Collaboration will be the norm not the exception

Tweet Labour’s Party Political Broadcast last week, parodying Nick Clegg, has been much criticised by other parties.  Whilst I agree that it really isn’t a very grown-up approach to politics, and has nothing positive to say, I can’t help thinking that it’s an inevitable result of the race by Labour and the Tories alike to employ ‘gurus’ from the USA in their campaigns.

Negativity and personalisation are the bedrock of US politics; why would anyone expect that employing ‘experts’ in the field would not lead to replicating the same approach?  There’d be little purpose in recruiting such people and then telling them “Actually, we don’t do things that way here”.  The very fact of their employment tells us that both parties are planning to further Americanize their approach to campaigning.  Pathetic it may be; but we can only expect more of the same.

Insofar as there was any serious point to the broadcast, it was the notion that the Lib Dems are “propping up” the Tories.  It’s not a very mature approach to the concept of coalition, and may well come back to bite Labour if they find themselves turning to the Lib Dems for support in the future.

There was a time when the overwhelming majority of the electorate voted for one of only two parties, but in recent decades, political allegiance has become much more fragmented.  Labour and Tory alike obviously regret that, but believing that such a situation will return any time soon – if ever – is just wishful thinking on their part.  Even under the current electoral system – let alone the more proportional one which will be with us at some future date – collaboration with other parties will become the norm, even if it doesn’t always lead to formal coalition.

Given that fact, attacking the very fact of such collaboration just because it’s with someone else looks childish.  Drawing attention to elements of any particular deal leaves more than enough scope for attacking the Lib Dems and their role in government, but to attack the fact of their having entered into a coalition is to ignore the reality of modern politics.