We know what the Liberal Democrats think of their Conservative partners as they say it loudly. Vince Cable thinks they are ruthless and calculating as we learnt at the weekend. But what about the Conservatives, what do they think of their Lib Dem Coalition partners? Well according to Total Politics they describe them in the exact terms that pundits have been bandying about in the media to describe the Lib Dem plight. They think they are, at least in the minds of two unnamed Tory MPs, hostages and human shields. Take your pick:
I attended an event in Westminster last night and got chatting to two MPs on the right of the Conservative Party about working with the Lib Dems.
The younger MP, one of the 2010 intake, remarked: “I used to think of the Lib Dems as being sat in the passenger seat while we drove the car. Now I think of them tied and gagged in the boot.”
The other MP – a senior figure in the party – laughed and responded: “I think of them tied to the bumper of the car – taking all the knocks,” Total Politics reports.