--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the pendulum swings, it may swing to a…" description: "\"If the pendulum swings, it may swing to a combination of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and, thus, to a period of minority government or coalition..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/vince-cable-10688_coalition_if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a_1560081.png" --- # If the pendulum swings, it may swing to a combination of… ![“If the pendulum swings, it may swing to a combination of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and, thus, to a period of minority government or coalition, in some form.” quote by Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/vince-cable-10688_coalition_if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a_1560081.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/vince-cable-10688_coalition_if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a_1560081.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/vince-cable-10688_coalition_if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a_1560081.png) > “If the pendulum swings, it may swing to a combination of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and, thus, to a period of minority government or coalition, in some form.” [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political shifts can create coalition governments, blending parties to form a minority or coalition rule. **In simple terms:** Party swings may lead to mixed‑party governments. Key Takeaway Expect coalition dynamics in fragmented parliaments. Themes politics governance coalition party Mood cautious analytical Type political analytical When to use this quote - elections - parliamentary votes - policy negotiations - public opinion Key Concepts electoralsystems minoritygovernment negotiation Questions to Reflect On - What compromises are needed for coalition success? - How do voters influence coalition formation? A Different Perspective Coalitions can be unstable and slow decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coalition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coalition/) [Coalition Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coalition-form-5851064/) [Coalitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coalitions/) [Combination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/combination/) [Combination Conservatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/combination-conservatives-5851063/) [Democrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Coalition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-coalition-1146699/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Minorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minorities/) [Minority government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minority-government/) [Pendulums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pendulums/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Swings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swings/) ## Related quotes > [You're lucky to head a coalition government. I am a coalition government on my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-major/you-re-lucky-to-head-a-coalition-government-i-am-a-coalition/) [John Major](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-major/) > [No matter what happens in the future, whether it is a Labor government or a Coalition government, whoever is in government is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hockey/no-matter-what-happens-in-the-future-whether-it-is-a-labor-government/) [Joe Hockey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hockey/) > [There always will naturally be some differences when you form the government with coalition parties. Even some single party governments also face several issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-kumaraswamy/there-always-will-naturally-be-some-differences-when-you-form-the/) [H. D. Kumaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-kumaraswamy/) > [Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/individual-rights-are-not-subject-to-a-public-vote-a-majority-has-no-2/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [The last thing the Province needs is a minority government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazel-mccallion/the-last-thing-the-province-needs-is-a-minority-government/) [Hazel McCallion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazel-mccallion/) > [Personal liberty without economic liberty is an absolute contradiction; the one cannot exist without the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-simon/personal-liberty-without-economic-liberty-is-an-absolute/) [William E. Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-simon/) > [Even before winning its majority, Harper's Republican-styl e Conservative party - well to the right Canada's traditional Progressive Conservative Party - managed to win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mcquaig/even-before-winning-its-majority-harper-s-republican-styl-e/) [Linda McQuaig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mcquaig/) > [“Your language is a minority government where backbenchers rise suddenly, threaten to cross the floor, and what comes from your mouth is a difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-dickinson/your-language-is-a-minority-government-where-backbenchers-rise/) [Adam Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-dickinson/) > [“Laura tingle: "So it's not jut that we see Gillard as a backstabber who brought down an elected prime minister, it is that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-tingle/laura-tingle-so-it-s-not-jut-that-we-see-gillard-as-a-backstabber-who/) [Laura Tingle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-tingle/) > [One of the really positive things about minority government is that there is the necessity to broker policy positions. What happens is you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-wynne/one-of-the-really-positive-things-about-minority-government-is-that/) [Kathleen Wynne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-wynne/) > [the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-minority-possess-their-equal-rights-which-equal-law-must-protect/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The SNP became a minority government in 2007, then a majority one in 2011. But Labour viewed what was happening as some kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/the-snp-became-a-minority-government-in-2007-then-a-majority-one-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [Though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will, to be rightful, must be reasonable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/though-the-will-of-the-majority-is-in-all-cases-to-prevail-that-will/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [A minority government can't govern without support from other parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/a-minority-government-can-t-govern-without-support-from-other-parties/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [The fact throughout history is that whenever government dominates the economic affairs of its citizenry, a free society is eroded, then destroyed, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-simon/the-fact-throughout-history-is-that-whenever-government-dominates-the/) [William E. Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-simon/) ## More by Vince Cable > [The government increasingly resembles somebody who is trying to give the kiss of life to a corpse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/the-government-increasingly-resembles-somebody-who-is-trying-to-give/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [Our workforce is very co-operative, very flexible, easy to work with and one of the big selling points. The idea that Britain is still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/our-workforce-is-very-co-operative-very-flexible-easy-to-work-with/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [The degree of leverage now being reversed is staggering, and the underlying global imbalances - notably between the savers and the spenders - will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/the-degree-of-leverage-now-being-reversed-is-staggering-and-the/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [Fundamental renegotiation is very, very unlikely to produce any significant change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/fundamental-renegotiation-is-very-very-unlikely-to-produce-any/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [The real problem at the moment is that the banks - because of their existing culture, which is frankly anti-business, obsession with short-term trading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/the-real-problem-at-the-moment-is-that-the-banks-because-of-their/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [When I was a child we were sufficiently well off for me to be a picky eater and I still cannot eat vegetables cooked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/when-i-was-a-child-we-were-sufficiently-well-off-for-me-to-be-a-picky/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [Quite apart from the problem of the vote, it's bad for the image of Parliament that people take the trouble to come up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/quite-apart-from-the-problem-of-the-vote-it-s-bad-for-the-image-of/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [Banks operate like a man who either wears his trousers round his chest, stifling breathing, as now, or round his ankles, exposing his assets.