'We're making it up as we go along'

"Alive and active in politics"! How many dead people are active in politics?

Are we to pussyfoot around the feelings of the undead now? It's political correctness gone mad!

Tempting though it is for the default position on anything to do with politicians to be extreme cynicism, there's a lot in the new policy document that actually looks quite sensible.

In theory, having a coalition should mean that we get the good bits of both the Tory and LibDem manifestos, while the sillier bits get scrapped. I never really expected it to work out that way, but it looks as if we might not be too far off.

However, on reading through the summary of what's in it, I see that the cynicism isn't quite going to go away just yet. We are told in consecutive sentences "Support England's 2018 World Cup bid. Stop "wasteful" spending by National Lottery."

If supporting the 2018 World Cup bit isn't wasteful spending writ large, I don't know what is.

Let me let you into a little secret: within each party not everyone agrees with each other. Usually these disagreements are resolved behind closed doors and never disclosed. But this coalition means that the compromises are visible and public. It's about time all the hacks stopped looking for 'splits', 'divisions' and signs of it all falling apart. Of course there will be differences of views but there is also a process for resolving them.

Dear Nick. I thought for one wonderful moment you were pronouncing on the BeeB's news policy. I should have known better.

Unfortunately Social Care is not going to be a priority at all - the DFepartment of Health have actually confirmed this to me today see: Govt NOT Planning to make Social Care a Priority - TonyButcher - Member blogs - Social Work Blog - Carespace from Com… https://wp.me/pRHY4-1w

So far it seems that political commentators in the media are the most uncomfortable with the idea of coalition Government, and this blog seems a prime example of that.

For heaven's sake, Nick, get used to the idea that we have a coalition and start looking seriously at the Government's policies, rather than concentrating obsessively on the trivia of personality and the mechanics of policy formation.

The ship is sinking, dave and nick are still playing the violins on deck. Captain Gordons fate has already been sealed.
Now where's that last boat out of here!

In my adult life I have never seen so much cynisism directed towards a new government as we get from todays MSM. The entire newsfeed for the past 2 weeks has been about stoking up "divisions" between the Tories and the LibDems. For months we had a public screaming for consensus politics, actions taken in the national interest.

We get to a place where "compromise" basically sums up everythign we have ehard in the last 14 days and the media want to sabotage it.

Perhaps I am on my own but I completely understand that Messrs Clegg and Cameron believe they are driven by high principle. They have the future months or years to prove that they have the ability to make this country better than they found it. Words will not keep us for long, they need to act to address problems. The only actions that they have taken so far have been to discipline the only group of people that can influence their future actions: Parliament and their own backbenchers (55% and 1922 group) - if I were them I would be wondering what "freedom" - one of the coalition's principles - means in practice for anybody other than the coalition. I hope I am completely wrong.

Tony Blair was the same...''New Labour'' now it's ''new politics'', unprecedented!.... since the last time!

I should know.I've just got the latest results from the latest commission.


The Young Ones always seem to be the same.

Potency and Power, in this pop culture of politics that we have in 2010, or they think they have.

It seems to me that the main advantage of this coalition is that it allows them to focus on attacking the major economic problems without the distraction of idealogical posing. The major idealogical issues like Europe and the Euro, the HoL and voting reform can be handled by a full referendum, where they belong, and not as a parliamentry debate.

...gets the females voting. Check the results of the penultimate commission on voting 2010. I did.

Coalitions may be the best way to govern. The idea of one party rule does not solve the issues of today. Various views and approaches should be on the table at all important discussions. The key is to make decisions and not become stalled. Increasing wider representation in the legislative bodies is needed as well. Governments perform so poorly because they are tied to a political view that hardly every reflects the nature of real world implementation. Maybe deals with bankers wouldn't be so easily made if others were at the table representing populations that do not gain from such deals. I would hope that some success would encourage voters to understand that the "rationale" of either or governing is promoted by the major parties simply because it is in their interest and all the talk of governing being difficult with a coalition is not the reality in many other countries. The modern world has a different face and the governments need to reflect that and be assembled to reflect a broader range of considerations when developing regulations and laws.

In the Programme, it is mentioned that:

"Specific agreement that a Liberal Democrat spokesperson will speak against the Planning Statement, but that Liberal Democrat MPs will abstain and clarity that this will not be regarded as an issue of confidence."

This is not a healthy sign of a cohesive government. This is a slippery way of maintaining this coalition. How many more times can we expect such convenient disagreements?

Is this a way of allowing the government to disagree with itself yet maintain power?

Most European Governments are coalitions and seem to work in one form or another. Clegg was a Euro MP and must have some contacts to ring up and seek advice, which he then can pass on to Cameron.

Here we are on the titanic, the last captain has already hit the iceberg.

There was a chance we could avoid the whole thing sinking but we now have two captains and they are so busy with each other the crew don't know what to do.

Time to grab your own lifeboat, this ships going down.

This is a right and proper PR exercise to try to explain to the country how this new coalition can work.

It is imperative that they all give out an upbeat impression that they are in control of events for it won't be too long before they have to prove it.

Many people are still in a selfish mode where they are still looking at their own pet preferences so it will be some time before the whole idea of a coalition working for the country as a whole will begin to gel.

The Labour party should concentrate on sorting out its own problems for the snide remarks we keep hearing from some of their own MP's are of no constructive help whatsover.

They are in no position to sort out the mess they left so perhaps they should try to support those who've been left with it.

I am sure it will take some time for things to be clear regarding what , when , who and when.

"We're making it up as we go along."
What are you Nick & David trying to do, frighten the wits out of the UK population?
The prime minister chided the media for churlishness when reporters pointed out that many difficult decisions (social care, human rights and splitting up the banks) have been handed to commissions. In fact the media is correct. Thus far The Coalition (capital T and capital C) has floated big ideas in makeshift boats that could sink if struck by one substantial detail.
It unnerves me to hear the Party Leader state that this is "a new world... a state of mind... something we'll all have to get used to".
David and Nick, this is a fast paced, twisted, conniving, conspiratorial world where there is no time to find your comfort zone because while you are finding your comfort zone some small detail is ejecting towards your makeshift boat.
From what I’ve seen thus far, Nick and David will not survive one year under The Coalition Government (capital T and capital C).
Much before a week ago, I was saying that these guys don’t seem to know what to do with the power they have received, and I found it potentially frightening. Both of them look like school boys elected to student councils, and far worse, they sounded that way.
They’re making it up as they go along?
How reassuring!

