The representation of LibDems in the cabinet committee system evinces a greater role for the party in policy making across government than might have otherwise have been supposed

Measures of ‘positional power’ highlight some interesting features of both the balance of power between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and David Cameron’s style of leadership. Nicholas Allen‘s analysis shows that the Liberal Democrats, with 29.4 per cent of committee places and 31.1 per cent of the total weighted score, have a share of power that is clearly disproportionate to their contribution to the government’s parliamentary majority and much larger than their share of all government and cabinet posts.