It’s pretty obvious; Parliament is back this week, New Year, new term and no doubt new resolutions. Judging by the headlines, each party is setting out their stall and giving us a recap of what they achieved so far. Tories are making sure their achievements don’t go unnoticed or get drowned under the Lib Dems super loud cries of ‘we’re the party of fairness’ while Labour is looking around for the next Conservative idea to recycle as their own. I always said, at the rate Labour is going before the end of this parliament, they will adopt and relaunch the Big Society as their next big thing!

But, the surprise must be Nigel Farage and UKIP. They are this term cool kids. Besides the Prime Minster on Marr Show, Nigel Farage is the only party leader who went live on every news station yesterday.

As cool kids go he is witty and smart. Getting his party to where they are today is a testament to him and his resolve. Farage is not just cool, he is also tough. This is a man who walked away from a plane crash with only a few scratches then capitalized on what the left dubbed as Omnishambles. So much so, now some fear UKIP might cost the Conservatives over fifty seats in 2015. That cannot be good news for David Cameron, who once called them ‘fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists’. Not at all nice because many organisations have members who qualify as fruitcakes, loonies and are closet racists, we just don’t mention it.

Nonetheless, the relationship between these two is one to watch. Especially as Farage keeps repeating he will do a deal with the devil if it gets him what he wants! And since, I can’t see him in ‘coalition’ or any sort of electoral deal with either Labour or the Lib Dems, both parties love Europe and will never consider leaving it….

Farage’s devil might be…., and Cameron might just have to hold his nose and ….

Watching the coalition, sometimes, is like watching a detective movie, when two partners before interrogating a suspect toss a coin to decide who plays good cop/ bad cop this time. And depending on your political persuasion, the good cop can either be Cameron or Clegg in any given situation….

Just weeks after David Cameron vetoed an EU wide treaty change, Nick Clegg recommended the opposite. At a meeting of Liberal party leaders from across Europe he warned against “needless rivalry and isolation” among EU members and told them they must promote “unity over disunity” within the EU.

Despite telling Adam Boulton on Sky that he and his deputy were determined to work together putting to one side their ideological differences, Cameron also admitted Europe is a “pressure point” between the two parties.

We know it’s not only Europe they don’t see eye to eye on, there is (was) the Alternative Vote and we expect they won’t be singing from the same hymn sheet on Lord’s reforms either – which by the way many (me included) think is another pointless leftish appeasing nonsense.

However, that polarity of opinions, in spite of politicos’ desperate attempts to amp it as a potential deal breaker is what actually makes this particular partnership work so well! It is also what’s going to allow it to stay the course and at the end of it give both leaders the backbone to stand strong come 2015.

To start with, even though they agree on many issues, no one can ever confuse the two or accuse either of losing his identity for the other. Secondly, both epitomize selflessness for the good of the nation, even when they disagree they are doing so for the good of the country. But most of all, in the next general election it will be business as usual.

The political divide between the two partners can at times be frustrating and even come across as an own goal that might benefit the opposition, but at closer inspection their unity is what’s throwing a monkey wrench on Labour’s plans and leadership. Because they (Labour) know when the time comes all the voters need to hear form the Liberals and the Tories “AV, the EU and the Lords!”

From day one of this government, and before they even said or delivered anything Labour sentenced them to failure!

At first they said it will last only six month, now a year later and they are saying it might last eighteen month. If nothing, they (Labour) have proved to be consistent. However, the coalition partners have separately and collectively said in more than one occasion that their marriage is a union of necessity required to stir the country to the shores of safety – and although it’s a five years contract – and despite the challenges and the internal and external tensions facing both sides, this union is a traditional “Catholic marriage” with no divorce.

If we look at Clegg – whatever has been said about him in the past – from being light weight and naïve to calculating and shrewd – he managed his first year well and passed the test of coalition partnership. In his anniversary speech, yesterday, he tried to redefine the Liberal Democrats, not by being a centre left or centre right party but by being a centrist party – a party of liberal politics first. That identity gives them the upper hand in any future hung parliament, but the key to that future is in the success of the current partnership – this parliament. And although some members including MPs are not full on board, forcing a premature election is out of the question because it is electoral suicide they’ll never recover from.

Cameron on the other hand like most Tory leaders, his headache comes mainly from his backbenches – they are hungry for meat and potatoes not tofu with a side salad. They want more Conservative issues such as immigration, crime, Europe and less of Lord Reforms and changing things that don’t “necessarily” need changing. Similar to Clegg he is fully committed to the coalition and even though his party is polling handsomely, he will never risk an election. Add to that, he wants to follow the programme set by the coalition agreement, and rebuild the solid foundation damaged by thirteen years of Labour – a five years fixed term is a perfect time to achieve that goal.

Even though the two parties did not come together by design, they now need each other to deliver the changes designed and to strengthen their credentials – this merger might be a marriage of convenience – but some of the most successful partnerships are just that.

It’s a year today since the coalition government was formed – twelve month ago the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats came together putting to one side party posturing for the national interest to provide our nation with the strong, stable government it needed to put it back on track – so let’s have a look at what they have achieved thus far!

1 – Saved £6 billion last year – keeping the UK out of the financial danger zone – and are on course to balance the books within the next four years.

2 – Protected families with an extra £180 in child tax credits.

3 – Took millions of low income earners out of tax all together.

4 – Restored pension and linked it to earnings – therefore making sure the elderly get an extra £15,000 over their retirement.

5 – Brought the localism bill, which introduced the largest shift in power from state to communities – “People know better than any government what’s best for them and are always happier when allowed to sort out their own lives”

6 – Protected the NHS and increased its budget – with further reforms to follow after more public consultations – the service will have real time increases while improving its output.

7 – Kept its promise on international development spending – in this most difficult of times by helping the poorest in the poorest nation across the world.

8 – Build more Academies in twelve month than Labour did in their thirteen years of government plus getting more money into schools to help poorer pupils.

9 – Cut corporations tax to new Enterprise Zones.

10 – Introduced a Bill that makes sure no more government powers are handed to Europe without a referendum from the people of Britain.

11 – Advanced Britain’s national interest abroad with a Strategic Defense and Security Review

12 – Equipped our armed forces by establishing a National Security Council to oversee the protection of our national security.

13 – Ended child detention.

14 – Introduced free nursery education for disadvantaged 2 year olds.

15 – Created a Green Investment Bank and a green deal.

To echo the words of Tim Farron MP, the Liberal Democrats President: “Be calm and carry on but learn from the lesson!” is the best advice to for the start of the second year of the coalition.