Nothing makes this coalition 'a gripping specatacle'

It's a government, not an action movie; much to the chagrin of the newlabour apologists.

The media doesn't know where to put itself and it's hilarious to watch them grovelling around for signals that someone has stolen someone else's gobstopper or football today.

If this coalition shows us anything it's what a completely inadequate set of 'experts' we have writing and broadcasting about it.

If the best they can do is liken DC and NC to a new civil partnership then we are in for five very dull and badly scrutinised years, with newlabour thrashing around in the background trying to 'connect' or 'reach out to' its ex voters.

It's like being in a permanent loop of 'In the psychiatrist's chair' Endless excrutiatingly dull analysis of the relationships within the government.

But one thing is clear..

newlabour have left the building...

"A week ago, it was the new PM who looked most starry-eyed about his new political romance. Since then, however, he's been teased by some close to him that he risks looking like the boy at school who's got a new girlfriend and can't stop boasting about it."

is that kind of language really necessary from a political editor?? Even a lame duck one?

Never mind. Things'll no doubt change for the better when Bradby or Kuenssberg move into the hot seat....

I suppose all you media blokes would be out of work if everything was perceived as running smoothly, so you've got a vested interest in trying to stir things up. Caledonian Comment

I find it totally objectional to think that the two big C's (Cameron and Clegg), by joining forces, feel they have the authority to do 'radically or otherise' what they say they want to, let alone having to sit and watch these smug, self-satisfied privileged ex-pubic schoolboys pout at each other and snuggle up together in their so called (snigger) unified voices. Propping one another up more like.

We tend to forget that Cameron's father was a STOCKBROKER and Clegg's a BANKER. Who in the world into this mess? The MARKETS and the BANKS. Am I angry at them? You bet I am! Do I trust them to do what's right for me and my family? You bet your life I don't! They are both manipulators of information to suit themselves.

I believe the British people voted the way they did because they DID NOT WANT massive radical changes; I think they are exhausted with change and want some stability. There's enough insecurity around as it is.

Big C (Cameron) and Little C (Clegg) have got the message from the people WRONG. Only they are so arrogant that they are each using the Coalition to pursue their party's ideologies and don't appear to be aware of that possibility. I believe the majority of people certainly didn't want to give the Tories their head now or in the future. I think Big C will make sure that the Tories will be rewarded for things that are popular, and project any blame for things that go wrong on Little C (Clegg) and the Lib Dems will be destroyed at the next election. Little C already comes off worse in the media and I, for one, have lost all admiration for him.

See a few old nasties have come out of the woodwork, Michael Redwood for one. They were locked away in the cupboard during the election except for the odd glimpse here and there to remind us how awful they were under Thatcher.

This new political world of ours is absolutely wonderful.

As a tory I have sometimes not been totally in favour of some of our policies. I have, very occasionally, found myself in sympathy with some LibDem policies, even though a lot of their thinking is similar to socialism.

Having said that, I am pleased that we have a chance to temper right and left wing thinking in a constructive way, through a formal coalition. This is better than trying to work in a minority government, having to pussyfoot one's way through policies and negotitation, which end up being cycnical. At least this way we can be confident there is a full debate among the parties before the inevitable compromise is reached.

In itself this is so much better than having a coalition between Labour and the LibDems since there is no compensating argument. Everything would be left wing oriented, and it is this, I think, which is leading to the current outcry from some political commentators and a lot of posters on this blog.

If it sees the end of the destructive forces of the Labour party on our economy, then I'm in favour of a coalition for the next 30 years, or until I die, whichever comes sooner.

How about we hold fire on this Coalition until we know for certain whether the charges from the Right (about Cameron being a "socialist under the bed") are correct? If they are (if he is a socialist and he is under our beds) then all well and good. And if it turns out he isn't - if, for example, this government starts getting clowny, starts putting the boot in under the fig leaf of "deficit reduction" (lol) - then we can put the boot in back with knobs on. But let's see.

@14. RedandYellowandGreennotBlue. Every political party, certainly since 1704, has various factions within it. The Whig supremacy even had whigs for and whigs dissenting from, the government as named subsections. The Parties you support are famous for their destructive factionalism. What the Coalition is trying to do is legitimise opposing points of view within so as to use differences as a positive tension to produce an alloy of differences in approach which produce stronger policies, It's a brave and original thing to do, and no wonder the MSM and tribal Party followers are slow in coming to terms with it.

Moderation is taking far too long for contributors to develop themes and arguments with others. Is it the intention to hinder free speech by delaying the exchange of ideas, or a plea of poverty for not making a moderator available on a more regular basis?

Just skimmed through the 'new programme' - which as Vince admits, they've made up as they go.

https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_187877

Civil Liberties - It says (page 12) "We will ban the use of powers in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) by councils, unless they are signed off by a magistrate and required for stopping serious crime."

There are NO circumstances when a local authority should be allowed to intercept emails or bug phone calls. If a 'serious crime' is suspected, that is a matter for the police or security forces. Local officials should not have any such powers. This cannot be left for magistrates to decide.

They need to think again.

Communities and Local Government - it says (page 11) the government will give councils new powers to stop ‘garden grabbing'.

Are they living in cloud-cuckoo land? Most Councils actually encourage 'garden grabbing', despite fierce opposition from residents. Back gardens are increasingly used for development, and the Councils usually take the side of the Big Developers, ignoring objections and petitions from residents.

To protect residents, Councils need to have LESS power, not more!

It says (page 11) "we will end the era of top-down government by giving new powers to local councils, communities, neighbourhoods and individuals."

What twaddle!

If they give 'new powers' to local Councils, how can that possibly empower communities, neighbourhoods and individuals" at the same time?

Citizens need protecting from local councils - not left to their mercy.

I was undecided about PR and the worth of coalition governments it implies - until now. We've had Shirley Williams saying this agreement has proved how great they are. What planet is she on? Nick is right. They are making it up as they go along, deals over canapés and ginger beer at number 10. We'll implement this policy of yours if you agree to this policy of ours - and we'll adjust this other policy so it can get past your backbenchers.
And what does the voter get? Does he get what he voted for? Nope. For example, he may vote Tory wanting the Human Rights act scrapped - instead it is bolstered as that is one of the Liberals "red lines". A joke.

