Wednesday, August 25, 2010

John Harris: The Liberal Democrats are not about to split

There was a very good article in the Guardian this morning by John Harris, questioning overexcited Labour claims that the Lib Dems are variously in crisis, about to split or about to become extinct:

Yes, this year's Lib Dem conference will have its moments. The comprehensive spending review and January's VAT rise will jangle nerves, and there remain two big mysteries: what happens if the AV referendum is lost, and how – or whether – the coalition will decouple before a 2015 election.

But here is what far too many people are missing: that even if the most malign accounts are true and the party has been hijacked by a free market clique, the fact that it has delivered power will probably be more than enough to keep a lid on any trouble. Before Labour people get far too carried away, they ought to remember that until very recently, that was their story too.

Despite having been a Labour hack in his teenage days, John Harris shows every sign of understanding Liberal Democrats and of rather liking us.

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