Diana: 'Coalition is the only progressive option on offer' (Pudsey Liberal Democrats)

Pudsey Liberal Democrats <info@libdems.org.uk>

Diana: 'Coalition is the only progressive option on offer'

May 17, 2010 12:00 PM
Originally published by Diana Wallis MEP

Cameron and Clegg Speaking after the special conference to approve the government coalition agreement with the Conservatives, Diana Wallis, MEP for Yorkshire & the Humber, said:

"This was clearly the only option on offer to achieve stable government for our country; moreover it was the only progressive option on offer. This is the reality of the 'new' consensus coalition, the grown up politics we have striven for over many years. To have turned our back on it would have been both childish and naive. We are in politics to achieve change through the exercise of power, so you can't be judged serious if when power is offered you just run away.

"Of course some of us might have thought we would have preferred a so called 'rainbow' coalition but in reality Labour had neither the numbers nor the appetite and whilst I am proud of my Social Democrat route into the Liberal Democrats, my liberalism cannot accept Labour's statism and centralising control-freakery. We are better off with the enthusiasm of Cameron to do things differently and make a new start. One could even say we have done Cameron a favour: saving him from the worst and most right wing elements of his own party.

"The coalition agreement settled any doubts I had. Two items did it for me. Firstly the special mention of justice for the victims of the collapse of Equitable Life. Having worked months on the special report in the European Parliament on this issue it was clear that this was a wrong of the former Labour government; long overdue to be righted. I remember our visit to the Treasury as a multi-national, cross party Committee of Enquiry to be greeted as 'Mr Balls visitors group!' Revenge is sweet, but never should a committee of Enquiry from the European Parliament be treated with such condescension again. Perhaps we should have seen this coalition agreement coming then as, to be fair, it was Tory colleagues who helped us ensure a proper outcome for the victims at a European level in the face of hostility from Labour members.

"Secondly how will this new coalition treat Europe? Well if you are either a euro-sceptic or a euro-federalist you will be disappointed, but as a euro-realist, accepting that it will take time to get to grips with the new Lisbon Treaty, this is pragmatic. Added to which didn't we hear that Cameron had been on the phone to Mrs Merkel? In government won't he soon get fed up with his MEPs on the fringes continually voted down? Aren't they rather more likely to slip quietly back into the EPP at some opportune moment?

"What I would like to see is this new coalition improving the practical arrangements with Europe: the checks and balances which could operate in its favour. For instance, making sure that the exercise of the opt-out in the justice area is done in an open and transparent way after full public consultation, parliamentary debate and vote. Also ensuring a public, parliamentary debate on the Commission's annual work programme, perhaps once a year allowing MEPs to participate at Westminster. This would all be a way to really make the Lisbon protocol in favour of national parliaments operate properly at Westminster, not be left to a committee packed with extremist Europhobes or Europhiles. Nothing of this offends either side of the coalition but just opens the practicalities of our relationship with Europe up for normal debate and democratic parliamentary process."