If the ship sinks it will not be because we have a coalition gov't, but because of the mistakes of the previous Labour gov't.
The only good things that I can think of that will happen directly as a result of this coalition gov't are that some of the Tories' most conservative policies will not happen.
Eventually this gov't will either fall apart or be defeated in an election. In which case we will end up with either a Tory or Labour majority gov't again - and we know how much good they do - none.

That's why I'm seriously thinking of emigrating and I'm sure other people are too.

20. At 2:11pm on 20 May 2010, rockRobin7 wrote:
Nothing makes this coalition 'a gripping specatacle'

It's a government, not an action movie; much to the chagrin of the newlabour apologists.
The media doesn't know where to put itself and it's hilarious to watch them grovelling around for signals that someone has stolen someone else's gobstopper or football today.
If this coalition shows us anything it's what a completely inadequate set of 'experts' we have writing and broadcasting about it.
If the best they can do is liken DC and NC to a new civil partnership then we are in for five very dull and badly scrutinised years, with newlabour thrashing around in the background trying to 'connect' or 'reach out to' its ex voters.
It's like being in a permanent loop of 'In the psychiatrist's chair' Endless excrutiatingly dull analysis of the relationships within the government.
But one thing is clear..
newlabour have left the building..."

You know now what it`s like when the party you support comes under constant media scrutiny.New Labour has indeed left the building so press and TV will find other targets.

These are chosen according to the commercial pressures of 24 hour news.
Negative stories sell,you need a new one daily so you keep stirring the pot.You also personalize so people rarely get to see the unfolding economic and sociological dynamic.The focus on top people subjects politicians to the same scrutiny as pop stars.

The commercial imperative overrides all other considerations.It`s the God journalists are forced to worship.In her service no lie too blatant,no injustice too gross,no intrusion too indelicate.

Your people are the target now,expect no mercy.

23#

Mummy obviously be running late to pick you up from Holland Park creche today then. Never mind, she'll be here soon.

Who runs Europe - the Governments or the Markets? asked Steph in her blog.

MARKET DATA - 15:56 UK
FTSE 100 5030.21down -127.84 -2.48%
Dax 5813.55down -175.12 -2.92%
Cac 40 3384.76down -126.91 -3.61%
Dow Jones 10176.31down -268.06 -2.57%
Nasdaq 2227.37down -71.00 -3.09%
BBC Global 30 5528.49down -69.23 -1.24%



Nuff said

Electoral Commission Interim Report has been released in last few hours. There was evidence of chaos on voting day but I read that Sheffield's Returning Officer was returning his £20k payment. Surely the pre and post election day work is part of his basic job description and one extended shift through evening and night therefore seems grossly over paid. Over paid and under prepared. It must be better value to reallocate that money for more polling stations and/or staff.

Incidentally as the number of people eligible to vote at any station is known there can never be an excuse for running out of ballot papers.

DoM @ 1.11pm

"If supporting the 2018 World Cup bid is not wasteful spending I do not know what is."

The same with the 2012 Olympics.

The Great and the Good, our Masters and Betters, are amazed at how much c**p the British Public is prepared to put up with without taking to the Streets. They know that provided that there is "telly" and "footie" ( the Soma of the Masses ) they can get away with reducing our Standard of Living by half over the next decade and with it a slow sapping of National morale.
They had better forget therefore about daft wind-turbines and at least secure Britains Electricity supply by crash building Coal-fired and Nuclear stations.
No leccy = No food in the shops and no floodlights so no footy. When there is no more Bread and Circuses the People will at last become angry.
Civil Disorder, Rebellion and then Revolution.

I don't think the 1922 Committee are very comfortable with our brave new world. How sad!

#25 Saga

Still in denial eh?

No deficit reductions in your lifetime, is that it? Is that your solution to all our problems?

Take note of my post #33, presuming it gets past the moderators.

I could not disagree with you more Nick Robinson

We have an agreed programme, which either side will be ensuring gets carried out, rather unlike the 13 years of broken manifesto promises by New Labour

Before the election I recall you saying that the British People wanted a change, wanted grown-up politics

When you get it, you do nothing but belittle and mock it

Of course Vince Cable is uncomfortable, he used to be a Labour Councillor, which you will know, yet many on here will not

I have been impressed by the speed the coalition have moved at, and the ruthless way in which Cameron is alienating and controlling the right wing of the Conservative party

I ask you, and others on here, if you don't like the coalition, then presumably you would have wanted a second general election

They were the only two possible outcomes

The markets are falling, and will keep falling, and with a second general election it would have been even worse

How about we actually try supporting this government?

You probably remember that in the debates between the leaders before the election, Nick Clegg was saying that you could hardly tell the difference between Conservative and Labour and that only Lib Dem offered real change.

The irony is that Clegg and Cameron are now saying that they have a lot in common. Of course, one thing they definitely have in common is that neither party is like Labour. And along with that their lack of professionalism.

I have nothing against socialist ideas, it is just that in practice the they fail to discriminate against the voluntarily unemployed and encourage the malingerer. The Tories believe in standing on one's own two feet when one can and not to expect a cushy life without earning it. Provided there are boundaries to prevent the free enterprise culture going too far to the right, I am very much in favour of it.

Nonetheless, before the election I did not believe that the Tories deserved to win and wanted them in a minority administration. There is a lot in common between Lib Dem and Tory, the main differences from my perspective is that some Lib Dem policies are illogical, like allowing an amnesty for illegal residents. However, if the two parties can work together, then moderation and compromise are likely to serve the interests of a greater proportion of the population. It could work out very well and possibly see the end of Punch and Judy politics, forcing Labour to grow up too.

To complain when people have had a good education, the brains to go to Oxbridge and to know what they are doing, why complain about that? Do we not all potentially benefit by leaders who are confident and competent?

Had New Labour been more competent, we would not have had £billions more poured into the NHS and almost all of it going to waste. We would not have had our gold reserves sold below market value. We would not have had Ed Balls changing his agenda for schools every five minutes and expecting the teaching profession to score Balls eyes with a constantly moving target. He and his like, in their ignorance, seem to have thought that change equals progress. Well on one thing he was right. The trouncing of New Labour.

The 1832 Act, significant though it was, was not the most radical or far reaching constitutional reform but it does have something in common with the current proposals. Both are intended to alter the relationship between the people and parliament. While this is important, it pales into insignificance compared with the question of the balance of power as between the legislature and the executive.

