning that Julia Goldsworthy, the party’s communities and local government spokesperson, who is responsible for local taxation policy, had not been informed of the policy change.
Many now feel that the confusion over the property tax — is it temporary or permanent? Will properties be revalued? — could have been avoided through a more open discussion prior to the conference.
The Liberal Democrats pride themselves on their image as the most democratic and open of the main parties, but activists increasingly fear that, like Labour and the Tories earlier, ever more power is being transferred to the leader’s office.
I’m off to watch Vince Cable and Charles Clarke in action on the fringe now. Clarke is the only Labour figure I’ve seen in Bournemouth and he’s always been open to discussion with Nick Clegg’s party. But as the Lib Dems turn their guns on the Tories, where does he now stand on a possible coalition? We should find out.
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