All the public wants is a reduced deficit, job creation and the prospect of a good life!

I confess I am a big ‘C’ Conservative and those who know me will confirm it. Liberal on almost all issues that pertain to personal freedom, because I deeply believe people are the best stewards of what is best for them; small non- meddling governments are the most effective leaderships. Personal responsibility is the cornerstone of a good society and should be learnt at home, ideally from two parents, private charity is just that, private, and no body’s business. I am also a cheerleader for low taxes, controlled, monitored and managed immigration, harsh prison sentences (time should mean time) and an encourager of enterprising – and of course I strongly believe small businesses are the backbone of a successful economy.

After the 2010 elections – the idea of forming a coalition with anyone deeply pained and disturbed me – but all other alternatives were simply selfish and short sighted substitutes. Forming a coalition was the best outcome for the nation and to lay down the foundations for a fast recovery and a better future. For the two opponents to put to one side their ideological differences in order to sort out the mess (yes, it was one great big mess Labour left behind) was the honorable thing to do.

That feeling of selfless unity for the greater good is what convinced me and many on both parties to put to one side our differences and work as a team. It was never going to be easy and we all understood the seriousness of the task at hand.

Another thing those who know me will attest to is that I don’t like to publicly criticize my own and nothing can be more public than a blog.

However, both sides of the coalition need to take a step back and take a good hard self-examining look, both need to use the midterm results to ask themselves one crucial question – what is it the public wants us to do and what worries and concerns them the most?

It will surprise both parties to lean that the public’s disillusion mainly comes from not understanding clearly what the government is doing. For instance, this budget, at the heart of it is not a bad budget but it should have been explained better – and there is still room to do so. Non-politicos don’t care one bit if MPs are elected via AV or FPTP, just as they don’t see the point of an elected House of Lords. What the public wants is a clear, uncomplicated explanation of how they can keep more of their money, how the tax breaks will help their lot, how public services reforms will not have adverse impacts on their lives and if they work to the bone, will they live their winter years decently? They also don’t understand things like why can’t we send Abu Qatada back home when other EU member nations, in similar situation, were able to before, how come his human rights trump Christopher Tappin’s, the 65 year old retired businessman extradited to the US. Why is it, we seem to always be so righteous when it comes to others but never fight as hard for our own!?

As for Conservatives, the larger and senior partner in this coalition and the party of business, the party of sound and better management, of cutting taxes, reducing waste and creating a fertile and welcoming environment for enterprising from all over the globe – the grown up party. The public sees us as the firm party and expects us to be firm.

Historically Labour made the mess and the Conservatives marched in and cleaned it all up. They, the public, two years on are not interested to hear about who made what mess (they know who did what, they were there, remember) what they need is to be reassured by this government that it means business and that it has the remedies to the economic problem and the confidence to deliver them.

Government is a business, and like all businesses it needs to be fluid, flexible and have a clear goal, many of the things being carried out are in the coalition agreement, but two years on the extend of the damage inherited must be a lot clearer now than when the coalition agreement was drawn up. It is therefore, the responsibility of the two partners to revisit that agreement and readjust it to fit the public’s mood and interests, not the parties’ political ambitions.