Life is grim, but now and then a shaft of light breaks through. Larger than expected numbers of voters turned out in the referendum to kick out the Alternative Vote, leaving Liberal Democrats with nothing from their coalition, except of course the pleasure of propping up the Conservatives.
In the event, turnout was 42 per cent.
So the government needn’t have shown its lack of democracy by earlier voting down a move in the Lords that sought to make the referendum result binding only if more than 40 per cent took part.
Clegg admitted he’d got a good kicking. But that should be just the start, a little taster: workers must now really put the boot in to this demoralised coalition. It won’t fall apart by itself, and gutless Labour certainly won’t topple it for us. It’s time for the working class to show its mettle. ■