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/banks-operate-like-a-man-who-either-wears-his-trousers-round-his/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [I've always been comfortable working with women and I've had two happy marriages. Draw what conclusions you like from that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/i-ve-always-been-comfortable-working-with-women-and-i-ve-had-two/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [My college, Fitzwilliam, was pretty good but unfashionable and I lived in digs so I was not part of the cloistered 'old college' environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/my-college-fitzwilliam-was-pretty-good-but-unfashionable-and-i-lived/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [The Robert Mugabe school of economics provides a salutary warning about uncontrolled monetary expansion in generating hyper-inflation. The road to Harare is not as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/the-robert-mugabe-school-of-economics-provides-a-salutary-warning/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [Much of the shadow banking sector, a major contributor to the economic crisis, was also only possible because of taxhaven secrecy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/much-of-the-shadow-banking-sector-a-major-contributor-to-the-economic/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [My late wife Olympia was Goan and I've been to India many times. I love the food there. We used to do our shopping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/my-late-wife-olympia-was-goan-and-i-ve-been-to-india-many-times-i/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [Well, as I said, you know the issue of Greek debt, they've grasped the principle of debt reduction. I think most people would argue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/well-as-i-said-you-know-the-issue-of-greek-debt-they-ve-grasped-the/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) > [There was, of course, a global financial crisis. But our Labour predecessors left Britain exceptionally vulnerable and damaged: more personal debt than any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/there-was-of-course-a-global-financial-crisis-but-our-labour/) [Vince Cable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) [Explore all 64 Vince Cable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/) ## More Coalition quotes > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [Research promoted by NARA within a major coalition of Federal and private sector research partners has at last demonstrated that an Electronic Records Archives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-weinstein/research-promoted-by-nara-within-a-major-coalition-of-federal-and/) [Allen Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-weinstein/) > [Vajpayee had a much bigger stature than Mr Modi. He knew how to run a coalition government very successfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-patnaik/vajpayee-had-a-much-bigger-stature-than-mr-modi-he-knew-how-to-run-a/) [Naveen Patnaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-patnaik/) > [We've had Saudis and Jordanians and Pakistanis who have - and Syrians - who have been involved in armed attacks against coalition forces in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armitage/we-ve-had-saudis-and-jordanians-and-pakistanis-who-have-and-syrians/) [Richard Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armitage/) > [Here, I am looking for a document issued by a public attorney. I don't find. He is accused by the political leaders of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-verges/here-i-am-looking-for-a-document-issued-by-a-public-attorney-i-don-t/) [Jacques Verges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-verges/) > [There's a lot of things we can do to balance out what Obama's done and going forward show the American people the Republican Party…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/there-s-a-lot-of-things-we-can-do-to-balance-out-what-obama-s-done/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) > [We have to go massively, like we did in the first Gulf War where we destroyed Saddam's ability to take Kuwait. We need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/we-have-to-go-massively-like-we-did-in-the-first-gulf-war-where-we/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [It would be a tragedy if the remarkable international coalition against terrorism, successfully marshalled in the aftermath of 11 September, were to fragment over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kennedy/it-would-be-a-tragedy-if-the-remarkable-international-coalition/) [Charles Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kennedy/) > [“Unless the Labour leadership candidates decide to settle the issue through televised mud-wrestling (Adam Boulton, I think, for referee, and he may even take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-aaronovitch/unless-the-labour-leadership-candidates-decide-to-settle-the-issue/) [David Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-aaronovitch/) > [The Democratic Party is a coalition. Its strength and its weakness is, it's a coalition of interest groups, caucuses. It's a lot less homogeneous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/the-democratic-party-is-a-coalition-its-strength-and-its-weakness-is/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [The Coalition's message of jobs and growth is resonating very, very strongly in North and Central Queensland and one thing they're particularly fearful of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brandis/the-coalition-s-message-of-jobs-and-growth-is-resonating-very-very/) [George Brandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brandis/) > [The job of nation building, the job of nation leadership in a difficult, complex coalition has worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azim-premji/the-job-of-nation-building-the-job-of-nation-leadership-in-a/) [Azim Premji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azim-premji/) > [Military operations cannot be tidy or free of friction - particularly in a coalition whose contributing nations see the campaign through national prisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-jackson/military-operations-cannot-be-tidy-or-free-of-friction-particularly/) [Mike Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-jackson/) > [Like Hamas, ISIS was deeply embedded in urban areas. And the international coalition against ISIS worked hard to protect civilians and create humanitarian corridors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-austin/like-hamas-isis-was-deeply-embedded-in-urban-areas-and-the/) [Lloyd Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-austin/) [Browse all 153 Coalition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coalition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If the pendulum swings, it may swing to a combination of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and, thus, to a period of minority government or coalition, in some form.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vince Cable" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a-combination-of-conservatives/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Coalition" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a-combination-of-conservatives/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/vince-cable-10688_coalition_if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a_1560081.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/vince-cable-10688_coalition_if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a_1560081.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58d/vince-cable-10688_coalition_if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a_1560081.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If the pendulum swings, it may swing to a combination of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and, thus, to a…” — Vince Cable", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Vince Cable", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-cable/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If the pendulum swings, it may...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a-combination-of-conservatives/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-cable/if-the-pendulum-swings-it-may-swing-to-a-combination-of-conservatives/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```