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Press Release

Monday 10 September 2007

Coalition

Harriman House

Oaten publishes his predictions for the next elections

As the prospect of a hung parliament looms large, our political protagonists can learn much from the politics and personalities of the past. A new book by Winchester’s Liberal Democrat MP explores the history of coalition government.

Mark Oaten’s Coalition begins in the 1850s, with Disraeli fighting for his political life and Queen Victoria’s battle to find a Prime Minister from the Whigs and Peelites driving her to despair.

At the start of the following century, the First World War threw Lloyd George into the limelight but nearly killed the Liberal Party; Ramsay MacDonald’s coalition in the 1930s saw him become leader without his party, who many felt he had betrayed, and Churchill’s Great War coalition helped bring victory at war but not in peace.

Decades later, two generations and parties came together with David Steel and Jim Callaghan forming the Lib-Lab pact, something Blair and Ashdown’s "project" never managed to emulate. North of the border, a deal did come off, resulting in Scotland being run by coalition government for 8 years. Throughout Europe, coalitions are the norm but recent political events in Italy and Germany have been far from normal.

All these lessons from history are drawn together by Mark Oaten as he looks forward to the next election and reflects on whether hung parliaments and coalitions can ever work.

Ends

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark Oaten MP was selected to fight for the seat in Winchester in 1995. His parliamentary responsibilities have included: the Spokesman for Disabilities; a member of the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs and Defence team; and Chairman of the All Party Groups on Far Eastern Prisoners of War and on Adoption.

At the June election 2001, Winchester achieved the highest turnout, and returned Mark with a majority of 9,634. After the election, he was elected Chairman of the Parliamentary Party of the Liberal Democrats.

In October 2003, Mark replaced Simon Hughes as Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary. He resigned in January 2006.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

More details can be found online at: www.harriman-house.com/coalition

For further information on this book or its author, please contact Helen McCusker in the PR department at Harriman House:

Tel: +44 (0)1730 233885
Email: pr@harriman-house.com

Harriman House Ltd, 3A Penns Road, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 2EW

Coalition

Coalition
The politics and personalities of coalition government from 1850
By Mark Oaten

Published: 12th September 2007

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