Has it all been a terrible mistake?

Today’s my 66th birthday and, as no doubt it will be hard to avoid today, the second anniversary of that Tuesday in May 2010 when Gordon Brown, Sarah and his two children left Number 10 for the last time as PM.

It is also the second anniversary of Dave as prime minister and, of course, the creation of what all seemed so positive then, the coalition.

Looking back to those heady days I wonder just how much all parties were spooked by Gordon and the worry that even though he had just lost the election he might try to remain at Number 10?

Was it that reason why Cameron made the offer to talks to the Lib Dems rather than just waiting so he could seek to run a Tory minority government?

It would have been better, it is arguable, for both the Tories and LDs if the arrangement with the yellows had just been for supply and confidence?

Cameron would have then gone to the country in the following 12 months in the hope of winning a majority.

We are where we are. I am coming to the view that the coalition was a mistake but Nick Clegg had little alternative when the offer was put on the table. If it had been rebuffed then the party would have been seen by the world as not being interested in power.

So year two is over – will it get to year five? Possibly.

@MikeSmithsonOGH