No Blackberry's please, we're British...

May 14, 2010

Big news in UK politics today - mobile and smartphones are banned from the Cabinet by the new Prime Minister (perhaps apeing the 2007 decision of the French Cabinet) and the new Foreign Secretary is off to Washington to try to educate America as to what a Coalition Government looks like whilst pledging undying loyalty to the Special Relationship. Clear evidence of change of which Sir Humphrey would be very proud, with the new Government sticking to what Appleby suggest as "masterly inactivity Prime Minister ?"

In any event the major posts seem settled between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats with the junior positions and House of Commons Committees yet to be staffed.

One would expect Cameron to take a 'death by kindness' approach to the Lib Dems - employ them all in Committees over his own party in order to a) keep the Lib Dems busy and cozy avoiding a Lib Dem back-bench revolt and b) keep his own back-benchers hungry for office of any kind blaming the need to keep his partners on board.

The Conservatives seem to be busy acting akin to the alien race known as the Borg in Star Trek - absorbing the Liberal Democrats into the Tory Party and tying them in to a long-term coalition - minus any interest in Europe, the Euro and electoral reform.

On proposition making the rounds whilst UK PLC is fatigued following the election is to create fixed terms of Parliament and preventing votes of no-confidence forcing a General Election. A very sharp practice recognising the real threat that Labour can turn itself around over the next few years and come back strong seeking a fresh chance to govern. BBC quoted British expert Professor Peter Hennessy, of Queen Mary University of London University, who told the BBC it looked like "very very iffy politics indeed"

Whilst readers in the united States may see fixed terms as logical - akin to the US Presidential system just think of the weaknesses inherent in such a move. By clearly marking out the end of a term, the ability to make decisions becomes highly constrained as people adopt a 'wait-and-see' strategy.

One suspects an intriguing autumn political season with the key issues being how long before the Lib Dems start to want to see any kind of policy executed and the Labour Party's leadership reposte.