Coalition continues without new agreement

This is the good news in the Independent. It confirms what I have thought since last October. For the minority party in a coalition, it is better not to have your hands tied too tightly. Liberal Democrat MPs have marched through the lobbies so often for illiberal policies since the coalition was formed that the public now has little idea of what the party stands for. Ministers have honoured collective responsibility defending policies they never campaigned for. The hard business of negotiation behind the scenes will continue but I believe that our ministers will have more clout if their agreement has to be sought case by case. Perhaps some of the messy business of compromise will become more visible and not a moment too soon. Voters need to see what Liberals stand for and to understand that the compromises are inevitably not the same.