It has been the erosion of the power of a parliament by a combination of an overbearing executive, increased farming out of government functions to unaccountable agencies and the manipulation of members by the bullying and carrot-dangling of the whips offices that has rendered parliament a toothless wonder. Small wonder that some back benchers, powerless to be of public service, came to regard the house as a kind of cash cow.

So are they making it up as they go along?

You bet they are. A new intake and some old hands can sense blood. Those who are unhappy about some of the concessions by both party leaderships to secure the coalition are beginning to rumble with rebellious intent and it will be difficult for this government to resist the temptation to bring back benchers into line by fair means or foul.

In other words, the burning issue of re-balancing the distribution of power as between the elected members and the government which is supposed to be answerable to them is unlikely to be addressed. And, until it is, any tinkering with the electoral process is grandstanding. It is not the relationship between the people and their elected members which is imperiled. It is the inability for the members to do the will of their electors.

I think it's called "compromization".

So far, so good.

Where does this leave political manifestoes in the future.
We are all sceptical at election time but are told by politicians they are set in stone.

Well we now know they mean nothing.

The real legacy of this coalition is that for the first time they have shown openly that politicians will say and do anything for power.

23. At 2:42pm on 20 May 2010, diane wrote:

.... I believe the British people voted the way they did because they DID NOT WANT massive radical changes; I think they are exhausted with change and want some stability. There's enough insecurity around as it is.
==========================
To not want change would mean that they incumbents would have stayed in place - more Labour government policies.
The electorate fairy clearly sent a sign that it wanted that bit changed.
And Cameron and Clegg could easily have been over dubbed with David Bowie - they mentioned changes that often.

Ladies and Gentlemen...er..and..Daily Mirror readers...

Welcome to yet more left-wing crud...(with a right-wing sweetener in the from of a reduction in corporation tax).

Bring back a proper Conservative government with fox hunting and heavy smoking.

Dear old rockRobin7,

Newlabour will never leave the building. The UK stinks, not of tobacco but of Sagamixs and their like...

23 Diane wrote

See a few old nasties have come out of the woodwork, Michael Redwood for one. They were locked away in the cupboard during the election except for the odd glimpse here and there to remind us how awful they were under Thatcher.

Who is Michael Redwood?

A tree from California?

12pm on 20 May 2010, pennytr8 wrote:
"Who runs Europe - the Governments or the Markets? asked Steph in her blog.

MARKET DATA - 15:56 UK
FTSE 100 5030.21down -127.84 -2.48%
Dax 5813.55down -175.12 -2.92%
Cac 40 3384.76down -126.91 -3.61%
Dow Jones 10176.31down -268.06 -2.57%
Nasdaq 2227.37down -71.00 -3.09%
BBC Global 30 5528.49down -69.23 -1.24% "

The markets give signals some time in advance.It used to be 18months,globalization has drastically shortened the transmission and amplification of crisis.

Focus is on the eurozone and how deflationary the effects of the bail out of weaker economies will be across Europe.

Our proposed deflation, combined with selling into a weakening market,has also unsettled opinion.

The figures for growth,or is absence in the coming weeks and months is what to look for.At present the momentum is deflationary with rising unemployment and falls in output, unless a formula is found to reduce the deficit while sustaining growth.

Centre right governments like France and |Germany were persauded to increase spending as the banking collapse rippled out to the wider economy.Germany now faces massive demands on its exchequer to rescue Greece and Portugal.To preserve the Euro it could also become a victim of sovereign debt unless it turns of the tap.

This is the dilemma which now includes the UK and its new centre right government.Cut spending,output falls,unemployment rises,the deficit increases.Spend, and if you are Greece or Portugal you signal to the markets you are not serious about the deficit.

Because of the Euro this is Merkel and Sarkozy`s problem.Because of Cameron,Osborne and now Clegg it will soon be ours.

#38 Kevinb

"I ask you, and others on here, if you don't like the coalition, then presumably you would have wanted a second general election"

Given there was no overall majority, the only options were a coalition or a minority government.

My concern is that Cameron has placed too much emphasis on 'stable government' by a) giving too many concessions to the socialist Lib-Dems and b) trying to thwart parliament's ability to force an election by introducing the 55% rule.

Stable Government is only a good thing if the policies have wide acceptance. We've just had 13 years of stable Labour government - which was a disaster!

One of the consequences of coalitions is that they are less stable than a majority government. For those who favour PR, this needs to be considered.

I'm not in favour of PR - but recognise there are pros and cons. However, AV is the worst possible option and is actually even less fair than what we have at the moment as it will inevitably favour whichever party comes 3rd. No wonder Clegg is in favour of this 'compromise'.

So to answer you question - I initially supported the coalition, but I am dismayed that Cameron has not been a tough negotiator. He has made far too many concessions.

For example, Tories promised a two-year freeze on Council Tax. However, Clegg apparently supports 'local taxes' according a report in the Telegraph. We will have to watch this space....

Just seen Lord Mandelson and Lord Adonis to step down!! good riddance to 2 of the most despicable men,running before all the information comes out about the reall state they left this country in. I expect Mr Campbell will be applying for a job with coalition next.

What is wrong with making it up as you go along? We have been in new economic territory for more than eighteen months, we are now in new political territory and society in general has been looking exhausted for some years now.

I think political and economic ideologies of both Right & Left have now failed fundamentally. What is needed now is intellectual method and objective analysis. We need things that work but in order to achieve such we need first to measure the realities and explore the options.

Perhaps a coaltition government is the best option for the country at the moment as nobody knows the way forward from here on. Political ideology is worst than useless at the moment. We have to make our own luck now and not rely on other peoples' recipes.

The result of the General Election is going to frustrate many not least the media who seemed to enjoy watching ministers jumping around like jack-rabbits on heat. Only that was never politics; it was an entertainment encouraged by foolish New Labour anxious to divert our attention from their utter incompetence. They succeeded for a long time: more's the pity.

The nation is moving on from what has been happening. People want what works for the future. They know there are tough decisions to come and some will be unfair, but another future beckons and that is what we must focus on rather than politics as a branch of the entertainments industry. I hope those who will come to oppose the coalition will recognise that and try to elevate the level of debate above yah-boo-sucks! I am not optimistic but I can only hope.

So why don't the Members of the 1922 Committee that don't like what's happened just form a new one--one could hazard the 2010 Committee as a name--and once again ban Ministers. If 100 or so backbenchers did this, Cameron would be powerless to stop them and would have to eat his daft idea. In due course more and more backbenchers would attend and they could return to the status quo ante even changing the name back. I have no time at all for this business of change just for the sake of it: we had far too much of that under the last lot.

