Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have set out how the Coalition Government is doing politics differently.
As Parliament returns from recess, and with the political conference season coming up, they emphasised how they have worked together in the national interest.
"For four months now our two parties, distinct and different in so many ways, have been governing together in the national interest", they said, writing in the Sunday Telegraph.
They said that the Coalition has defied conventional expectations about instability, "we have created a government built to last a full, five-year parliamentary term", and about in-fighting.
"There are differences of opinion within the government, not least between the two of us. But recognising them can be a sign of strength rather than weakness. This is modern, responsible politics."
"By contrast", they said, "a spate of recent memoirs has shown how a single party Government under Labour was paralysed by factionalism and backbiting".
In the article they also set out the two key shifts in national life they wanted to bring about:
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Making decisions for the long-term. "This is a horizon shift for government, moving away from short-term obsessions towards investment in the future. So we're going to bring long-term thinking in government, doing the things we have to do to equip this country for long term success."
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Putting power in people's hands. "There needs to be a power shift, moving power from Whitehall and the state to people and their communities. This power shift is visible in our plans for local government, public service reform, and crucially political reform."
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