THE STUPID PARTY

The fate of this government was largely decided on a particular day in July 2012. It was the day that saw the debate on a Lib Dem sponsored move reform the House of Lords. It was a terrible bill that sought to replace the current unelected chamber with a glorified quango. It deserved to be defeated and so it was by the united ranks of Conservative backbenchers. However it was less the fact of its defeat than the manner that proved significant. As Tory backbencher after backbencher rose to their feet to pour buckets of warm spittle over the head of Nick Clegg and his Liberal Democrat colleagues. The Tories burst free of the shackles of coalition and took enormous pleasure out of letting their true feelings about Clegg and the Lib Dems pour out onto the pages of Hansard. All good House of Commons knockabout fun, here is Sir Malcolm Rifkind doing a particularly good job from [1.20 minutes in].

Only problem was that Lords reform was part of an agreed package of reforms that included approving boundary changes favorable to the Conservatives. Well you can deride and mock a man, you can even renege on promises made, what you cannot then expect however is that the man will then go through the division lobbies for you when you need to call in the favour. To the astonishment of the tactically challenged Tory Right Clegg took umbrage at his treatment at their hands and refused to support a change to constituency boundaries. Apoplectic with rage the former grinning hecklers of the Tory party could only watch impotently as a major obstacle to securing an electoral majority was placed in their way.
Few sights have given me greater pleasure in recent years than the smug laughter of Tory backbench MP's as they unwittingly sabotaged their own electoral prospects. It's the only really good joke that Nick Clegg ever made.
Once or twice in recent years the Conservatives have shown worrying signs of strategic intelligence. Now win or lose this May the party will implode, as a consequence of the rabid hatred of the EU and the Cameron succession. Until the character and intelligence of the average right wing backbencher improves the Tory party, thankfully, seems condemned to remain the stupid party. 
Turkeys Voting for Christmas 

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