David Maddox: History is repeating itself as the Lib Dems pick the wrong man as their hero

Interestingly, Lloyd George’s success was partly built on the fact that he was a Liberal who could work with Tories, while his rival Herbert Asquith, more loved by the party, split it to escape a coalition arrangement.

It is strange how history repeats itself and perhaps Lloyd George’s successor can be found in the unlikely figure of Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander. The ginger rodent – as he was dubbed by Labour’s deputy and equality champion leader Harriet Harman – is not a popular chap among many or even maybe most of the Liberal Democrat membership, but is widely respected and actually quite liked by most of the Tories.

After all, he is the one who led the negotiations that saw the party “sell out” to the Conservatives and he is the one who has resolutely stood up for the austerity measures the coalition has pushed through. To many Lib Dems, who rebelled en masse against the health bill at their recent spring conference, he is the face of what is wrong with the party leadership.

In comparison, Business Secretary Vince Cable is adored by the Lib Dem membership and seen as the party’s conscience, but is loathed by their Tory partners.

Yet when history looks back at this coalition, which one of the two will emerge as the true hero of Liberalism? The answer will be Alexander. It seems that in tomorrow’s Budget he will have persuaded the Tories to take many millions people out of income tax altogether by accelerating the progression to a £10,000 threshold. Little will do more to encourage people to work rather than stay on benefits.

Amazingly, he will also have persuaded the Tories to go against their nature and pursue the rich by closing tax loopholes and avoidance schemes. And he will have played a role in bringing down the deficit, reducing the cost on future generations.

A quick look back to the 2010 Lib Dem election manifesto shows that these were the top priorities of the party, ones which make the tax system much fairer.

Then we look to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, Cable’s empire. Under his watch it has trebled tuition fees when the Lib Dems promised to abolish them and it has also privatised Royal Mail, a move that could result in the closure of thousands of post offices. Meanwhile, Cable has been forced to leak a letter complaining about the coalition’s lack of industrial long-term vision, something that it was his job to create.

The fact that the Lib Dems hero-worship Cable may just reflect that they are more comfortable complaining in opposition than doing in government, but if they want to achieve things as a party, then Alexander, the real hero of Liberalism, has shown them the way.