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Monday 20 September 2010

Being taken seriously

Guido rightly highlights how it was the Liberal Democrats were the first to take the lead on the public cuts debate and unlike the Tories kept closest to such a message during the campaign.  So it is ironic that discontent about cuts is supposed to be troubling the Lib Dem grassroots but not surprising.  First, the transition from theory to fact always causes such wobbles.  Second, it is easy to say something in the expectation you will not have to implement it yourself as one Lib Dem voter put it:

"I didn't vote Liberal Democrat so they would end up in government."

Third, it was a failure by some to understand that the Orange Bookers believed what they were writing and not simply doing so to eke a few more seats off the Tories.  Clegg's declaration that they have no future as a party of the left is a further example of this thinking. Fourth and finally, it is the price of governance and being taken seriously.

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