Owner: Don't trip up URL:http://donttripup.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 01 May 2007 18:26:00 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Analysis of British politics and current affairs. Written from a liberal, social democratic, position. Site statistics:Click here
Can Brown read maps? 2007-05-01 18:24:00 Peter Riddell, like most, wrote today about the next step in British politics. Blair is set to announce the date of his departure next week, and the opponents to Brown
look set to be the leftists McDonnell and Meacher whose chances of election a reminiscent of 1983. All eyes are, therefore, on Gordon Brown and the future of the Labour Party. Considering the latest polls, there is a lot of work to be done:Unity is a precondition for any Labour recovery. John Major was fortunate in the 1990-92 period that the resentful Thatcherites generally kept quiet. They only started making trouble after the 1992 election. The Reid-Jowell comments reflect the lessons of the bitter Tory schism of the 1990s. Equally important is a fresh direction. This does not mean abandoning the Blairite agenda. Far from it. There is a need for even more choice and diversity in health and schools. But a Brown government will need new thinking on the inequalities produced by globalisation and technological cha
A new secularism 2007-04-30 16:32:00 Jack Straw called for a British story in The Times yesterday, yet his British culture should have a different emphasis. He makes allusions to creating real multiculturalism, but falls short of actually calling for deregulation of culture: We have to be clearer about what it means to be British, and to be resolute that what comes with this is a set of values that have not just to be shared but accepted. Yes, there is room for multiple and different identities, but there has to be a contract that they will not take precedence over the core democratic values of freedom, fairness, tolerance and plurality that define what it means to be British. It is the bargain and it is nonnegotiable. A “British story” must be at the heart of this. It must place stress on the importance of democracy, how it developed here and how it can allow different groups to live together in relative harmony. Above all, British nationality is not about blood and soil, but about common civic values. Mult
Crawling, kicking, and screaming 2007-04-29 18:48:00 Nationalist secularists in Turkey are protesting their pro-Islamic government, reports The Times. Hundreds of thousands have assembled, flying Turkish flags and invoking the memory of Ataturk who formed their secular republic. This is a set in a backdrop of instability, with contested elections and a military willing to rein in overly Islamic officials.This is encouraging for secularists and democrats worldwide, as a fully democratic Turkey could become the beacon Iraq failed to be. By rejecting the calls of theocracy Turkey is showing skeptics from both sides of the terror spectrum that Muslim countries can be democratic, and that separation of church and state need not be limited to the West.Yet Turkey is unlike the rest of the Middle East. Its successful democratisation would not neccesarily mean the rest of the Middle East would fall into line.Unlike other states in the region, Turkey has a long history of secularism which its people willingly embrace. Hence, Ataturk is summoned at Read more:Crawling
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There's a bear in my house 2007-04-27 17:27:00 Russia is again throwing its weight around in Eastern Europe, as protests over the movement of a Red Army statue tip over into violence, reports The Times. The planned movement of the statue in order to excavate its foundations for remains of Red Army soldiers was changed when a peaceful, pro-Russian, protest became violent. Riots claimed the lives of 12 soldiers and 44 protesters, 300 were arrested.Russians have threatened to withdraw their ambassador, and both their Houses have been uncompromising in their rhetoric, with phrases such as "disastrous","barbaric", and "inhuman" in response to the statue's movement.The statue is a curious beast, eliciting mixed reactions. Ethnic Russians see it as a symbol of liberation for fascism, Estonians as a symbol of subjugation under the USSR.The reaction of the Estonian government is understandable. The statue was planning to be moved, and they have reacted to the violence by moving it to a secret location temporarily. The Russians should not
Of myths and dragons 2007-04-26 13:29:00 Martin Bright, writing in New Statesman, explodes some of the myths surrounding David Cameron and reminds us all of his "darker side". Especially compelling is the role of Lord Ashcroft - the major financier of the Conservative Party whose role and influence have not been scrutinised to the level of his Labour counterpart, Lord Levy. He then goes on to explain how Labour is unable to drive the agenda, hamstrung by Blair and accusations of sleaze.A source close to the Chancellor told me: "It is pretty clear that the present regime hasn't been able to go on the attack. But the residual Labour Party attack machine will get back into action. Hands have been tied."Bright then claims that when Brown gets his "attack machine" into motion, the Conservatives will find their role in the cash-for-peerages scandal exposed, the influence of Ashcroft publicised, and their blasé fundraising scrutinised (e.g., Cameron's 'Leader's Club'). In doing so they will force the Conservatives off their pe
