Norman Baker indicated that his decision to resign from the government was, at least in part, motivated by his desire to defend his seat at the next election.
It prompts questions about how many other Lib Dem ministers will now be tempted to quit the government before the next election for similar reasons.
Baker told the Independent that he would now spend more time in his Lewes constituency, where he is defending a majority of 7,647.
Former Tory minister John Gummer (now Lord Deben) claimed this was the main motivating factor behind the resignation, for all Baker’s talk of disagreement with the home secretary, Teresa May.
Could Mr Norman Baker's resignation have less to do with drugs policy and more to do with fighting the GE in Lewes? I only asked!
— John Deben (@lorddeben) November 4, 2014
It is assumed that Baker must reckon that by putting distance between himself and the government he is likely to stand a better chance of attracting LibDem support next May.
Others Lib Dem ministers must have made similar calculations. After all Baker’s 7,647 majority (or 15.27%) is not particularly slender by Lib Dem ministerial standard.
Of the 15 Lib Dem MPs who remain in government, seven will be defending slimmer majorities than Baker.
They include the environment minister Dan Rogerson, and employment minister Jo Swinson, who both have wafer thin majorities of less than 3,000 votes.
Could they, or any other Lib Dem ministers, decide that their future careers as MPs stand a better chance outside the coalition than in it, at least for the next few months?
