The Liberal Democrats’ New Politics – or How to Trouser £99,423

The backstory.
On Sunday, 16th May 2010 the Liberal Party released a press statement:
‘Liberal Democrat Special Conference in Birmingham today overwhelmingly approved the party’s Coalition Agreement with the Conservative Party.’
Nick Clegg was very pleased with himself. He thought that the failure of any party to achieve an overall majority at the 2010 general provided the Lib Dems with, ‘The chance to transform politics, the chance to hardwire fairness into our society, the chance to change Britain for good.’

To be fair, transforming politics had been a key part of the Lib Dems election manifesto.
It promised the electorate, ‘a fair deal by cleaning up politics.’ Specifically it promised to:

1. ‘Put trust back into politics by giving you the right to sack corrupt MPs.
2. ‘Restore and protect hard-won British civil liberties with a Freedom Bill.
3. ‘Overhaul Westminster completely: fair votes, an elected House of Lords, all…