Ten years from the coalition, the lessons we should have learned

It seems only yesterday that Nick Clegg and David Cameron stood together in the Rose Garden of No10 Downing Street, to give their first joint press conference.

The moment was historic, with the Lib Dems and the Conservatives forming the first peace-time coalition government since Lloyd-George, and working together at a time of national crisis to find a solution to the financial and economic crisis that was consuming the country.

They openly admitted there were fundamental differences between the two parties, their members and indeed their MPs, but something far bigger than party politics was at stake.

The country was facing years of economic hardship, with the UK debt looming over the economy, casting a shadow over the UK’s entire future. So in a time of national crisis, they did what anyone in politics should do, and they came together in an act of national unity, working together to find a common ground and to lead the UK out of one of the worst financial situations in history.

As we find ourselves, exactly ten years on, facing a monumental challenge for this country, the lessons from the coalition should not be forgotten. Our political leaders need to look to each other for guidance, support and different sets of views and opinions.

Yes, the electoral maths has changed significantly since the heady days of 2010, but the uncertainty facing our country has only grown stronger. Political point-scoring is a cheap way to undermine the leadership of a country that needs reassurance, but in the same vein, so is refusing to look outside your own narrow tent for guidance.

The coalition was able to show the value of cooperation, with both sides having to make compromises that ultimately prevented dogma from dictating policy decisions. Indeed, Ministers from both parties reported at the time that they had to take a much more evidence-based approach to policy making in an effort to ensure support from across the coalition.

The “internal political review” as described by the Conservative Party Chairman at the time, allowed for greater accountability and without doubt, this is a more effective way to shape policy than by shouting across the dispatch box. This is not to say that Keir Starmer should be looking to go into partnership with the government, but to say that acting in the interest of the nation as a whole should be considered the primary goal of any Premier-in-waiting.

In just five years, the two parties of the coalition were able to bring down the deficit, increase employment, cut income tax thresholds while also focussing on major social reforms, including the legislation introducing same-sex marriages.

As we continue to head into the unknown created by Covid-19, we should all look back to the values that took this country forward in 2010 — a binding belief that a shared vision and political openness is better than party hackery and blind dogma. Rather than consigning Clegg and Cameron to the dustbin of political history let’s say thank you for the way they taught us to behave in the national, not the party interest, and bring those ideals back to the table.