Senior Labour figures cast doubt on Lib Dem alliance
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s attempts to strike a power-sharing deal with the Liberal Democrats were severely undermined today as a string of senior Labour figures spoke out against the move.
Ministers past and present joined backbench MPs in urging that Labour had to accept it had lost the General Election and that stitching together a coalition would backfire at the polls.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham was the most senior to voice his scepticism, saying: “I think we have got to respect the result of the General Election and you cannot get away from the fact that Labour didn’t win.”
After former home secretary David Blunkett said that joining a “coalition of the defeated” would spell electoral disaster for Labour, Mr Burnham said: “I think David has spoken with real authority on this matter.”
Amid reports that Labour’s negotiations with the Lib Dems were all but over, a source close to the Mr Brown insisted his side was happy to continue talking.
But all the momentum appeared to be draining from Labour’s last-ditch bid – led by Business Secretary Peter Mandelson – to stay in power as part of a coalition.
Mr Brown fell on his sword last night in an attempt to appeal to the Lib Dems to join his party in government.
But the two parties would still not have a Commons majority and would require the support of other, minor parties in a “rainbow” alliance.
Junior schools minister Diana Johnson warned that the numbers were not there to support what has been styled as a “progressive coalition” among centre-left parties.
“It’s just on arithmetic – if you look at the figures and what the Liberal Democrats would bring and various other parties would bring, I just don’t think the numbers stack up,” she said.
“There might be ways round it, but I don’t think the numbers are there.”
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander also appeared to rule out co-operation with the Scottish National Party, whose MPs could have proved all-important.
“There are fundamental differences between the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party and personally I can’t envisage circumstances in which we would enter into agreement with the Scottish National Party,” he said.
Former lord chancellor Lord Falconer this afternoon said Mr Brown should “call it quits now” on efforts to form a coalition government with the Lib Dems.
Lord Falconer told the BBC: “I think we are not going to form this progressive alliance. It was right to start talks yesterday because it may be that what the Liberal Democrats were saying was that they couldn’t do a deal with the Tories.
“But if it’s plain that they can and the only way that one can do a deal with the Liberal Democrats was offering things that wouldn’t be acceptable to a majority in the Labour Party, then I think we’ve got to stop.”
Amid a growing revolt against a Lib-Lab coalition, one of Labour’s most influential MPs insisted any power-sharing deal would have to be put to the wider party for approval.
Jon Cruddas, seen as a likely candidate for the Labour leadership, called for formal consultation with the party’s MPs, National Executive Committee and affiliated trade unions.
Earlier, Mr Blunkett said: “If we continue not listening then we will lose very badly at any subsequent general election.
“That would be even worse than a situation where we have a minority government in which we check what they do, whilst acting responsibly in the interests of the nation.”
He also questioned the trustworthiness of the Lib Dems, asking: “Can you trust the Liberal Democrats? They are behaving like every harlot in history.”
John Reid, another former home secretary, said: “I think a Lib-Lab pact would be the wrong thing for the country.
“I fail to see how trying to bring together six different parties – and even then not having a majority – will bring the degree of stability we need.”
He added: “Don’t forget we have just had the biggest loss of seats in Labour’s history.
“If we are perceived to be responding to that by ignoring it and by trying to cobble something together that patently isn’t in the national interest, then we will face the same thing in the future.”
Senior Labour backbencher Sir Stuart Bell told the BBC he was concerned about Mr Brown’s announcement last night that the party was entering formal talks with the Lib Dems.
“All of us who have been returned (as Labour MPs) are a little uneasy that this was announced at 5 o’clock last night, very uneasy about the alternative vote – the proposition that there might be a Bill in the new parliament,” he said.
