2010 was not the first time the Liberals/Liberal Democrats sold us out
The sell-outs by the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives' coalition partners, over tuition fees, democratic reform, and secret courts that have happened since 2010, are well known to us by now.
What many of us do not realise is that this was not the first time the Liberal Democrats had sold the people of Britain out to the Conservatives- their predecessor components, the Liberals and the SDP, did exactly the same thing before the 1988 merger of the two.
In early 1977, following losses in important by-elections (Woolwich West and Walsall North) by Labour under Harold Wilson and later James Callaghan, the then-Prime Minister James Callaghan had to ask newly elected Liberal leader David Steel to form a pact in order to continue governing Britain in the economic crisis it and many other nations were facing.
Soon after the Lib-Lab pact was formed, Mr. Callaghan and the Labour government moved away from their traditional leftist position, and started making notable cuts to public expenditure, and sold off Britain's shares in British Petroleum, partly under pressure from the Liberals (as Mr. Callaghan also made a few useful reforms in his tenure), who had never been as economically left-wing as post-war Labour were.
Maybe because of this, Mr. Callaghan should have held an election in 1978-he did not, and was forced out by a vote of no confidence in 1979-won infamously by one vote (311-310).
Given that all Liberal MPs voted with the despicable Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives when it came, and the fact that Liberal voters were shifting to the Conservatives (in light of the 'Rinkagate' scandal involving ex-Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe) more so than Labour voters were in most cases, it is clear that the Liberals would have sold the British people out in either scenario by siding with the Conservatives.
For real betrayal, however, we must go to the Social Democratic Party that formed following the Limehouse Declaration of 1981 via the 'Gang of 4'-centre-right pro-EU former Labour MPs Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins, David Owen and Bill Rodgers.
It is clear with retrospect, early 1980s Labour leader Michael Foot was on the right track when it came to tackling the consequences of Mrs. Thatcher's incosiderate, reckless monetarism, as well as on reform. This was intolerable to many 'moderate' Labour MPs, 28 of whom (alongside Conservative MP Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler) formed the SDP, damaging both Labour and Conservative votes alike. To have any hope of survival, as they were not a grassroots party, they had to get the Liberals to help them.
The consequences of this betrayal by the SDP were evident-they split the Labour vote heavily but only held 6 seats,allowing for Mrs Thatcher's landslide victory of 1983 (even though the Conservative vote declined). They even sided with her much of the time when it came to the sell-off of public services. The pressure from the SDP also pressured Neil Kinnock into moving away from the left, which paved the way for New Labour years later. They also damaged the Liberals by merging to form the Liberal Democrats, making them less socially liberal and more economically liberal.
Thus, not only are the Lib Dems opportunistic sell-outs, but in the post-ward period always were-luckily, it is likely they will finally pay the price for their betrayal this time come 2015.
Any thoughts, readers?
Alan.
What many of us do not realise is that this was not the first time the Liberal Democrats had sold the people of Britain out to the Conservatives- their predecessor components, the Liberals and the SDP, did exactly the same thing before the 1988 merger of the two.
In early 1977, following losses in important by-elections (Woolwich West and Walsall North) by Labour under Harold Wilson and later James Callaghan, the then-Prime Minister James Callaghan had to ask newly elected Liberal leader David Steel to form a pact in order to continue governing Britain in the economic crisis it and many other nations were facing.
Soon after the Lib-Lab pact was formed, Mr. Callaghan and the Labour government moved away from their traditional leftist position, and started making notable cuts to public expenditure, and sold off Britain's shares in British Petroleum, partly under pressure from the Liberals (as Mr. Callaghan also made a few useful reforms in his tenure), who had never been as economically left-wing as post-war Labour were.
Maybe because of this, Mr. Callaghan should have held an election in 1978-he did not, and was forced out by a vote of no confidence in 1979-won infamously by one vote (311-310).
Given that all Liberal MPs voted with the despicable Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives when it came, and the fact that Liberal voters were shifting to the Conservatives (in light of the 'Rinkagate' scandal involving ex-Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe) more so than Labour voters were in most cases, it is clear that the Liberals would have sold the British people out in either scenario by siding with the Conservatives.
For real betrayal, however, we must go to the Social Democratic Party that formed following the Limehouse Declaration of 1981 via the 'Gang of 4'-centre-right pro-EU former Labour MPs Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins, David Owen and Bill Rodgers.
It is clear with retrospect, early 1980s Labour leader Michael Foot was on the right track when it came to tackling the consequences of Mrs. Thatcher's incosiderate, reckless monetarism, as well as on reform. This was intolerable to many 'moderate' Labour MPs, 28 of whom (alongside Conservative MP Christopher Brocklebank-Fowler) formed the SDP, damaging both Labour and Conservative votes alike. To have any hope of survival, as they were not a grassroots party, they had to get the Liberals to help them.
The consequences of this betrayal by the SDP were evident-they split the Labour vote heavily but only held 6 seats,allowing for Mrs Thatcher's landslide victory of 1983 (even though the Conservative vote declined). They even sided with her much of the time when it came to the sell-off of public services. The pressure from the SDP also pressured Neil Kinnock into moving away from the left, which paved the way for New Labour years later. They also damaged the Liberals by merging to form the Liberal Democrats, making them less socially liberal and more economically liberal.
Thus, not only are the Lib Dems opportunistic sell-outs, but in the post-ward period always were-luckily, it is likely they will finally pay the price for their betrayal this time come 2015.
Any thoughts, readers?
Alan.
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