Making Coalition Government Work: the media, the coalition and the consolidation
For the first time in 65 years, the UK is governed by a coalition government. Ministers from two rival parties now sit together around the Cabinet table, with a shared Programme for Government for a full five-year parliamentary term.
To help make sense of this new political context, we are hosting a series of seminars, entitled Making Coalition Government Work. The series will see international and UK experts explore different aspects of coalition governance.
About this seminar
On 1 July, as part of our Making Coalition Government Work series, the Institute for Government hosted a disscussion about how the media would cope with the 'new politics' and the extent to which it would have to change.
A panel of political journalists taked about whether the media was a threat to the survival of the coalition – given the backdrop of spending cuts, and disagreement within the coalition on issues such as higher education funding.
The panel
- Kevin Marsh — Editor-in-Chief, BBC College of Journalism, former editor of the Today programme
- Ben Brogan — Deputy Editor of the Daily Telegraph and former Political Editor of the Daily Mail
- Jenni Russell — columnist on the Guardian and Sunday Times
Media ‘caught out by the coalition’
While the civil service adapted quickly to the coalition, the media was caught badly out. No one in the media foresaw the prospect of a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition, despite the number of alliances at local level – and no one prepared for it.
The media struggled to get the right tone in the coalition’s first month. It refused to understand that compromise was an inevitable part of coalition – and failed to realise many readers, viewers and listeners liked seeing a new generation of politicians trying to solve problems across political divides.
Future risks and flashpoints to the coalition
The panel identified a number of flashpoints:
- inexperience – and lack of prior scrutiny – of Lib Dem Ministers
disgruntled backbenchers in both parties (especially would-be Ministers in a single party government) - No.10’s lack of media muscle following its commitment to reduce adviser numbers
- Scottish elections in 2011
- the AV referendum.
The press would continue to look for splits, but coalition government benefitted from better internal discussion of policy in government, and a less frenetic approach to the media.
One upcoming test will be how the media report areas where the coalition agreement allows the parties to disagree. Will it focus on the merits of the policies, as well as how the politics and personalities play out?
Whilst the media is beginning to adapt, it is too early to judge whether this was a temporary phase – or heralds a less “infantilising” approach to political reporting.
For more information
- About the Making Coalition Government Work seminar series
- Attend our seminar: Coalition government – the pundits view