Fresh faced but old fashioned [PMQs: 25-04-07] 2007-04-25 15:43:00 David Cameron acted like an old fashioned socialist in Prime Minister's Questions this week, amidst the standard exchanges between himself and Blair.12.15pmBack to a harder question: pensions. Mr Cameron says that all those covered by the financial assistance scheme for those who have lost their pensions will get 80% - the Tories would like it to be 90% - of their pensions. Many of those affected have already reached retirement age so what about a Treasury loan so they can start paying this straight away.Mr Blair says we can only afford to go up to 80% but what Mr Cameron is suggesting is not the way to go. We are looking at this issue and over the next few months we will report on it but I cannot talk at this point about a Treasury loan or some pot of gold. Life doesn't work like that, he says.Mr Cameron says that Mr Blair misses the point. He points to a cancer-stricken pensioner who paid his dues for 40 years. These people need money now, he says. They paid in for a lifetime. So w
Partisan corner: 10 Reasons to vote Labour in May 2007-04-25 13:04:00 Labour look to take a drumming in both local and regional elections, with declining support in Scotland and even Wales as well as discontent across English local councils.With local election campaigns focusing on a curious blend of the parochial and the national, rubbish collection and Iraq, Labour seems set to lose up to 600 seats. In Scotland, Labour remains 4 percentage points behind the SNP (Populus), though it is making up ground and has 30 per cent of the vote. In Wales, the forgotten battleground, Labour commands about 35 per cent of the vote, and should win about 25 seats (alas, second hand ITV/NOP).It is worth remembering the excellent reasons to vote Labour. I will not go into local issues, as to do so would require an overview of all 312 local authorities - a job better left to the local parties and bloggers. Rather, it is worth remembering why Labour is a worthwhile choice for regional government, and has done some good work in the regions.This does, however, need to be di Read more:corner
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Those boots seem a little small, South Yorkshire NUJ 2007-04-24 23:39:00 The National Union of Journalist's boycott of Israel has caused a stir in the blogosphere, not doubt because of many bloggers' twin aspirations towards and reliance upon journalism. Many have leapt up to defend Israeli democracy and point out the freedoms the press enjoy in other regimes - especially those surrounding Israel. It does not go without note, also, that journalist Alan Johnston was kidnapped by the same Palestinians as the NUJ wishes to promote solidarity with.This is, however, not the crux of the problem with this motion. The problem is the scope of unions and what they should be doing.Journalists, by their very nature, are involved in current affairs and politics. They may feel very strongly about the injustices in Gaza and the West Bank, or decry atrocities by the Israeli Defense Force - that is within their rights. It is also within their rights to report said injustices and atrocities, highlighting them to the world. They may even join causes to aid the Palestinian p Read more:little
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Liberté! 2007-04-23 16:24:00 The French Presidential race has come down to its final pair, with Segolene Royal and Nicolas Sarkozy competing to lead France for the next five years. Thankfully, Le Pen was nowhere in sight as voters rejected the fringes and kept to the centre ground (reporting from The Times).The two candidates are remarkably similar and yet very different, and both need to decide whether they are reformers or merely tinkerers. France needs reformers - yet may be left with tinkerers if its leaders and its electorate are not decisive.Royal, who is currently polling 26 per cent of the vote, is still the underdog (more about her prospects from The Times). While here feminine approach to politics is stylish, she lacks the substance needed to convince voters she can lead them out of their declinism. While cagily complimenting Blair's approach in Britain, she is still influenced by leftist antipathy to all things Anglo-Saxon. Her endorsement of the importance of education, responsibilities as well as rig
Recovering spendaholics 2007-04-21 17:02:00 Often this Labour government is accused of being one of high taxes and even higher spending. This hangover from traditional anti-left rhetoric may appear outdated, but it sits easily in the imaginations of the public, who see Gordon Brown stealing pennies from their cigarettes and beer to give to lazy scroungers with plasma TVs. Yet this is untrue - Britain is not a high tax economy, its deficits are not too high, and historically government revenues and spending are nothing spectacular.Tax revenue in the United Kingdom was 36 per cent of GDP in 2004 - below the EU15 average of 39.7 per cent and just 0.1 per cent above the OECD average. A high tax economy would be further up the scale - perhaps on the level of Sweden (50.4 per cent) or Denmark (48.8 per cent), a low tax economy around the level of Mexico (19 per cent) or Korea (24.6 per cent). Britain is just in the middle - surprising given that taxation has to fund a comprehensive welfare state that has one of the best healthcare sy
