When the coalition was created in May, Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrat negotiation team were lauded for their achievements. Commitments were secured with regard to each of the four key manifesto promises and a host of other policies, as well as and five Cabinet positions. There was much talk, some of it from bitter conservatives, of us punching above our weight.
Fast forward 8 months and things may not seem so rosy. The party has taken a real battering on tuition fees and there is a perception that it is, somehow, being used as a human (or hamanising) shield for Tory policies. Or, to carry on with the boxing metaphor, the party is being allowed to be used as a punchbag for any unpopular policies, regardless of what the manifestos said.
Counter intuitively, though, when Liberal Democrat policies are implemented - such as the introduction of the Pupil Premium - the party does not seem to get the credit. This was noted by Lord Bonkers, who lamented the lack of trumpeting of the Pupil Premium and led me to write this post on my general blog, the widow's world.
I intend it to function as a digest of links to news reports and blog articles about positive Liberal Democrat achievements arising from the coalition. Occassionally I shall cross-post longer pieces but don't anticipate I'll have the time to do that on an ongoing basis.
The first post proper - to be made shortly - will celebrate the news that detention of children in the immigration system is to end.
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