8. At 1:33pm on 20 May 2010, Anand wrote:
In my adult life I have never seen so much cynisism directed towards a new government as we get from todays MSM.
=================

Given that Parliament accepted the discredited speaker who was and is an apologist for the expenses sleaze of the last parliament, and up to his neck in it, and that so far all they appear to have done is to try and bolster their position in Government, I'd say cynicism isn't an unreasonable stance.

28. At 3:39pm on 20 May 2010, DistantTraveller wrote:
Just skimmed through the 'new programme' - which as Vince admits, they've made up as they go.

https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_187877

Civil Liberties - It says (page 12) "We will ban the use of powers in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) by councils, unless they are signed off by a magistrate and required for stopping serious crime."

There are NO circumstances when a local authority should be allowed to intercept emails or bug phone calls. If a 'serious crime' is suspected, that is a matter for the police or security forces. Local officials should not have any such powers. This cannot be left for magistrates to decide.

They need to think again.

Communities and Local Government - it says (page 11) the government will give councils new powers to stop ‘garden grabbing'.

Are they living in cloud-cuckoo land? Most Councils actually encourage 'garden grabbing', despite fierce opposition from residents. Back gardens are increasingly used for development, and the Councils usually take the side of the Big Developers, ignoring objections and petitions from residents.

To protect residents, Councils need to have LESS power, not more!

It says (page 11) "we will end the era of top-down government by giving new powers to local councils, communities, neighbourhoods and individuals."

What twaddle!

If they give 'new powers' to local Councils, how can that possibly empower communities, neighbourhoods and individuals" at the same time?

Citizens need protecting from local councils - not left to their mercy.
==============

Absolutely correct. My local council ( well an unelected offical of it), some years back, stopped a Councillor from voting on a particular issue because he was deemed to have 'an interest' - too true, we elected him because of it so he could stop the damn council!! Councils need to be hamstrung, neutered and anything else that deprives them of power.

Everyones always focusing on Vince Cable's perceived 'unease' with all of the coalition business. I've always thought that was his mannerism anyway. When he and Nick Clegg launched the tax proposals before the election Vince had a very laid back, matter of fact way about him then. I see actually no difference in his body language or style of delivery.

It would seem the 'media' are looking for every possible chink in everything. In a similar vein, I certainly don't get people who voted Liberal who are complaining about this. If you vote for a party who want P.R. then you vote for a party that wants coalition government. I think, as someone above said, so far so good.

23 Diane

I think you mean John Redwood.

Thatcher had many dragons to slay but did manage to introduce the 'Right to buy'

This gave many people who otherwise wouldn't have been able to buy their own council homes after years of paying rent the opportunity to get on the housing ladder. I've not met one yet who thought it was a bad idea.

Listening to David Cameron in a recent interview he admitted that she hadn't been able to go all the way and he hoped to complete the picture by making sure there was a larger degree of social mobility.

There are many distorted views of Margaret Thatcher and it is only the Labour party who continue to make her the scapegoat for their own shortcomings. The suffering they will have left behind them will make the Thatcher years pale into insignificence.

This is the dilemma which now includes the UK and its new centre right government.Cut spending,output falls,unemployment rises,the deficit increases.Spend, and if you are Greece or Portugal you signal to the markets you are not serious about the deficit.

Because of the Euro this is Merkel and Sarkozy`s problem.Because of Cameron,Osborne and now Clegg it will soon be ours.


So nothing to do with the scorched earth policy of that idiot Brown?

You really are so tribal

There is only one man that I do not trust in the coalition and that is Vince Cable.He has very shifty eyes and looks ill at ease.I think he will break away from the cabinet,but I may be proved wrong.

38. At 4:30pm on 20 May 2010, Kevinb wrote:

How about we actually try supporting this government?

Kevin your back - Good to hear from you. Well you convinced me but for that was easy. I guess you've got a long way to go before convincing Susan and it will be interesting to see how you get on. Keep us updated every couple of months or so.

Also - Michael Redwood a tree from Calafonia. Very good the breaks obvioulsy been good for your sense of humour! Carry on like this and it will be a pleasure following your postings again. Much better than the bickering between you and Nicky.

Now the side show is out the way. Now we can can get on and see how this lot get on and deal with the deficit. Should be interesting don't you agree?

50. At 5:55pm on 20 May 2010, Leslie Singleton wrote:
So why don't the Members of the 1922 Committee that don't like what's happened just form a new one--one could hazard the 2010 Committee as a name--and once again ban Ministers. If 100 or so backbenchers did this, Cameron would be powerless to stop them and would have to eat his daft idea. In due course more and more backbenchers would attend and they could return to the status quo ante even changing the name back. I have no time at all for this business of change just for the sake of it: we had far too much of that under the last lot.

This is not change for change's sake

It is Cameron actively taking on the right wing of the Conservative Party, in a move to get them to move to the left a bit or leave

IF he captures the right wing of the Lib Dems, the more Liberal part, and alienates the right wing of the Conservative Party, he will have successfully set up a rather large tent in the centre of British Politics

You may agree with me, that this is a good thing to do, you may very well disagree, yet it is certainly not a change for change's sake

sagamix 25

'How about we hold fire on this Coalition until we know for certain whether the charges from the Right (about Cameron being a "socialist under the bed") are correct'

I've seen most posts on this thread and various others over the last few days and I'm hard pressed to find anyone on the right making such charges. In fact about the only ones making them are yourself and VOR, or perhaps you now classify yourself as a right winger.

Having been in favour of this coalition from the outset I am now really excited that politics will be changing quite radically for the better. I think Vince Cable looks uncomfortable and slightly like a rabbit in the headlights because this is all so new for him. He has been used to giving his opinion from opposition and suddenly he finds himself in Government with the chance to be in the forefront of making history. It must be very very frightening for an elderly man to suddenly find himself in this position - especially as he has always made it clear his feelings for the Conservatives!!!

One thing I have definitely notice over the last few days - journalists do not seem to be shouting everyone down anymore. There seems to be a shift to proper debating without trying to verbally force each other off the stage. Because of this we have actually been able to hear and understand what each member of the cabinet has had to say about their department's responsibilities.

Perhaps it is time for the journalists to do their job in a more dignified and professional way and stop trying to pit one person against another. After all I for one get fed up with the gossip mongering even on the Beeb. Our MPs have been elected to do a job - what their education was or what their fathers did for a living or indeed what their parents politics were I really do not care to know!!!

