Words of wisdom from Tony Greaves in the House of Lords last week:

“People will say that it is very difficult because we live in a media environment which is one of the worst in the democratic world. The
media observe policy differences and call it a split; they observe policy discussions and call it a row; they observe compromises and
call it a betrayal; they observe trade-offs and call it broken promises; they observe a refusal to agree with consultation responses
and call it ideological stubbornness; they observe changes as a result of consultation and call it a U-turn; and if they do not see any of
these things they invent them. However, that is the media we have to deal with and the difficulties that we have with the British media should not get in the way of what should be done.

“For the whole of my political lifetime over 50 years, people have said of the Liberal Democrats, ‘You are never in power. You can say what you like but it is a waste of time voting for you’. Now they are saying: ‘You have thrown away your principles for ministerial seats’. They are both points of view, but when they come from the same people very rapidly it is, at the least, a little annoying.”
The whole speech on the subject of coalition government is worth reading, and I will no doubt be mining it for apposite quotes for some time to come! It is here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/110120-0002.htm#11012045000611

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