Will Cameron’s hopes of a deal be dashed by the LD membership?

In recent days the Tories have stepped up the rhetoric in their bid to win over Lib Dem supporters and also pave the way for a possible post-election working arrangement with the party.

But is this doomed to fail because of the political make-up of the ultimate sovereign body within the party – the membership.

The above poll finding is from a YouGov survey of 406 Lib Dem members that was carried out at the start of 2006 for the Daily Telegraph. Although it is now more than a year old the finding is probably not too far out of line with what you would find today.

For the members of the Liberal Democrats are generally quite left-wing and it is hard to see a party with the above make-up feeling comfortable with any deal with the Tories.

Cameron’s overtures, reported in the Independent today, might be more successful with party voters rather than members.

All this could be critical in the weekend after the next general election. Campbell, or whoever is the Lib Dem leader, would simply not be able to carry his party with him.

Mike Smithson