leadership

On Sunday I asked if anyone was surprised how the election was playing out. Few were.

"Really?" I countered. "You all thought the Liberals would end up with fewer seats?" People laughed and accepted they didn't think that. "And that the Liberals and Tories would end up in a coalition?" Again laughter, and acknowledgement that this was indeed an unlikely outcome.

And, for now, again it seems an unlikely outcome.

The thing about political coalitions in our nation is that they just don't work terribly well. Everyone has to be committed to them - and the only way that works is if there really is some outside force making people work together. Like Hitler - that did the trick. But little else does. And a junior coalition partner has to enter into things wholeheartedly or look like an opportunist wrecker pretty darned fast, whilst also taking the risk of being merely the majority's whipping boys. It is hardly a win-win situation.

Saint Nick is beginning to lose a little of his lustre as he plays the Tories and the Labour party off each other (can you imagine the next Prime Ministerial debates - Cameron saying that whatever the result of the election, it will be the people who choose the prime minister, not Nick Clegg's demands that force his party to have a quick leadership election...) and meanwhile we have an economy clearly run by the City with very little reference to whoever is or isn't "in power".

I repeatedly say I don't have a political allegiance. But I do think we will see another General Election, and the way things are panning out, I think we'll see it sooner rather than later. And I wouldn't think it would make too much difference if the Coalition of the Defeated assume office, the Rainbow Alliance (every colour except Brown), or a Tory minority government now.

Those who behave best will be treated best. Those who behave badly will be treated badly. If there's any justice. Those who hunger and thirst for power - well, I'd stick Gordon Brown's Sky News mike on all of them. Never switch it off. And then see who was fit to lead...

Goodness. We might all be in for a surprise!

(Later)

Surprise, surprise...
So a Con-Lib coalition after all. You know, I think this may well all end in tears, but I pray they are tears of joy - that people learn to work together for the common good, and in doing so realise that it is good to do so. I have my doubts - and seriously hope to be proved completely wrong. This is no time for cynicism, but for all of us to pray for blessing and guidance and for more surprises - in a world where economies can destroy people, we need to see that governments can also turn the world around and make life better. Whether or not the government we find we have is the one we would have chosen.