Con'-Dem' alliance

In British politics, a Lib–Con pact is a working arrangement between the Liberal Democrats (or their predecessor, the historic Liberal Party) and the Conservatives.

The Liberal and Conservative parties had several working agreements in the first half of the 20th century. Since the Second World War there has been one such arrangement, the 2010 Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreement, at the national level. In many local councils in the UK there are arrangements between the two parties, although there are also arrangements where the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives oppose each other or form local alliances with other parties or with independent councillors. Ahead of the 2017 general election, it was suggested that a new coalition between the parties could be proposed, although this was later ruled out by Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron.

Conservatives and Liberals joined together in all-party governments during both World Wars as well as well as during the Coupon coalition of 1918-1922 and the first two years of National Government in 1931-1933.

After the official Liberal Party withdrew from the latter government in 1933, another faction, the National Liberals, remained in coalition with the Conservatives. This coalition was maintained during formation of the wartime government, and the National Liberals would later fight and lose the 1945 election in alliance with the Conservatives. The National Liberals and Conservatives merged at constituency level in 1947 and fully assimilated in 1968.

Following the first 1974 general election, which resulted in a hung parliament, Conservative prime minister Edward Heath attempted to negotiate a coalition with Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe. The negotiations ultimately failed and a Labour minority government was formed.

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