ENGLAND – UK Prime Minister David Cameron says he is determined to start the withdrawal of Liberal Democrats from the coalition government ‘as soon as possible’.
After leading the campaign that killed alternate vote reform, the PM has suggested that Nick Clegg has “no real reason to stick around the office” and his mission must now be brought to an end.
Privately, Mr Cameron is already said to have committed to the withdrawal of all Liberal Democrat members from government by 2012.
Searching for a reason
Political analysts said the death of Nick Clegg’s dream has opened a political window to speed up the pull-out plans. A British government insider added that the successful mission led by Cameron, had increased the “sense of urgency” at Number 10 to end Mr Clegg’s mission entirely.
“The British people, having paid such a high price for voting Lib Dem, want some certainty that there is an end point to this.”
Many have warned an early exit for Nick Clegg and his party could make them a laughing stock – a risk the Prime Minister was more than willing to take at this stage.
“They have to leave eventually, it cannot be allowed to continue for ever,” insisted Mr Cameron, eager to put the Liberal Democrats out of their misery and bring “this pointless charade to a swift close.”
“Alternate voting is dead, I made sure of that myself. What’s left for them to do anymore?”
Talk around Downing Street indicates Mr Cameron is set on this course of action to remove this source of wasteful spending, especially in times of austerity.
“The bottom line is he wants them out and soon. And at the end of the day he is the Prime minister,” said one source. “It’s been a failed mission from the start, I can’t remember one worthwhile initiative they’ve completed since being stationed in government.”
Orderly withdrawal
With any pull-out almost certainly still some time from materialising however, insiders felt “the big worry is David will have to continue talking to Nick until then.”
A spokesman for the Liberal Democrats remained defiant, vowing to keep their mission in government going “no matter how pointless it may seem.”
They have pleaded with David Cameron to allow them to keep a deployment in parliament for at least one more election cycle to avoid being seen as complete failures.
“We would rather make up the numbers than go back to the political wilderness.”
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