But will the Tories be so Machiavellian as to oppose a change they have just agreed to put to the UK electorate? Undoubtedly some on the fringes of the party will, but it is hard to see how Clegg could have agreed to a deal whereby Cameron will hold an AV referendum only to oppose its passage - even if it has been agreed that the Lib Dems can abstain on Trident and a few other very controversial Tory policies.
Would a smart leader not have negotiated a better position, or opted for a less formal alliance, allowing the Tories to crash and burn without tying himself to their depleted uranium boat anchor?
If Clegg has any smarts he will have negotiated a 5 year programme with his priorities in their early. That way the Lib Dems come to be seen as a party capable of influencing policy and of Government after 100 years on the fringe - which gives them a certain credibility even if the Government ends up being unpopular.
Even the fact that Coalition Government comes to be seen as "normal" in the UK means it is moving closer to the European norm! Joining the Euro was never going to happen anyway barring a financial melt-down, and if that happens Clegg will have an issue on which to precipitate an election if he wants one.
If Clegg does achieve AV he will have achieved more than any other Lib Dem leader in living memory - not just for the Lib Dems, but for all minority parties, for electoral participation, and for a system seen as being more inclusive and fair. Frank's Home Page and Diary Index
Joining the Euro was never going to happen anyway barring an even bigger financial melt-down
FIFY
- Jake If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.
The Euro was barely mentioned, but there was an intervention by someone from "The City" which I'll report here. He started out with the claim that London is subsidising the rest of the UK through its tax revenues which, as we know (ahem), are due mostly to London's position at the centre of the world's capital markets. He mentioned that the Euro Zone is taking over from the US as a global standard-setter in finance, and that this is driving international banks to establish offices in London, which (see above) is good for the UK economy. So the Euro is good for Britain because of that. But, of course, that doesn't mean that the UK should trade the Pound for the Euro. And here's where I really felt like slapping the guy to wake him up: he said there wouldn't be a case for the UK joining the Euro Zone unless and until there's some serious economic crisis which is not what "the current hiccup" is.
