According to the BBC news the reaction is mixed. In the large rural constituencies that have Lib-Dem MPs they are quite relaxed about it. It’s a different story in urban Lib-Dem constituencies, which tend to be more radical. In those the rank and file are unhappy about the deal.
Here’s a link of how certain types are taking it: northumbrian.org.uk
Note the idea that being a millionaire is a bad thing, rather than being a sign of success. Note the references to Thatcher. Note the making a point, falling on a sword, for no particular reason.
And yet also note how unnecessary it is to do this and the unquestionable personal integrity of the man writing it. That’s the problem, that’s what the lib dems have to avoid too much of. They were very much born of such so it is a particular issue…
There’s a certain type which is actually much happier in the ‘purity of opposition’ where they can just criticise and don’t have to make any real-life choices. I think Dennis Potter’s Vote, Vote, Vote for Nigel Barton has a character who says something on the lines of “I would rather spend twenty years in the wilderness than betray my socialist principles”
We’re coping okay. I’m going to a post-campaign loca Lib Dem function on Saturday where I imagine the tone will be cautiously optimistic about the influence we have within the coalition and that we’re likely to get a stab at some kind of voting reform which will improve Lib Dem numbers in the future. I’ll let you all know afterwards how it turns out. 
Cheers
BTW, would I know you under any different username at some of the major blogs? PM if you like 
The new government have scrapped plans for a third runway at Heathrow. That was quick off the mark by them!
I thought each terminal had at least two runways. 
You must be thinking of Orland - 2 terminals, 4 runways. Heathrow is the busiest international airport (and third biggest overall) in the world and has just 2 runways for 5 terminals.
I’ve been there heaps of times. I just didn’t realize all those terminals were sharing the same two runways. Explains a lot, though.
The LibDem poobahs instantly approved the coalition with just a single abstention, I think. I suspect the party activists will be cool with it, all in all, at least at first.
Well, no one ever held up the Brits as runway models. [rimshot]
Slight nitpick, Terminal 2 has now closed down for redevelopment, and will not reopen until 2014.
Having seen more of what sort of policies they’ll be pursuing, I couldn’t be happier with the current arrangement. Not only are they busily getting rid of all the worst civil liberty abuses instituted by Labour but the coalition arrangement means that the more radical ideas of both the ruling parties are being curtailed, leaving a sensible middle. Although I lean LibDem I’m no fan of some of their more leftist ideas such as charging headlong into the euro (especially now) or hacking up the big banks immediately, and I certainly don’t like the Tories’ ideas of charging away from Europe and cutting back on the inheritance tax (especially now).
I also think fans of PR (of which I am one) should consider the current government a test case for PR, since if it is enacted coalition governments will almost certainly be the norm. If it doesn’t work, maybe PR isn’t the best sytem for the UK after all.
And finally, of course, it’s great fun to see the ideological purists on both sides sputter and harrumph about the coalition. Welcome to politics, folks.
Yes indeed!
No, not a blogger. I just help out in my local constituency on grass roots stuff, although I’ve been offered the chance to take a greater role in our local council workings as we won a couple of seats so that will be interesting.
Major Lib Dem support in Twickenham, Richmond, and other areas under the flightpath. So we’ll likely be seeing a 4th airport in the Thames estuary.
Note: Traditionally LibDem Richmond went to the Conservatives this time, as I recall. Which negates your point not at all.
It’s nice that some can find the time outside the love-in to paint all dispirited liberals as hopeless fanatics. I don’t buy it. They had little choice but to join the Conservatives but that doesn’t mean everyone has to be happy about it. Lets not pretend there aren’t fundamental differences in their members concerns about global warming, social policy or Europe. Are we supposed to forget the party leaders, media and supporters were trying to destroy each other a few weeks ago? I don’t read the Sun, how are they treating Clegg now?
Still, I hope the coalition lasts. Seriously. They are forcing each other to abandon their more extreme policies. I can live with a moderate government. It might be fun when splits start to develop too.
I really hope Labour can sort itself out. They need a comprehensive clean-out of their policies along with a convincing leadership election. I want to see at least 4 good candidates. We only have one serious opposition party now and I want them to keep the government on their toes.
So who would our BritDopers like to see as the new Labour leader, and why?
I’m not sure what you mean about differences with global warming, sure there’s the occasional MMGW denier on the fringe of the Tories, but there were on Labour. Similarly the “hang em and flog em” Tory contingent is far more represented in the grass roots than it is in the parliamentary party.
Europe… yeah, that could get interesting… But then there’s no Maastricht or similar on the horizon. The only realistic danger would be (yet another) Eurozone bailout.