Thursday, June 03, 2010

Lib-Con: New Politics, Old Partnership

There was a programme on Radio 4 yesterday evening about the historical precedents for co-operation between the Liberals and Conservatives. As the webpage for the programme says:

The new politics isn't as new as people think. Shaun Ley looks back at the historical links between Conservatives and Liberals, the previous coalitions and the common philosophical traditions between the two parties.

What can history tell us about the implications for the parties today? We hear from the LibDem MP John Thurso, whose grandfather Archibald Sinclair was the last Liberal to sit in a cabinet during the wartime coalition. Lord Heseltine explains why he first stood for election under the Liberal Conservative banner. And Professor David Dutton of Liverpool University explains how the two parties have converged and diverged over the last century, and identifies some risks to both parties in the future.

You can hear it via that page for the next six days.

1 comment:

Frank Little said...

John Thurso's distinct contribution is well worth hearing. In particular, his admission that, like the rest of us, liberalism is so much part of us that we stumble when asked out of the blue what we stand for, is striking.