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Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats:Covering the constituencies of Twickenham and Richmond Park |
Simon Hughes: Local elections will be the most difficult ever for Lib Dems
April 12, 2011 6:33 PM
• Andrew Sparrow writes: NICK Clegg complained in an interview this week about being treated like a punchbag. Simon Hughes would have been forgiven for feeling the same way if he had read all 255 questions submitted on the blog I posted earlier this week inviting suggestions for questions ahead of our interview. But he seemed surprisingly upbeat for the deputy leader of a party that has seen its polling figures shrink by more than 50% since the general election . .
Q: On the blog someone posted this question about Lib Dem influence on coalition policy: "What procedures should be put in place to prevent a repeat of the NHS fiasco? If Conservative ministers want to propose other bills that do not reflect either party policy or the coalition agreement, how will you make sure they are acceptable to the party?" I know the party passed a motion at the spring conference addressing this, but can you explain what's going to happen.
A: The answer is we've taken the action already. I saw this as an issue from the time I got elected as deputy leader last summer. I have worked with colleagues in the parliamentary party. We have amended our rules. If anything comes forward now that is contrary to our party's policy or contrary to coalition policy, it will not be something that our government ministers can back unless there is the agreement of the parliamentary party in the House of Commons.
Q: Did that procedure work over Libya?
A: With Libya, yes, it came to the parliamentary party, and it was agreed by the parliamentary party.
Q: Before or after David Cameron committed himself to a no-fly zone?
A: We had a debate before that.
Q: Has this been written into party rules? Or is this an informal mechanism?
A: No. There have been long deliberations over what has been agreed. They will, at the next appropriate occasion, be formally written into the standing orders of the parliamentary party. But we've made the agreement. The parliamentary party has had sub-committees looking at it. It has come up with recommendations. They have been agreed to.
Q: Did that happen before the health bill was published or after?
A: It happened after the announcement on health policy. The process started in the autumn and finished after Christmas, after the New Year. We now have a system that would not allow the Liberal Democrats to be bounced into a position that came out of the pale blue yonder.
Q: Would it have prevented the health bill getting into committee in the shape it did?
A: Yes. It would have prevented the health policy being turned into the health bill in its present shape. It's unique because it's the only major piece of legislation that has not come from the coalition agreement. That's why now there has to be the unscrambling and the remaking [of the bill] because the health bill clearly doesn't conform to either the coalition agreement, or party policy.
• Simon Hughes: Local elections will be the most difficult ever for Lib Dems [Guardian Apr 08]
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