Coalition is in the national Interest says MP Russell
May 12, 2010 12:00 AM
Colchester Liberal Democrat MP Bob Russell says that it is in the national interest for the Liberal Democrats to join the Conservatives in forming a Government.
He made his comments after a marathon meeting in London by Liberal Democrat MPs, Peers and members of the Party's National Executive Committee which discussed at great length the package of proposals which Liberal Democrat negotiators had secured from four days of discussions with the Conservatives. The meeting ended shortly after midnight, this morning (Wednesday). There had been earlier meetings on Saturday and on Monday.
Mr Russell said: "I have spent 40 years fighting the Tories, so it was with gritted teeth that I agreed to the Coalition - but it had to be done, in the national interest. Labour negotiators were more interested in who would be the next Leader of their Party, and thus Leader of the Opposition, so talk of a coalition with them was a non-starter.
"The only other alternative was a minority Tory Government with a further General Election likely this Autumn, something which I do not think the public would have welcomed and one which would probably have resulted in a Tory Government with a big majority."
He pointed out that "a fair chunk of the Liberal Democrat Manifesto now becomes the policy of the coalition Government - including the first move towards a fairer voting system; raising to £10,000 the figure at which people pay tax; and the restoration of the pensions link with that of earnings."
He admitted that he would prefer there to be a Liberal Democrat Government, but felt that the "half-a-loaf or a half-full glass outcome is better than continuing with the purity of Opposition with no bread and an empty glass."
Mr Russell added: "Coalition government has worked at local level in Colchester, and elsewhere; at national level in Wales and Scotland; and if Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley were able to form a joint administration in Northern Ireland then it should not be too much of a problem for us to get our heads round working with the Tories at Westminster."
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