Don't start writing those election manifestos just yet
8th Jul 2010
"In recent weeks, political commentators have gone from praising the cleverness of the Lib Dems for getting so much from the coalition arrangement to deriding them as hapless poodles to a right-wing government. This opinion doesn't seem to be shared by Lib Dem MPs or party members.
Last week, the great VAT rebellion in parliament turned out to be a damp squib and this week a new poll found that 84% of Lib Dem members support the coalition. Right now, it is the parliamentary party and local activists that the leadership needs to worry about. Clearly both groups feel that 100 years out of power is quite enough and they are willing to be politically flexible to deliver part of their agenda.
Many public affairs professionals have been pessimistic about the longevity of the coalition and have advised clients to prepare for a snap election in within 18 months. Recent events seem to suggest that it will last a lot longer than we think."