Coalition government and the end of Punch and Judy politics

After a few days of uncertainty and cross-party talks, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have formed a governing coalition. So what does this mean for public engagement and dialogue?

The collaborative approach required by coalition Government may fit well with the mood of the country. Membership of political parties is declining whilst public participation around single issues is on the rise. The public by-and-large is less interested in grand, overarching ideologies and more keen to influence specific decisions they care about.

Yet, the notion of an ideology which guides Government is by no means dead. Instead, in a coalition Government, this ideology must be reached through negotiation between people who may hold very different values. This perhaps offers the potential for a more responsive approach to Government; one which requires policy makers to take into account a wider and more diverse set of voices and interests before reaching a decision. After all, this is what consensus between the parties will require.

As former Head of the Democratic Engagement Branch, Ian Johnson, comments in this month’s interview, the UK has a history of strong Government in which decisions are made and whipped through parliamentary votes.

Perhaps the change in political behaviour required by coalition Government will have a wider cultural impact. If politicians are required to be more open with each other, collaborate and reach consensus, this could signal the beginning of post-Punch and Judy politics. Could dialogue and deliberation have an increased role to play in this new environment? 

The insights of those involved in dialogue, deliberation and collaboration in recent years could ensure that the new Government approaches this new era building on the lessons we have learned. One of the greatest opportunities is to move from occasional, one off, engagements towards a more day-to-day culture of collaboration and applying what is learned as a core part of the policy-making - and policy implementing - process. The Low Carbon Communities Challenge (LCCC) offers a good model. LCCC is a 3 year action learning programme at the community level, feeding back lessons learned into national policy for more information visit the Sciencewise-ERC website.