Sign in
Courtesy navigation
Search
Forum - Lib Dems and the art of negotiation
Lib Dems and the art of negotiation
Tue, 11/05/2010 - 09:39 — AeC
It's been a fascinating few days for politics in the UK, and there's been much on display to grip anyone with an interest in the art of negotiation.
One of the most interesting developments in the post-election wrangling has been the revelation that the Liberal Democrats had a 'secret meeting' with Labour while 'official' negotiations with the Conservatives were under way.
Anyone who runs a business needs to negotiate morning, noon and night, in all kinds of different contexts. So with that in mind, what do you make of the Lib Dem approach - straightforward hardball tactics to maximise their gains, or an underhand move that might rebound against them?
Founding partner
Follow us on:
Law Donut
Legal resources for you and your business - employment law, personal law and more | Law Donut
Copyright © 2009-2012
I think the fact that the Lib Dems seemed unable to make up their minds doesn't necessarily look good. They dilly-dallied for some time before finally siding with the Tories which makes them look weak and indecisive - just the qualities you don't want in a government with a lot of difficult decisions ahead of it.
"Doing what's best for the country" is a phrase that's often been used by politicians in recent days, yet what we have seen is all of the parties acting in their own self interest. Plus ca change...
The Tories conceded more ground than many True Blue voters would have wished for, such was their desire to oust Labour and install Cameron as PM, no matter what the cost, after failing to secure a majority, of course. The Lib Dems used classic negotiating tactics, playing one side off against the other, speaking to senior Labour figures in 'secret' yesterday, as they pushed the Tories for even more concessions.
It will be interesting to see how this brave new coalition works in practice (I'm not sure the Lib Dems will get the political reform they seek), but having (the widely admired) Vince Cable and other Lib Dems in Cameron's cabinet is probably no bad thing. Many left-leaning Lib Dems will find the prospect of getting into bed with the Conservatives difficult. They'll have to lie back and think of England. But Clegg has seized the unprecedented opportunity to gain power and influence for his party – can't really blame him for that now, can we?
No one wanted another general election in October and ongoing political uncertainty wouldn't have been good for the UK economy, at a time when decisive action is required.
No doubt, there will be difficult days to come as the new government seeks to reduce national debt and deal with the 'Euro contagion' we're now being warned of. Having to make unpopular decisions will test the strength of the Tory-Lib Dem coalition, which could create conflict and make both parties hugely unpopular.
Labour is banking on this. Senior figures knew the game was up and that it was better to lose this particular battle; walk away with some credibility; lick wounds; learn lessons; elect a new leader and rebrand itself as the party of progress – a strategy that swept Blair to power.
The problem with democracy is you get the government you vote for. Well, kind of...
Hi Aengus
I think the approach the Lib Dems took straddles the fine line between what is ethically sound and what is realistic. Ethically, they should have been holding "official" talks with the Conservatives, and only when those were concluded hold similar "official" talks with Labour. But, I don't think that this was ever likely. The Lib Dems found themselves in a strange position of holding so many of the cards, but with the fear that the future of their party was also potentially at stake. A united party with the Conservatives goes ideologically against what they stand for - and would certainly alienate some of the older party members who hold the core Lib Dem values close to their heart. However, a coalition with Labour seemed unlikey simply because they couldn't be seen to be propping-up such an unpopular PM in Gordon Brown. Ultimately I think the Lib Dems had a small window of power, and they used it any which way they could.
Of course, the two most interesting aspects of this is that, as the dust settles, we now know that despite the "secret talks" a coalition with Labour was never going to happen - but also that it could be that Vince Cable becomes Business Secretary...
Anthony - another, slightly different perspective: the Lib Dems could never have formed a coalition with Labour because the two parties are both leftish and so they are a greater threat to Labour than to the Tories. Labour's intention would always be to absorb them; it would be too easy for them to parrot Lib Dem policies, claim them as their own and try to gradually eradicate the Lib Dems from British politics.
Forming a coalition with the Conservatives fulfils three purposes: it allows the Lib Dems to remain distinctive; because they are the smaller partner in the coalition, it means they will rarely have to shoulder the blame for things that go wrong; it enables them to clearly demonstrate the principle of co-operative government in action - if they can make it work with a party who are so ideologically distant from themselves, then it's proof that PR works. Providing they don't get involved in unseemly scraps with the Tories, the Lib Dems can't lose.
Add a comment
Not registered? We'll create a new account for you when you add your comment