A marriage of inconvenience?

So the deed is done, the paper is signed, and we have a coalition government for the first time in 70 years. If the spin coming from the tories and the libdems is to be believed, all is sweetness, light and harmony. Really? Really? So from now on Simon Hughes and the grossly eurosceptic Bill Cash are bosom buddies? Liam Fox from the tory militant right tendency is happy to share his political world with the likes of Vince Cable? And this from two parties that were at each others throats not 7 days ago (a week, of course being a long time in politics). David Cameron, during the election, damning in his condemnation (although are we now a ConDem nation?) of hung parliaments and their inevitable horse trading and deal making.

Bookies have evens on an election within 6 months - and they are rarely wrong. It is possible to already see the beginnings of fault lines running across the face of the agreement. The libdems have 'dropped' their plans for a mansion tax (shame!); the tories are 'deferring' their cherished plans to increase inheritance tax thresholds. Interesting choice of words. Wait for the rumblings of discontent from grass roots of both parties....

Applications for membership of the labour party rocketed last night and even (if this can be believed) caused the labour party website to crash. Even ignoring that, it is certain that there are hundreds of libdem activists, candidates and voters waking up this morning feeling betrayed and intending never to vote libdem again. Because, lets face it, for all his talk of the need for strong and stable government, this deal is all about Clegg and his desperate, overweening desire for power. And now he has it...well, the heights of Deputy Prime Minister ( a post that was invented to accommodate Heseltine's vanity and continued in order to ensure that John Prescott felt loved); a post that is as effective as cameron allows it to be (will Clegg stand in at PMQ;s I wonder?....)

In a few weeks the byelection in Thirsk and malton (normally a safe tory seat) will be held. Apparently, there will be a choice of Libdem AND tory candidates. Really? And how are voters meant to choose between them? Will the two candidates travel round together (like Tweedledum and Tweedledumber), agreeing with each other on every policy point?

The future, for labour, looks a lot brighter. A defeat that could have been much worse, but still leaves a healthy nucleus from which to rebuild. A chance to re-focus and reinvent, to elect a new leader (the momentum seems to be with D. Miliband) and prepare for the next election. A number of years (uncertain at present) to win increasing numbers of council seats and control of councils, pull off surprising byelection wins, and generally hold to account both tories AND libdems. It will be interesting to see how much fire labour can turn onto the libdems - it will be unusual being able to attack them for ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING rather than the usual libdem way of talking much and doing little....

All I need now (on a personal level) is for some multi billionaire to buy out Stadler and Waldorf at Liverpool, Rafa to stay and LFC to buy David Villa this summer...now I am dreaming...