Britain's new Prime Minister David Cameron talks to President Barack Obama on the phone in 10 Downing Street on May 11, 2010.Andrew Parsons handout/The Associated Press
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper congratulated David Cameron on becoming Britain's new Prime Minister, without mentioning the word "coalition." But then coalitions are not Mr. Harper's thing.
"I am pleased to offer my sincere and heartfelt congratulations to David Cameron on his general election victory," Mr. Harper said in a statement. Actually, Mr. Cameron didn't "win" the election, since his party came to power only by joining in a formal coalition with the third-place Liberal Democrats led by Nick Clegg.
Canadian minority parliaments typically eschew coalitions, with the governing party seeking support from the opposition on a bill-by-bill basis. The aborted exception was a coalition proposed between the Liberals and New Democrats in 2008 that would have unseated Mr. Harper. He saved his political skin by having Parliament prorogued, giving the Liberals time to change leaders and strategy.
British political leaders believe that the government needs broad, entrenched support for the hard tasks that lie ahead. But there isn't any sign that anyone in Ottawa is thinking about emulating the British example.
Maybe it's just not good form to mention coalitions. President Barack Obama phoned Mr. Cameron to congratulate him Tuesday, but his statement didn't bring up Mr. Clegg either.
Where the coalition parties stood on key issues during the election
|
Issue |
Conservatives |
Liberal Democrats |
|
Deficit and spending |
Eliminate "the bulk" of the structural deficit within five years, beginning in 2010 with £6-billion in cuts |
Cut £15-billion per year spending while cutting the deficit by more than 50% by 2014, and reducing the structural deficit by at least two-thirds over the next parliament |
|
Immigration |
Bring down net immigration to 1990s levels |
Support a common EU asylum policy |
|
Afghanistan |
Back continued presence in Afghanistan |
"Critically support" mission in Afghanistan and believe that a political settlement with moderate Taliban is possible, allowing British troops to come home during the next Parliament |
|
Nuclear weapons |
Maintain nuclear weapons |
Halve stockpile of nuclear warheads as a prelude to kick-starting multilateral disarmament |
|
Crime and punishment |
Increase prison capacity above in order to scrap the early release scheme |
Reduce the use of short sentences and encourage use of community sentencing to reduce prison overcrowding |
|
Electoral reform |
Opposes reform of voting system |
Calls for fixed elections and single transferable vote system |
|
Environment |
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 |
Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2020, and 100% by 2050 |
|
European Union |
Rule out adopting the Euro currency |
Support adopting the Euro, but no plans for early entry |
Source: British Broadcasting Corporation
Making history
David Cameron is the youngest British Prime Minister in 254 years, since the Duke of Devonshire reluctantly took power in 1756 at the age of 36 years and 192 days old. Secretary of state William Pitt the Elder held the real power, however, and Devonshire resigned after a lacklustre seven months. He died younger than any other British PM at age 44. These are the other youngest PMs ever, and the year they took office.
1783 William Pitt the Younger: 24 years, 205 days
1767 Duke of Grafton: 33 years, 16 days
1765 Marquess of Rockingham, 35 years, 61 days
1756 Duke of Devonshire: 36 years, 192 days
2010 David Cameron: 43 years, 214 days
1997 Tony Blair: 43 years, 361 days
Source: Number10.co.uk
Quick transition
196: The number of days in 2007 it took to form a coalition government in notoriously fractured Belgium.
30: The record in Israel, where coalitions are a given.
5: The number of days it took Britain's Conservative Party to enter into an agreement with the Liberal Democrats to from a coalition government, Britain's first since 1974.
Research: Stephanie Chambers
John Ibbitson