The Question for the Lib Dems is just how much of the Conservative manifesto can they live with. As the majority party in a coalition they can expect the lion share of policies but how much of those will the Lib dems accept. The Lib Dems will have to decide on which bits of their manifesto they are committed to. For my part the worst scenario is that the Lib Dems just accept what ever they are given by the Conservatives in return for some seats in cabinet. That would be power at any price. In my opinion they should decide not only how much of the Conservative manifesto but a few key principles of their own. The evidence from abroad is that parties that try and demand too much pay for it at the next election.

The most radical part of the Lib Dems proposals are, I think, the reform of electoral practices. It is the one key area in politics where they regularly suffer. Of all the parties the number of seats fielded in Parliament is far and away outstripped by the number of people who actually vote for them. Therefore i believe it is the one thing they should hold out for. Some sort of referendum on reform.

The danger for the Lib Dems is that, whichever party they join with they are going to be tarred with the same brush. There are difficult decisions ahead. I have read comments from political observers that claims whoever makes these decisions could make themselves unelectable for a decade such is the scale of the fiscal problems facing the next government. I think the Conservative approach is too gung ho for the Lib Dems. Can they live with that?Or can they temper the Conservative approach?

A coalition of Conservative and Lib Dems makes political sense as it could be a strong government. it would have a decent majority. A partnership with Labour would struggle more perhaps.

Time will tell