On the subject of MPs I was very pleased to hear this morning that Diane Abbott was standing for leadership of the Labour Party. Fabulous woman and would do the Labour party good to get rid of the Blairite and Brown factions. After all the sleazy, arrogant criminals that ran the Labour Party from the back parlour have left the room there will not be many left to build it up again. She has a very sensible head on her shoulders and could well take the party in a safer and more acceptable direction.

bryhers 46

'Cut spending,output falls,unemployment rises,the deficit increases. Spend, and if you are Greece or Portugal you signal to the markets you are not serious about the deficit.'

And so to square the circle we need to boost the private sector by encouraging business and enterprise. That way we get more investment, more jobs and the deficit can be repaid without cutting front line services.

Lucky we've now got a government in place that understands this, eh bryhers ?

57

Hi there

Yes, I agree I allowed Nicky to get under my skin a bit....point taken..lesson learned

I think that the coalition have done very well so far

Susan is going to be very angry, as are all people who have a very narrow agenda, or are of the right wing, or particularly both(not sure if Susan is both, definitely right wing)

I did mention a couple of times yonks ago that there might be a link up between the Lib Dems and the Conservatives, although I did not foresee a full coalition

The scrapping of ID cards, the Conservative education policy, and the deficit reduction now, with no euro and no moves towards the Euro are all excellent in my view

I am astonished at the Lib Dems who want PR suddenly ALL vanishing?

Also, the Lib Dems who don't want anything to do with the Conservatives, yet want coalition government

All very silly

Cameron is showing just what he has in terms of leadership skills, and you will not be surprised to hear that I think Osborne is doing well!!!

Maybe one day someone will agree with me on that

It will be interesting, and like all relationships, I expect the troublesome bits to be over something unpredictable and trivial, not covered by the agreement

Finally, Liam Byrne has given the conservatives precious proof with that absurd letter

What are your thoughts currently?

38. Kevinb:

Here, Here, but unfortunately there are people in the media & blogosphere that can’t get over the fact that a Conservative majority did not come about as a result of the election.

Personally, I’m glad to see the end of Newspaper based voting by readers; perhaps that’s because people don’t read them so much these days.

I get the impression that they will only be happy when this Government falls; after all, poor Cameron & Ozborne seem to be getting stabbed in the back more than Brown did.

We can’t afford to have another election in the near future because the UK finances need urgent attention & it just can’t wait.

I for one welcome the new Government & wish them all the best; with all this petty back stabbing so early on, they are going to need it.

Bryers 46

Yes and of course to get us back on track much depends on Tax revenues.

Interestingly the Governments committment to cut the Corporation Tax rate to encourage businesses either not to leave the UK or in some cases to return to the UK is long term and does not help the deficit in the short term. Don't expect BP to post a profit for a while yet and our airlines to pre tax losses and the pictire looks less rosy than it did even a month or so ago and it didn't look great then.

That coupled with the fact that over 50% of all our exports are EU reliant, a double dip recession is more than likely.

AD's prediction of above 3% annual growth looks grossly overweight and as you say we need to find that magic formula.

The Markets are reacting badly but over the last couple of months they have risen steadily on the back of no good reason. Maybe the markets are just correcting themselves, we shall see.

Hard to see sustainable green shoots?

You say because of Cameron, Osbourne and Clegg this will soon be ours. GB and AD would have been confronted with the same problem would they have not?

56. At 6:40pm on 20 May 2010, ant wrote:
There is only one man that I do not trust in the coalition and that is Vince Cable.He has very shifty eyes and looks ill at ease.I think he will break away from the cabinet,but I may be proved wrong.


Just as well he is not there for what he looks like then!

He has his finger in the pie of sorting out the banks, so very little chance of him departing

If he were to depart on his own, his career would be over

54 Virtual Silverlady

No. No problem with Thatcher selling off Council Houses as long as the right wingers on here stop going on about GB selling off Gold.

jobs @ 59,

"I've seen most posts on this thread and various others over the last few days and I'm hard pressed to find anyone on the right making such charges."

Distant Traveller.
Happy Dad Too.
Susan Croft.
Leslie Singleton.
Inter Alia.

It's actually very interesting to note how this Coalition is dividing bloggers who were previously united by their Brown hatred. Two camps - the moderate tories (you, kev, sighs, naughty, inter alia) and the extreme right wingers (list above); the latter disapproving of this government c.f. you guys who so far like it, both concept and practice.

Inter Alia, of course, manages to have a foot in both camps but that's the sort of two faced character he is.

63

You are right there

There are knoves out all over the place

Unfortunately, the Labour Party leadership election is going to be very messy, as we now have both Milipedes, Diane Abbot, Balls, so all factions covered

From a conservative perspective...Balls please

Worst winner from a conservative perspective...Ed Miliband

Likely winner David Miliband, who is just too smarmy for his own good. Bright, but smarmy

This is another reason why Cameron has gone on the offensive within the Conservative Party

With 168 New MPS he will never get a better chance to modernise the party

People on the very left of politics are seething too, as they thought that the rainbow nonsense was going to happen....

Never ever in a million years

We are in for a rough time, and the emergency budget on 22nd June will be our first clue as to how horrible the medicine is going to taste

66

The gold papers will be released sometime in the summer............

Let's just wait and see what they say

62 Kevinb

A bit too much Testerone at the moment for my liking and too many annoucements being made to the press witout first being announced in the HoC. Wasn't this something the Tories complained about when in opposition.

With regards the coalition. Too early to tell. Someone wrote on here a week or so back that it will fail (all governments do) it's not if but when (or words to that effect) but all eyes should now be on the economy and should be interesting.

Politics at this level is a bit like supporting a football team, in as far as it dosen't matter how much you shout, screem or cheer we as individuals have no influence over the result. Once you come to terms with it you can start to enjoy the game.

I used to be known as "Wet" so I guess a Liberal Conservative is a bit of an improvement but I haven't yet felt the need to update my CV.

Still don't share your enthusiam re GO but again time will tell and if your right and I'm wrong be sure your get the acknowledgement.

Nick

I have noticed the mysterious and ominous arrival of the words 'IN ASSOCIATION WITH' under your title bar. Commercial sponsorship rearing it's ugly head is it?

