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Just as we can't know what would have happened if they buddied up to Labour
Yeah yeah but they would never, ever have done this. Despite their lovable image - derived mostly from them never actually being in power in living memory - Liberal Conservatives are their natural bed-fellows, Labour, not so much. Not even a tiny bit. Not even New Labour.
we can't also know how much, if at all, they dampened the effect of the Tories worst tendencies
But we can - in the coalition, right to rent is blocked. Post coalition, immediate implementation of right to rent.
Howard-
Liberal Conservatives are their natural bed-fellows, Labour, not so much. Not even a tiny bit. Not even New Labour.
Why do you say this specifically? I find it interesting as I'd say they seem closer to the left than the right - e.g. happy to increase taxes to fund public expenditure (look at their proposals re. The NHS in last prospectus, for example).
They don't have an ideological drive for a small state, which is one of the main factors I'd identify with the Tories.
andyfallsoff
Again, I don't disagree with any of the above because we'll never know what we don't know.
Just as we can't know what would have happened if they buddied up to Labour, we can't also know how much, if at all, they dampened the effect of the Tories worst tendencies as we don't have a reality where they weren't involved.
My dislike for him and the party at the time is purely for being involved with what did happen which was a total clusterfuck.