They Blog For You

LIBERAL Democrats are feeling the heat, it seems.

You can’t open up Tweetdeck without seeing scores of them complaining about Labour attacks on them.

But here’s the thing: that’s what happens when you’re in government. It happened to us, just as ferociously and consistently, during our 13 years in office. You are never loved by your political opponents. They will use every opportunity to undermine and discourage you. All the time. Forever.

That is poiltics.

The LibDems have never had to face up to this before because they’ve always seen themselves as the conscience of the political classes – above the fray, too pure to get their hands dirty, an honest broker, if you will.

Then suddenly, one election result later and they’re in government, and a lot of people are falling out of love with them. They’ve chosen to make major policy compromises. They say those compromises were necessary and some will agree with them. But many do not.

They shouldn’t feel surprised. They should just be grateful that they now know what it feels like to be in government and (thereofore) to be unpopular. When Nick Clegg was banging on every week at PMQs about how terrible it was that the “two old parties” were all rubbish and why couldn’t everyone be more like the LibDems, you didn’t hear Labour Party members complaining that he was being mean to us. He was being mean, but it didn’t matter.It was expected because we were the government.

Criticism comes with the office. Get used to it. Comrades.