Mandelson and the Lib Dems’ dilemma

The Prince of Darkness has made a rare foray into the light of public life. He uses an article in today’s Times (£) to do a little waspish mischief about the coalition and the Liberal Democrats. He writes:

‘The Lib Dems are beginning to behave like an internal opposition. Staking out positions in the media, drawing public lines in the sand and making threatening noises when something is not to their liking is not the way to address their political problems of the past year. These led to their trouncing in the May elections and the AV referendum. The public formed the view that the Lib Dems were in too deep with the Conservatives, forcing them to renounce policies that were dear to them and betraying many, if not most, of those who voted for them. Such is the price a party pays when it spends ten years attacking Labour from the left only to jump into bed with the Conservatives at the first opportunity.