One major potential pressure point for the newborn Government is the vastly different attitudes to the European Union; both of their MPs and, indeed, of their supporters and activists around the country.
On paper, it looks like the Tory Eurosceptics have won the day; there will be no further transfer of powers to the EU.
But the EU has far more pressing concerns than the bureaucratic navel-gazing of the past at the moment. The financial crises are so serious, and will require such a huge investment of time and money, that there will be no attempts to corral more from the UK any time soon.
Further European integration and the expansion of the eurozone has been firmly placed on the back burner. It is highly unlikely to become an issue in the next few difficult years.
The financial problems in Europe are obviously very concerning, but they also help glue the two parts of the coalition together as they remove a major policy difference from the table.
Question Time on Thursday night was a fascinating insight to the problems that the people without the centre ground have with the coalition Government. Both the left and right have a strong intolerant streak.
But Simon Hughes showed some obvious discomfort and it is clear that he is concerned that aligning his party with the Conservatives has serious long-term risk for his party. He is right, of course, but it is in his interests to make the coalition work. That way he can sell the message of new politics to his voters in Sou
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