More things you might not know about certain Lib Dems
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(http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/30/david-laws-profile):
"In 2004, Laws [David Laws, who'd just resigned at the time of this article]
co-edited the controversial Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism. Some claim
the economically liberal publication drove a dividing line in the party
between the authors and others who felt more driven by socially liberal
values.
The book, which had contributions from Nick Clegg, Vince Cable and Chris
Huhne and was published in association with the think-tank CentreForum
stressed the role of the free market. In it, Laws called for social
insurance for health. In a follow-up book, Britain After Blair, the MP went
on to criticise Labour's tax-credit system for creating a dependency culture
with not enough encouragement to work. It is perhaps not surprising that
Laws jumped at the opportunity to take on a role as chief secretary in the
coalition cabinet."
So it seems that Clegg, Huhne and even Vince Cable are to some extent on the
more capitalist side of the Liberal Democrat party. No wonder they seem so
unruffled by the policies the Tories want them to co-operate with!
According to William Keegan's latest piece in the Guardian
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/nov/07/william-keegan-cameron-eu-budget-bagatelle),
it might go even further than that.
"As for the (very) junior partners in the current arrangement, I am reliably
informed by his former friends in Brussels that Nick Clegg once really
wanted to join the Conservative party, but that his passionately
pro-European views posed difficulties at a time when the eurosceptics in the
Tory party - always referred to as "euroseptics" by Sir Edward Heath - were
predominant, and making life difficult for John Major and his 1990-97
premiership."
Both Clegg and Cameron like to give the impression that Clegg acts as the
left-wing voice in the coalition. He doesn't seem ideally qualified for the
position.
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