Coalition: view from the Conservatives

During the week Paul Goodman wrote over on ConservativeHome about how the coalition looks from the Conservative perspective.

In particular, he wrote:

Downing Street mustn’t present the Liberal Democrats as the caring face of the Coalition…

As it happens, Conservative backbenchers aren’t sold on Lansley’s plan.  But although voters aren’t likely to remember the precise details when the slowdown’s formally announced, a vague impression will lodge – that the Liberal Democrats got the changes they wanted, even though only one of their party’s backbenchers opposed the bill at second reading.

The [Conservative] Party can’t afford to sub-contract compassion to the Liberal Democrats.  Simon Hughes has already claimed the credit for the EMA replacement.  This is a part of a pattern.  The Liberal Democrats regularly do so when the Government forks out some extra cash or helps some poorer people.