The price of Liberal Democrat support for a Labour minority government would start with electoral reform without a referendum, in a confidence and supply agreement, I’m informed. Senior Labour and Lib Dem figures are turning thoughts to potential arrangements as the by-election results from Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton, Boris Johnson’s continuing leadership and the cost-of-living crisis heighten the prospect of Tory election defeat. Keir Starmer is unlikely to secure an overall majority, so the Con-Dem coalition veteran Ed Davey’s current thinking is to demand a fairer voting system instead of short-term ministerial posts, red boxes and cars. Tories who fear that a Lab-Lib pincer movement could lock them out of power will go spare. Avoiding Nick Clegg’s 2011 electoral referendum mistake would fuel Johnson’s claims that both opposition parties would also ignore the EU referendum result and get Brexit undone. “We’ve just got to bite the bullet,” screamed my snout.
[See also: Boris Johnson remaining in office is only helping the Liberal Democrats triumph]
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