68

I wrote

There are knoves out all over the place

Sorry...I accidentally had my Allo Allo font on

#27 You wrote : "Moderation is taking far too long for contributors to develop themes and arguments with others. Is it the intention to hinder free speech by delaying the exchange of ideas, or a plea of poverty for not making a moderator available on a more regular basis?"
I partially agree, but please don't run away with the idea that more of the BBC's politically correct moderation will enhance free speech.

I think George Osbourne will suprise people! I think he may well turn out to be a very able Chancellor with the help of a very bright man in David Laws.I feel David Laws may defect to the Conservatives as he does not strike me as a typical LibDem.

70

I agree re HOC and announcements, this must not continue

In the short term, though, I think it is acceptable due to the nature of coalition etc

I really want to be right re George Osborne for the sake of the economy more than anything else, though, I guess I would like to be right too

Osborne is very clever, and very shrewd politically

He does not have the 'common touch' of a Clarke or a Heseltine, so this alienates him, although he is far more moderate than many think

As you say, let's see

As long as England win the World Cup to cheer every one up!

67# Saga

"It's actually very interesting to note how this Coalition is dividing bloggers who were previously united by their Brown hatred"

Indeed, though this really just reflects the point I was trying (obviously very well) to make to SC. Every group of people is in fact a coalition and no two people see the same issue in the same way. It's what makes life fun.

Kevin!! I do not usually just judge someone by their appearance,but I will give you the benefit of my doubting him.As you say he is responsible for the banking,but unfortunately I heard a very reputable source in the city say he for one would not want VC in charge of a brewery let alone a bank!! Makes one wonder.
Nice to have humour on here,instead of nasty back stabbing..thanks!
Anthea

kevin,

"they thought that the rainbow nonsense was going to happen .... Never ever in a million years"

If by "never ever in a million years", you mean the Lib/Lab coalition idea post May 6th 2010 general election was a non starter, then you're dead right - didn't have the numbers - but if you mean the concept of a centre left coalition government is inherently ridiculous, and has no chance of ever happening, then this would be something that most people of a reasonable disposition would feel moved to dispute.

When are we [English] 'tax-payers' gonna' see basic hygiene? Surely it is time to cut Toenails off.... :?

MN 64
Hard to see sustainable green shoots?
You say because of Cameron, Osbourne and Clegg this will soon be ours. GB and AD would have been confronted with the same problem would they have not?

In purely economic terms you are probably right.In the present situation of the U.K, QE or Fiscal stimulus would moderate the effects of a Eurozone recession.We would still be severely affected.

A UK deflation as proposed by Cameron Osborne would amplify the effects of deflation,make a recession longer lasting,worse in its consequences.

But there is also politics.Brown and Darling were strong representatives for Keynesian counter-cyclical measures on the international stage.Catastrophe was avoided,weak growth resumed.Cameron/Osborne believe deflation is the key to recovery.Well it`s a theory,it didn`t work before,now the conditions are even more difficult.

I think it`s tragic that Cable has been co-opted into a policy with which he disagrees.Forget Clegg, he`s an opportunist lightweight,Cable has moments of real brilliance,what a waste!

Kevin, two things - (1) that's quite a nice joke (there at 72), have you been re-engineered?, and (2) ... and more important ... no more banging on about Brown and "the gold". It's a dead issue. Gone and past. We no longer mention it.

77. At 8:16pm on 20 May 2010, ant wrote:
Kevin!! I do not usually just judge someone by their appearance,but I will give you the benefit of my doubting him.As you say he is responsible for the banking,but unfortunately I heard a very reputable source in the city say he for one would not want VC in charge of a brewery let alone a bank!! Makes one wonder.
Nice to have humour on here,instead of nasty back stabbing..thanks!
Anthea

He is an excellent after dinner speaker, and I have not been a big fan of him in comparison with Osborne, and wrote that here before the election

People in the City are notoriously fickle, and I would take a large pinch of salt with that view, possibly

I recall darling being utterly vilified, then recently praised (rightly) for his dignity

Laws is ex JPM as you more than likely know

Unless people are rude to me, I am always polite

78. At 8:18pm on 20 May 2010, sagamix wrote:
kevin,

"they thought that the rainbow nonsense was going to happen .... Never ever in a million years"

If by "never ever in a million years", you mean the Lib/Lab coalition idea post May 6th 2010 general election was a non starter, then you're dead right - didn't have the numbers - but if you mean the concept of a centre left coalition government is inherently ridiculous, and has no chance of ever happening, then this would be something that most people of a reasonable disposition would feel moved to dispute.

It will be very much more difficult now, almost impossible.

For two reasons

1) If this coalition fails, it will make a further coalition very unlikely, almost impossible.It will also make PR more unlikely at the same time

2)If this coalition succeeds, then Cameron will have succeeded in his Centre-Centre Right move, and people will want more of the same

Most people of a semi-reasonable disposition would be moved to agree with me

Some in tears, probably

Kevin B 68

People on the very left of politics are seething too, as they thought that the rainbow nonsense was going to happen....
Never ever in a million years
We are in for a rough time, and the emergency budget on 22nd June will be our first clue as to how horrible the medicine is going to taste"

OK little Kevin B.Here`s one lefty who refuses to be pigeonholed.I posted this on April 25th at the height of the LIb-Dem surge.Like many people I overstimated their support while recognizing it was always flaky.I underestimated the Labour vote.

I wrote: April 25th 11.40

"Prediction,conservatives with most seats,280-290,Lib-Dems,90-100,Labour 230-240,others...
Con-LIb-Dem coalition on a national interest ticket with a commitment to a referendum on PR.
However,the bar is high,if Cameron can`t deliver reform all bets are off."

Following the election and before Clegg had signed off with the conservatives I posted that Brown should stand down.I am still surprised that Clegg has achieved so much with so few seats,I put it down to conservative intellectual and political weakness.

67 Saga

the moderate tories (you, kev, sighs, naughty, inter alia)

The New Clear Thinking Progresives - Room in our ranks for one more if your so inclined?

Glad you overcome being called a male chaunvinist pig by the way. Words like that could cost some people thousands in theropy and up with the culprit being given a written warning at the very least.

The left Limpy bit been done to pieces.

Good to hear from you and BTW - 65% Spot On!

80

bryhers wrote

But there is also politics.Brown and Darling were strong representatives for Keynesian counter-cyclical measures on the international stage.Catastrophe was avoided,weak growth resumed.Cameron/Osborne believe deflation is the key to recovery.Well it`s a theory,it didn`t work before,now the conditions are even more difficult.