Let us watch or turn away 2007-04-20 22:27:00 When NBC published the images and words Cho Seung Hui sent, it set alight a pyre of confusion, grief, and acrimony. Individuals, struggling to cope with the reality of the horrific events at Virginia Tech, resented the apparent glorification of Cho. Yet NBC was right to publish these images, as Bronwen Maddox argues in The Times:The accusation that the NBC broadcasts may provoke copycat attacks — the most serious charge against the network — appears to rest on a notion of severe mental illness as contagious, common and predictable. True, someone who is severely disturbed might want to better Cho’s “record” — but that does not mean that if his video were kept off the airwaves that person would not find other provocation. If only.But given that a small proportion of people do have some severe disturbance, Cho’s case does suggest that there might be more stringent bars to buying guns than merely asking a purchaser, in a standard form about mental health, to tick a bo Read more:watch
Give us your plumbers, your cleaners, your hairdressers 2007-04-19 16:29:00 Liam Bryne has finally given in to the logic of the nationalist right, given his comments on immigration this week, reported by The Times. His claims include:inequality and child poverty are two of the main side-effects of migration, which has been running at record levels since Labour came to power...Globalisation and immigration have made Britain richer but have also “deeply unsettled the country”...“We also have to accept that laissez-faire migration runs the risk of damaging communities where parts of our antipoverty strategy come under pressure”...sudden increases in immigration into poor parts of Britain hit government attempts to improve life for the indigenous populationThese claims have been brought up to defend the new points system. The problem is, it will not. Many of the problems Bryne blames upon asylum seekers not economic migrants - the former will not be subjected to the points system. Moreover, having immigrants in key jobs will not alter the cultural im Read more:cleaners
A day at the races [PMQs: 18-04-07] 2007-04-18 18:04:00 In today's Prime Minister's questions, two questions struck me as particularly galling. The first was by the Conservative leader, the other by a nationalist of a different suit.12.20Mr Cameron is back. Now that Mr Miliband has "explicitly ruled himself out, will the prime minister back the chancellor?" he asks.There are two problems with this.Firstly, the election of the next leader of the Labour Party (and therefore Prime Minister) is internal Labour Party business. Blair can back whoever he pleases in his own time, and should not give into this partisan prodding.Secondly, this is irrelevant to Prime Minister's questions. PMQs are meant to:Following the PM's reply, the questioning member can put a supplementary question about anything relating to the PM's duties or any aspect of Government policy.The internal workings of the Labour Party are not related to PM's duties or Government policy. Cameron has already been censored over this, but escaped today because he phrased the ques
Stealing from the man 2007-04-18 10:19:00 The Department of Work and Pensions is planning the use of aural lie detectors to finger possible benefit fraudsters on the phone, reports The Economist. The Economist provides some of the key arguments against such a scheme, notably that false positive rates can be as high as 47 per cent. However, it also draws attention to another problem at the end of the piece:Left-wingers worry that the government is testing the technology on the poor and the criminal because such people are unlikely to complain. They may have a point. Benefit fraud cost taxpayers £700m last year. Tax-dodging costs tens of billions a year. Perhaps the Inland Revenue should take note?Why is it that benefit fraud, which is falling and costs just £700m a year, considered more important that tax evasion? An Acpo survey estimates tax evasion and under-reporting of fraud could cost upwards of £6bn (a conservative estimate), reports the BBC.The reasons for clamping down upon tax evasion and benefit fraud are very simi Read more:Stealing
Stop the Rot 2007-04-17 16:56:00 Harry's Place has regularly written about the curious alliance of "anti-imperialist" Leftists and Islamists. Gene quoted Nick Cohen, who writes:The far left had no future-- that had been clear for decades. But if it could downplay Marxism and appeal to Muslim grievance, maybe it could make it as a communalist party exploiting support for political Islam. Their theorists had been saying since the early Nineties that if they got into bed with Islam they could "secretly try to win some of the young people who support it to a very different, independent, revolutionary socialist perspective". Perhaps that daydream consoled them. Perhaps it allowed them to pretend to themselves that they were covertly building up the radical left rather than riding the Islamist tiger. Maybe they no longer believed in their hearts in "independent revolutionary socialist perspectives"-- no one else did-- and just wanted to ally with the real threat to the established order.Desperately seeking relevance and a
