Chris Moncrieff: An unlikely union that may save the UK

Tory peer Lord (Kenneth) Baker, a former Conservative Party chairman, has warned that a coalition between Labour and the Scottish Nationalists could 
have dire consequences for the unity of the UK and could lead to Scotland breaking away.

He is not alone in expressing these fears. But, given the circumstances, his suggestion for a Con-Lab coalition is not so outlandish as it sounds.

The last such coalition was during the Second World War. But now Lord Baker – and I suspect others – believe that the threat to the United Kingdom is now so grave that desperate remedies are needed to avoid a break-up.

Such a coalition, which need last for only, say, two years, would hamstring the two main parties to some extent: the Tories would have to forget about repealing the ban on hunting with dogs, and Labour would have to forgo its proposed mansion tax.

Needless to say, neither Ed Miliband nor David Cameron will discuss this option – because they both declare they are fighting for outright victory.

But we shall see...

OUR established political leaders would never admit it, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that Nigel Farage and Ukip are already setting the agenda for the coming general election campaign.

Neither David Cameron nor Ed Miliband have been over-eager to highlight the question of immigration during the campaign because both the Conservative and Labour parties’ handling of this issue has been unimpressive (some would say disastrous) to say the least.

But now they will be forced to take it on board because Farage and Co are determined to put immigration centre stage throughout the campaign.

This is the one political issue which gets talked about in the saloon bars of Britain and by the man on the Clapham omnibus and elsewhere.

Cameron and Miliband would no doubt prefer to sweep immigration under the carpet or at most treat it as a peripheral issue.

No chance now – Farage has got them by the short and curlies.

THREE cheers for the broadcasters! The politicians and, I am sorry to say, notably the Prime Minister, seemed arrogantly to have assumed that the airwaves are theirs and that whatever they demand in relation to the election televised debates, the broadcasters will have to comply with.

Well, I am glad to say that the broadcasters have asserted what is surely their right and set the rules for these debates.

For David Cameron to say that he will appear in only one such debate, with six other party leaders in March, before the election campaign proper gets under way, was outlandish. Who does he think he is? The politicians are supposed to be our servants and not our masters.

So what does he do now? Does he back down, which would be humiliating, or will the debates go ahead without the Prime Minister?

I just hope they stick to their guns.

THE House of Commons authorities are to tighten up on the activities of free-loading MPs – and not before time, too.

After the general election, MPs will be banned from claiming expenses for dinners, TV licences and taxis before 11pm.

The clampdown on MPs frittering away taxpayers’ money on themselves did not seem to have had a huge effect after the expenses scandal of the previous Parliament.

And you can bet your bottom dollar that if there are any loopholes in the new arrangements, MPs will quickly winkle them out.

Chris Moncrieff is a former political editor of the Press Association.