I am hardly a Westminster veteran, though given the number of MPs who retired or stood down at the recent Election, I could well be. But in the five years that I have been a Member of Parliament, I have never seen anything like the events of this week.

‘That was the week, that was’, as the saying goes. And during the course of it, my mood swung from optimistic to outraged; conciliatory to relieved. Relieved that we now have a Conservative Prime Minister, and relieved too, that the Liberal Democrats seized their opportunity to join an historic coalition Government.

Of course, coalition is something this country has not seen since the Second World War. If I am totally honest, it is not my preferred way of governing the country. I would have preferred David Cameron entering Downing Street as a Conservative Prime Minister in his own right. But we live in a democracy, and last weeks Election produced a Hung Parliament.

So coalition it is - though if the five days of political theatre and pure farce that played out after the Election are anything to go by, I am glad I was nowhere near the negotiating table. While I understand where the supporters of reforming the voting system are coming from, I am not sure I have an appetite for more of the same after every Election, as would almost inevitably be the case if we changed to proportional representation, and ditched the ‘first past the post’ system.

There are, of course, fundamental differences between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, such as our attitude towards Europe, immigration and defence, and I am glad there were so-called 'red lines' drawn around these issues. But there are also areas where we can find common ground, and that, clearly, is the foundation of which this coalition Government was built.
So how will it work? Well, for a start, coalitions work if the personalities involved are an agreeable mix.

Of course there will be tensions, disagreements and the occasional tantrum, but both David Cameron and Nick Clegg are individuals who listen to other opinions, and take them on board. They are also likeable and approachable.
That is a useful start. And that is one of the reasons why an agreement between the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats was a non-starter - despite the desperate attempts of Gordon Brown to cling on as Prime Minister.

I must say that Brown's eventual departure on Tuesday was very dignified, but his behaviour 24 hours earlier was anything but. His announcement to resign as Labour leader at 5pm on Monday was an outrageously cynical ploy to scupper the progress of talks between my Party and the Liberal Democrats.

But there were so many reasons why this was such a desperate measure First of all, did it not say it all that Brown had to resign for his Party to stand even a slim chance of staying in power! Consensual he is not and never has been. Actually, I find it quite sad that we had a Prime Minister who was so tribal in outlook, and who was disliked by both the other Party leaders. And many others, for that matter. Then there was belligerent Ed Balls, whose attitude, I understand, was very "do it our way, or else" during Labour’s meeting with the Liberal Democrats – is there any wonder they walked away!

Of course, Labour is probably nearer to the hearts of many Liberal Democrats than the Conservatives. But Labour was tribal in power and tribal as they tried to cling on to it, and eventually they got their come-uppance. And how noticeable it was on Tuesday evening that very few Labour people could be generous in defeat, and be decent enough to wish the new coalition well. I lost count of the chips that were resting on the shoulder of “spin-doctor” Alistair Campbell, but I thank him for reminding me just why I am so happy Labour is out of power.

So David Cameron is Prime Minister of our country, and I wish him well. But what a week, and goodness knows what Parliamentary newcomers will have made of it when they arrived for their first day, on Monday.

It was history in the making, and fascinating to watch as the story unfolded
And now it is time to get on with the job of governing the country. Labour did some good things in power, but there were a lot of bad moves too, and my own personal opinion is that they have left the country in a mess, not just economically, but socially too.

I wish David Cameron and Nick Clegg every success. The doom-merchants are already predicting a quick divorce, but most of them have a vested interest in that option. Me? I am prepared to join the ranks of the optimists.

When all is said and done, Government is not about party politics but the interest of the people, and I have no doubt that, at this time more than any other, the country needs a strong and decisive administration.

Above all, I hope that Cameron fulfils his promise to cut the deficit quickly, for the sake of our children and grandchildren. The medicine will be harsh but the sooner we get on with it the better.

Both Mr. Cameron and Mr Clegg now have the chance to provide the leadership the people so desperately need. I pray they do not squander that opportunity.

"Election process a mess"- Says Brian Binley MP

Brian Binley MP was left irritated by the organisation of the General Election count in Northampton and has written to the Returning Officer to ask him to explain certain aspects of the organisation of the count.

Brian stated: “Many people from across the political spectrum felt the lack of information provided during the evening was quite appalling and left many people in the dark as to the proceedings.”

Brian was also left frustrated by the lack of public participation in the declaration. Brian said: “The declaration always used to be a public matter on the basis that the election belongs to the people and not the politicians or the officials. To my mind it is not good enough to say that the press are the people’s representatives in this respect.”

Brian continued: “National standards have declined as seemingly proved by the errors made at a sizeable number of polling stations across the country. We need to improve the situation to ensure a greater degree of efficacy and competence. The efficacy and credibility of the ballot lies at the very heart of our representative democracy.”

Brian concluded by continuing his calls from his declaration speech at the count for a total review of our electoral procedures including the organisation of polling stations to ensure that this situation never happens again.