Superpowered politics 2007-04-16 14:09:00 In the wake of 9/11, much was written about the increased interest in superheroes. Most often cited is the rash of superhero films released (with varying degrees of success) in recent years - Spiderman, Superman Returns, Batman Begins, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, X-Men, Punisher, Hellboy, Ghost Rider, and even The Incredibles. While I dispute that this new golden age of superheroes was down to America needing heroes after 9/11 (X-Men was released pre-9/11, Spiderman famously included a shot of the Twin Towers which had to be reworked before its release), there is some mileage in looking into what interest in superheroes tells us about political culture and identity - as all cultural icons can.Two of DC's most popular superheroes - Batman and Superman - can serve as interesting metaphors for popular theories of justice, morality, and the just use of force. The two are radically different, and can be used to describe both the ideal and the reality of American intervention and justi Read more:politics
Decisions, decisions 2007-04-15 14:22:00 Amidst the great publicity of both the French presidential election and the British local and devolved elections, two more elections are quietly brewing, one whose outcome is as assured as SNP gains, another as tumultuous as the French presidential race. The first is the election of the leader of the Labour Party once Brown steps down, the second his deputy.Michael Portillo, writing in The Times, paints an accurate landscape of the risks of running against the Prince, Gordon Brown. He refers to the only serious contender, David Miliband, who has not yet confirmed he will not run against Brown. If the local elections are spun so as to benefit Brown, and if his allies claim they are tantamount to an endorsement, Miliband will stand down. Yet, claims Portillo, if the results are interpreted as a rejection of the dull, tired, Brown, Miliband could whip up sufficient support to challenge.The risks of challenging, or even having the potential to challenge, are well documented. Brown is famo
Forget the Internet, where is my sawdust food and waterproof house? 2007-04-14 16:20:00 Matthew Parris, writing in The Times, has made an intriguing claim - that most human progress way made before the 1950s and we are now "stuck": With very few exceptions (I shall come to information technology in a moment) the great life-changing inventions and discoveries — humble or hi-tech — that shape modern society were made before or during the Second World War: automobiles, aeroplanes, the jet engine, electricity, telephones, radio, television, refrigerators, washing machines, industrial mass production . . . the list is endless. In medical science the same is true: germ theory, penicillin, virology, radiology, anaesthetics and bacteriology are all pre1950, and the huge leaps enjoyed in average life expectancy in the developed world were made relatively early in the last century. Today life expectancy is only creeping forward.It is worth noting a couple of possible reasons for the apparent lack of progress in the second half of the twentieth century. The primary reas Read more:Internet
Principles or power 2007-04-13 15:30:00 The SNP have announced their new manifesto, amidst great publicity, predictions of an SNP government, and even claims from some apocalyptic pundits that the end of the Union is nigh. The Times reports that Salmond is moderating his "breakaway stance" to win the neccessary coalition support of the Liberal Democrats, by promising a question on granting more power
s to the Scottish Parliament in their 2010 referendum.This will not be enough. The Liberal Democrats are against independence to Scotland, the SNP are (obviously) ardent supporters of such a plan. The Liberal Democrats have made it clear that they will no enter a coalition with the nationalists while they support such independence, as Tavish Scott makes clear:Tavish Scott, the party’s Scottish campaign director, told The Times that it would not be interested in talking to the SNP about a referendum even if it included a question on more powers. “It’s still a referendum on independence, and we have made our position clea Read more:Principles
International ethics 2007-04-12 12:59:00 Oxfam has spoken about British foreign policy this week, reports the BBC, and has come to many wise conclusions. While it acknowledges the "terrible misadventure" in Iraq, claiming it has "spawned new terror in the region", it also reminds us of the good which British foreign policy has achieved. The report argues that the good achieved in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, and Afghanistan should not be forgotten amidst the debate over Iraq, calling for an ethical foreign policy which challenges human rights abuses by friends and enemies. In one of the best summaries of British foreign policy over the last couple of decades, Oxfam Director Barbara Stocking reminds us:"However, it is now clear that the invasion of Iraq, and the government's failure to stand up to all governments when they break international law and harm innocent people, have seriously damaged Britain's capacity to be a force for good on the world stage," she said."The Iraq war was a terrible misadventure, but it must not cause fu Read more:International
