So after all the shenanigans and horse trading since the inconclusive election result lo and behold we have a coalition government, the first working coalition for seven decades. So what are our hopes? The doom mongers will bleat about the impracticalities of such an arrangement and it is quite impressive that they can remember what happened just before the Second World War.
It will fall apart in days, the mainstream media gloat and having already had their hatchets sharpened for months they are now ready for some serious damage. But wait should we not give this idea a chance? The majority of the population have become disillusioned by the grubby nature of politics. The expenses scandal was the tip of the iceberg and revealed an arrogant, money-grabbing attitude that prevails at Westminster. Respect for politicians and the political machine was at an all time low and the young generation seemed to have turned their back on the whole farrago. Apathy and antipathy were rife.
However, this election galvanised the nation, inspired by the TV debates people got more involved and the turnout increased which is a clear sign that more people have become engaged. The disaster of voters being turned away from the polls at least showed that they cared and however frustrating, those incidents highlighted a shift in public opinion to want to exercise their vote.
And now we have the Cameron-Clegg coalition and I hold out some hope that this may be the new way that we were all demanding for our democracy. The Conservatives have had to listen to the Liberal Democrats, include them in the cabinet and surely the balance between the two parties might actually lead to better, more considered policies rather than having an agenda forced upon us by a clear majority.
Politics is a dirty game and will not become clean overnight but there is at least a change of the old guard and we can all hope that the new model brings a fresh approach, rekindles our faith in Westminster and keeps the MPs on their toes.
