Liberal Democrats after the shake-up

Oh where, oh where did the coalition go. No rose garden after this reshuffle. David Cameron only had one party in mind yesterday, the Conservative party.

Forget consensual politics he’s gone for a team that appeals to the grass roots of the party and the right within the parliamentary party. 

As the Liberal Democrats will find, the other faces around the table are not remotely sympathetic to the “liberal” agenda. Indeed some will be doing all they can to frustrate that agenda. So although keeping their five cabinet places they'll be frustrated at every turn.

Loosing Ken Clarke from Justice and replacing him with the modern equivalent of the Judge Jeffrey in the form of Chris Grayling, will not do a great deal for the liberal agenda. Indeed putting him in charge of prisons is like putting King Herod in charge of a play group. Incidentally, the first Lord Chancellor that’s not a lawyer since Tudor times.

The third runway for Heathrow is very much back on the agenda with the removal of Justine Greening from Transport. Ironically if the Liberal Democrats can make the charge stick, that the Tories are determined to build a third runway after the next election, a clutch of Tory seats in the flight path might fall their way.

It looks as if the rest of the green agenda will have a very blue tint under Owen Paterson  the new Environment department boss.It would be an understatement  to say that he's not a great believer in climate change. 

Add Jeremy Hunt, Grant Shapps and our own dear David Jones to the mix and you have a posse of right wing free-marketers surrounding the Liberal Democrats waggons.

So does it all mean that the shotgun wedding is now heading for divorce? Well, not this side of the general election. 

Liberal Democrats will stay in there because withdrawal would bring about a general election and according to the polls they’d be decimated. Self preservation ensures they’ll be holding right in there.

Both sides hope that the economy will come good before the next election. They share the belief in Mr Micawber’s philosophy that something will turn up. But with the current occupant of number eleven refusing to change course, it’s a forlorn hope.