Freer borders, freer people 2007-04-03 16:42:00 As the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery marched past last week, there was relatively little said about its modern day equivalent, human trafficking. Peter Hain has, to his credit, signed the European convention on human trafficking.The convention itself is a step in the right direction, accepting that human trafficking is a contravention of human rights and a scourge upon Europe. To tackle the problem, the convention proposes:• recognition of trafficking in human beings as a violation of human rights;• a special focus on assistance to victims and on protection of their human rights;• comprehensive scope of application:- all forms of trafficking: national/transnational linked/non-linked with organised crime;- all trafficked persons: the Convention applies to all persons who are victims of trafficking whether they are women, children or men;• setting up a comprehensive legal framework for the protection of victims and witnesses with specific and binding measures to be ado Read more:people
It's not Brown, it's grey 2007-04-02 19:28:00 The comment of one London cabbie summed up the damage which Brown
could suffer over the recent pensions crisis revelations. A Labour MP was told, quite bluntly:You bastards raided my pensionThat is the crux of the issue. Public perception will not care about the details of how much Brown's pensions taxes actually cost (£100bn, claim the pessimists), or whether or not he ignored advice over their impact (he did). Rather, they will associate Brown with causing the pensions crisis - and will now believe he knew the damage which would occur beforehand.If this pensions crisis was limited to Britain, or had emerged since 1997, their claims might have some merit. Yet that is not the case.Firstly, pensions crises are hitting most Western economies, especially those with entrenched welfare states. European states implemented Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) schemes, whereby current taxpayers pay for current pensioners. Facing aging demographics, the costs of pensions are increasing more than taxpayers ca
A heart slowly beating 2007-04-01 22:06:00 Things are hotting up in Zimbabwe. A former army chief Solomon Mujuru has fled to South Africa with Mugabe's deputy Joyce Mujuru. There are rumours Solomon has been meeting with the Movement for Democratic Change.This dissent is a stark contrast to the apparatus of the state, who have just allowed Mugabe five more years of power. Police are deployed in all townships, political dissent banned. Activists have been clamped down upon, as an aspect of the state's increasing fear of dissent.For the people of Zimbabwe, the situation is getting worse. The economic crisis, caused partially by Mugabe's blind nationalisations (notably of farms). Zimbabwe, once the bread basket of Africa, is facing 1700 per cent inflation (in Britain, 3.5 per cent would be cause for concern). A black market is thriving. This economic crisis is undermining support for Mugabe, and even the most potent of states cannot survive once popular discontent has reached massive proportions, as could occur as a result of Read more:beating
The mugging of liberty 2007-03-27 19:07:00 The Times is reporting an alarming story of parents buying body armour for their children, motivated by the fear of violent crime committed by youngsters. The Conservatives have taken this paranoia, held by a couple of hundred individuals, as evidence of Labour incompetence. While there have been failings in Labour crime policy, this article is indicative of something much more dangerous.In 2005/6 experiences of violent crime did not change from the previous year, though 2 per cent more was reported, having fallen by 43 per cent since its peak in 1995. More disturbingly, 17 per cent of respondents were "very worried" about violent crime (despite the risk of being a victim of violent crime being 3.4 per cent), a figure which has followed the fall of violent crime by tumbling from its peak of 25 per cent in 1998. This problem of public fears of crime was reported across the British Crime Survey (BCS), as,Despite the number of crimes estimated by the BCS falling in recent years, comparat Read more:liberty
Missing the point 2007-03-25 17:13:00 openDemocracy recently invited debate from their readers over a certain article in The Economist over Britain and its successes and failures in competing in a globalised world. Their synopsis was accurate enough, and healthy debate is the hallmark of a good democracy. There was a comment within the article, however, which summed up the problem with certain elements of the critical left.There is little discussion of the continuing political and economic effects of the war in Iraq,Once again, Iraq is mentioned. Iraq is a big issue, yet it is not particularly relevant to Britain's long-term increases in global competitiveness.As writers within The Economist will tell you, they give equal weight to every issue and hence organise their newspaper geographically. Hence, Iraq will often be snuggled alongside Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iran, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Côte d'Ivoire. Unlike most newspapers, they do not splash it across their front pages daily and create a media panic. Like mo Read more:Missing
