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The Making and Modus Operandi of the Coalition Government

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The British Coalition Government, 2010-2015

Abstract

We start by explaining why the Conservatives chose to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, rather than form a minority government on their own, and why the Liberal Democrats opted to enter into partnership with the Conservatives, rather than Labour. We attribute these decisions to three factors: parliamentary numbers, ideological and policy closeness, and the rapport which David Cameron and Nick Clegg quickly established. Having then agreed to work together, the two parties had to reach agreement on a wide range of policies, and also on how ministerial posts would be allocated. On policies where the two parties held significantly different views, an ‘agreement to differ’ was formally adopted, which would have implications for the traditional convention of ‘collective responsibility’ in British government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    Peter Dorey (Professor of British Politics)

  2. Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK

    Mark Garnett (Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations)

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  1. Peter Dorey
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  2. Mark Garnett
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Dorey, P., Garnett, M. (2016). The Making and Modus Operandi of the Coalition Government. In: The British Coalition Government, 2010-2015. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-02377-3_2

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