Coalition governments are not generally associated with happy endings and the extent to which the alliance between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties is destined to preserve this tradition is much debated.
In truth, the functioning of any coalition government is bound by its very nature to be peculiar. Daily tensions require delicate management as decision makers seek new ways to reconcile the opposing forces of cooperation and distinctiveness. Talk of ‘exit plans’ for the Liberal Democrats prior to anticipated annihilation in 2015 or bids by the likes of Ed Balls, Labour shadow chancellor, to lure Liberal Democrat business secretary, Vince Cable, into forging a Labour/Liberal alliance in opposition to the Conservativeled coalition’s cuts programme require regular attention and can deflect from the demands of government.
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