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Swallow your pride or your peace 2007-05-03 22:47:00 Ehud Olmert is facing a difficult few months according to Sonia Verma in The Times, as criticism and calls for his resignation increase. Thougn he survived the an attempted coup, Olmert is far from safe: Polls show about two thirds of Israelis would like the Prime Minister to resign immediately. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend a rally at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv this evening to demand his resignation. Even if the outcry dies out -- or falls on deaf ears -- Mr Olmert's Government will face renewed challenge in just a few weeks. That's when the Labour Party, Kadima's coalition partner in Government, is due to hold its party primaries. The May 28 vote will almost surely unseat Amir Peretz, Israel's deeply unpopular Defence Minister, who was also harshly criticised by the Winograd Commission into the Lebanon war. He will likely be replaced by Ami Ayalon, an ex-Navy commander, who has already promised to pull Labour out of the coalition if he wins. The t
Et tu, Brown? [PMQs: 02-05-07] 2007-05-02 17:18:00 In what will surely be on his final times at the dispatch box, Blair faced questions over inquiries and elections while attacking the Liberal Democrats - the party who threaten to take Labour votes tomorrow. In defense of not holding another inquiry into 7/7, Blair had the following to say:Mr Blair says that maximum cooperation was given the first time so it would be wrong to say that the information was not available the first time."The reason why people want another inquiry - I totally understand the grief and their anxiety to have another inquiry but they want another inquiry to reach a different conclusion."I am inclined to agree. The Conservatives are calling for an inquiry for obvious, political, reasons - especially given the recent suggestions that serious errors were made byMI5 before 7/7. Yet is there sufficient reason for a second full inquiry? What more would be gained that we do not already know? This seems like another move by the Conservatives to score points rather than Read more:Brown
The subtle art 2007-05-02 15:00:00 With a decade of Labour rule upon us, the inpatient have already begun passing judgment (as opposed to speculation) on Blair's legacy. The more reasoned have looked back over the last ten years and asked what has changed? Optimists have pointed to Labour successes, pessimists to failings.Gordon Brown's eulogy to Blair is a perfect example of the former, as he highlights just how much Blair has achieved over the last decade. It seems that now he is leaving, people are realising just how much has been done and that it is not all bad. Even foreign policy, pre-Iraq, is seen as reasonable if not admirable. Most do not resent intervention in Afghanistan or Kosovo, those who remember it also admire Sierra Leone.There is, however, one element of Blair's recent history that refuses to be eroded by the recent revisions. That is the nature of the special relationship, that curious beast that somehow forced a confident and popular leader to subsume himself to a leader his ideological antithesis
All change! 2007-05-06 19:20:00 Simon Jenkins writes in The Times today about constitutional reform in the United Kingdom. His demagoguery over an English Parliament aside, he makes an important point about how the United Kingdom is in something of a quagmire. Citizens in Wales, Scotland, and occasionally Northern Ireland, have more representation than those in England. They have more a voice in local issues, and their continued presence in Westminster is causing increasing resentment over the West Lothian question.If the United Kingdom was to be redesigned with this type of local governance in mind, it would look very different, and rather more federal. Simon Jenkins makes a decent start, not least on the issue of the subsidisation of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland by England:Westminster should now have the courage of Blair’s original convictions. The Treasury subsidies that have 40% of workers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as employees of the state should be phased down and out. The average Sc
Baby steps and old beards 2007-05-05 15:59:00 The results are in, and Labour have been beaten - this much is known. Who will govern Scotland and Wales for the next four years in unknown, as is the result of the next General Election.In Scotland, the Scottish National Party and Liberal Democrats bicker over independence, the Liberal Democrats still believe Labour to be their natural coalition partner, and the Conservatives reject "horse-trading".Without overall majority in Wales, the Welsh Labour Party will need a partner in government, and will probably look to their old allies the Liberal Democrats. However, unlike in Scotland, they are the largest party and therefore can lead a coalition, something they cannot do in Scotland without being seen to be denying the popular will. Similarly, any "rainbow coalition" of Plaid Cymru, Conservatives, and Liberal Democrats must be careful not to be seen as opportunists and anti-democratic.In England the Conservatives have gained many former 'No Overall Control' councils, squeezing both L Read more:steps
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