Cllr Alan Dean

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Stansted North on Uttlesford District Council and former Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group Learn more

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Waveney lost, but a coalition winner

by Alan Dean on 13 May, 2010

I’m not a very assiduous blogger! I was reminded by one local (Stansted) newspaper today that I haven’t updated this since before Election Day. That’s not because I am sulking since not winning in Waveney! I’ve been so glued to The Box or ‘Coalition Tv’ negotiations that all else stopped for several days. 

The count last Thursday night in Lowestoft went smoothly and everyone was very civilised when the Tories won the seat from Labour. Bob Blizzard lost with good grace. I told Peter Aldous, the new Tory MP, that I would give him support for the regeneration of Lowestoft through my continuing regional role. Waveney is a great place, with much to be done. Catherine and I spent a relaxing Friday evening at a pleasant country hotel before returning home on Saturday. 

And so to the coalition, which a month ago neither Conservatives nor Liberal Democrats ever dreamed about. I think its great and it has to last. It’s refreshing to see political parties working together constructively for everyone’s benefit? A link with Labour was arithmetically unworkable. The electorate dealt a hand to the parties which meant only David Cameron’s and Nick Clegg’s lot could pull it off. Nick was right to start talking first to the Tories; and was right to end up in partnership with that party.  

Having read the coalition agreement, the Lib Dems shouldn’t complain (though a few will) at the outcome and I hope not too many Tories make a fuss. I suspect Cameron is quite pleased to have been able to dump some of their manifesto.  Locally, both parties will have to work out what the ‘love-in’ means for all of us. I guess we could start by actually listening to each other a bit more.  

But that’s for next month. For now, it’s off to a special Lib Dem conference in Birmingham on Sunday when I hope the wider party membership will endorse the deal done this week in Westminster (even though that means the postponement of Thank You! parties in both Lowestoft and Stansted on the same day). 

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