Scotland on Sunday is third paper to endorse Lib Dems

Today Scotland on Sunday becomes the third newspaper, alongside The Guardian and The Observer, to endorse the Liberal Democrats at the 2010 general election:

Make no mistake that this time around a vote for the Liberal Democrats is not a protest vote, one that can be cast casually because it will have little impact on the eventual outcome, but is a vote that could have extremely far-reaching consequences. It could increase the chances of a hung parliament, and there have been dire warnings about what that would mean for the economy. But those warnings have been exposed as barely credible. Yes, if our credit rating drops that could have a very real effect on how much economic pain we have to suffer and for how long, but the idea that it is an automatic consequence of a hung parliament is simply not true. What matters to the markets is whether we are good for our debts. What matters is how the next parliament goes about its business – hung or not. If it puts forward credible plans to restore the economy and repay debt then the markets will be content.

The highly respected Institute for Fiscal Studies, in its analysis of the parties’ financial plans, said the Lib Dems had the smallest black hole of the main three in their funding schemes, and that there were no hidden tax rises on top.

Another consequence of a vote for the Lib Dems is the potential for bringing in the greatest constitutional reform this country has seen in a century. If the Liberals demand proportional representation in forthcoming elections as a price of coalition then it will forever change politics in Britain.

The truth is that the current first-past-the-post system delivers poor democracy. If there was any doubt then consider the fact that Labour might come third in terms of share of the vote this election but still get the greatest number of seats. It used to be said that strong government was worth this democratic deficit. It is hard to see that now…

Consensus politics is not weak politics, but enforces a necessary realism about what can be possible.

So, in the hope that new faces can bring about new politics, and that the economic crisis can be tackled with maturity and responsibility, energy and vision, let’s get the Lib Dems as many seats as we can.

Hat-tip: Caron’s Musings.