Strong Government

What is the meaning of “strong government”? I’ve heard the term bandied about by many people over the last couple of days, but no one’s tried to define it for me. It appears that it’s just one of those things we must want without knowing what it actually means.First and foremost, I don’t subscribe to the line of thought that the lack of a majority equals the absence of the aforementioned type of government. There’s a difference between a government in a strong position, i.e. one with a large majority of seats, and a strong government.

The latter is more about good leadership and confidence. That type of strength stems from the ability to compromise without feeling you’re losing control. You know the type of thing… being able to take advice, considering other points of view and adapting to changing conditions when formulating your plans.

And that’s exactly the sort of thing that Cameron and Clegg should be up to now. The greatest test of their ability to lead is lies in coming to some agreement and then winning the support of their respective parties. That’s what’ll determine how ‘strong’ the new Government will be.

We’ve had a long history of majorities yielding dictatorial Prime Ministers: Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and most recently that noted control freak, Gordon Brown. They may have possessed strong positions in Parliament, but considering the results how strong was their Government? Each lead us to their own brand of blinkered disaster: the loss of a balanced Economy, an illegal war in Iraq, and the Credit Crisis.

I voted for the Liberal Democrats—in an ubersafe Conservative seat I might add—to indicate my desire for a hung parliament. The absence of a single dominant party is the way of the future. Manifestos will be statements of Party negotiating position rather than an outright promise to the Electorate, that’s often broken.

The modern society is a complex web of systems in constant flux, it’s not one in which anyone can survive with the entrenched opinions our adversarial system promotes. General Moltke once said that “No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy”, and that’s still just as true.

Flexibility is the key and electoral reform is the way to get it precisely because it’ll ensure that no single party will be dominant again. This doesn’t have to mean perpetually weak government, rather it imposes a responsive approach to politics of which the General would approve.

If our current politicians can’t adapt, we’ll have to find some new ones that will. Cameron and Clegg are both young men that touted the need for change during the election campaign. With long careers ahead of them it’s time to start learning.