Catastrophe was NOT avoided!

We used QE to artificially inflate the economy to try and win Labour the election

I have asked you directly at least 10 times why you never criticise Brown, despite the fact we have the highest unemployment for 16 years, inflation through the roof, a Sterling crisis, etc etc, and a letter from Liam Byrne saying that the money has run out

Frankly, trying to blame Cameron and Osborne already is just absurd, and makes you appear ridiculous

Vince Cable has 10% of the ability of Osborne, and is in the right place, with the right job

He went on endlessly telling everyone he understood banking, so prove it Mr Cable

He is in charge of a department he wanted abolished, so that is poetic justice

So why will you not speak out about the mess Labour left behind?

Or are you a scorched earth denier?

Are the civil servants lying about the letters of direction?

Kevin B
"Cameron is showing just what he has in terms of leadership skills, and you will not be surprised to hear that I think Osborne is doing well!!!
Maybe one day someone will agree with me on that"

Early days,but there may be one thing we may agree on.Osaborne was Dead Eyed Dick at the conference today which launched the combined manifesto.Expressionless would be too strong a word.

Normally chancellor`have almost equal importance to prime ministers.Osborne has been usurped by Clegg,not comfortable,especially following doubts over his competence.The second most powerful member of the government,until Clegg.Made doubly painful because Osborne is right wing and should represent a powerful faction in his party,perhaps his time will come.

Kevin what I find incredible on here is the bias towards ministers or anyone in fact who has had private education.They love calling them Toffs etc.I went to private school and was very grateful to my father for sending me there.By the way we are not upper class.My father ran his own business where I worked as well and we worked damn hard.
Why do some people have this attitiude.If you want to succeed in this life..GO GET IT I SAY.
I must admit that I did not notice in the agreement anything to stop all these single mothers with numerous children scrounging off my hard earned taxes.Can you tell me if this was included please?

You're not hoping the Coalition is heading for a big argument/fall are you Nick?
I mean, surely the narrative for next five years is not going to be will the Coalition argue/break/fall over x,y or z issue; because if it is, this, and other political blogs are going to get quite tedious!

81. At 8:34pm on 20 May 2010, sagamix wrote:
Kevin, two things - (1) that's quite a nice joke (there at 72), have you been re-engineered?, and (2) ... and more important ... no more banging on about Brown and "the gold". It's a dead issue. Gone and past. We no longer mention it.

nope still me

I agree that the gold is a dead story, until the treasury papers are released

The Labour leadership election could well cause problems for both Cameron and Clegg. If one of technocrats of New Labour wins then it will more than likely be business a usual with no substantive change just a superficial one. Either Miliband, Ed Balls and Andy Burham would simply be a rebranding of the same old new labour mantra of you can have investment in services and a competitive economy, as message which has failed

Should one of the backbencher candidates win i.e. John McDonnell or Diane Abbott win then maybe, just maybe our party system can be realigned with Labour to the left, Conservatives to right and the Lib-dems in the centre, as it should be.

I am a 29 year old conservative voter and would like nothing else than our politics to return to the pre-blair alignment. If I were a labour voter then I would learn a lesson from the conservative party. When you have electoral success build upon a personality and not policy like the communist regimes of old your days in power and adaptability will be numbered, even if they are successful and powerful in the short term ( Thatcher and Blair for example). It took the conservatives 15 years to replace Thatcher, and there attempts to replace her with Thatcherite groupies Hague and IDS were fruitless. If they want to win the next election, they need to take a long hard look at themselves and create a new indenity. Blair and Brown are gone and the acolytes of Blair and Brown should go with them.

I however fear that one of the ed’s will win Probably Ed Miliband and a number of special advisers in safe seats will be elected into the shadow cabinet. We will either then have an decimated Labour party (oh to dream) or a number of successive hung parliaments with everyone complaining this isn’t what I voted for. Remarks like I assumed a labour lib-dem alliance. If you wanted a labour government vote labour!

80 Bryers

Again agreeable post.

As a bystander it would have been interesting to see if the GB/AD strategy would have come good.

We are already moving in a different direction and it would be intesting to see how long VC can hold the Coalition line.

BTW after calling the election right - thoughts on the New Labour Leader. Personally I would like to see Hazel Blairs but I think thats just a mid life crisis (a bit like Saga and Harriot).

#25 sagamix

I agree - I think its looking optimistic that we have ended up with Social Democratic PM - Liberal Dave is doing a fairly good job so far of neutering the extreme nutters of his own party.

If Maggie Thatchers greatest achievement was the creation of New Labour then perhaps New Labours greatest achievement is forcing the Tories to redefine themselves as Liberal Conservatives.

Early days yet though...I doubt the right will disappear without a fight.

At 7:11pm on 20 May 2010, jobsagoodin wrote:
bryhers 46

'Cut spending,output falls,unemployment rises,the deficit increases. Spend, and if you are Greece or Portugal you signal to the markets you are not serious about the deficit.'

And so to square the circle we need to boost the private sector by encouraging business and enterprise. That way we get more investment, more jobs and the deficit can be repaid without cutting front line services.
Lucky we've now got a government in place that understands this, eh bryhers ?

Nothing against boosting business and enterprise, but if the demand isn`t there because of deflation,you can`t sell because your markets have collapsed.The Eurozone is between a rock and a hard place:Deflate too rapidly,output and revenues fall and your deficit increases.The probable fate of Greece and Portugal because conditions of the bail out are too stringent.Deflate too slowly,the bond markets move against you and you can`t finance your debt.

The temptation is to default starting with Greece.This would reverberate throughout the international banking system plunging the world into another crisis.

Growth is therefore critical,not deflation.The Eurozone response is confused,banking regulation is a panic response,it is growth that will resolve the crisis,not holding down spending in the hope of reducing deficits.As for a government that understands business,I hope this extends to the integral economic relationship between state and economy which has grown steadily since WW2 rather than wild abstractions.

81, sagamix wrote:
... and more important ... no more banging on about Brown and "the gold". It's a dead issue. Gone and past. We no longer mention it.

I bet you'd like to think that "we no longer mention it" - unfortunately for you, the electorate will remember the gold along with everything else the fool did for as long as we are paying for his legacy.

It will look as if the new goverment is making policy as it goes along .They have to compromise on many things ,which I believe is in our interest as we need the best ideas from both parties to work and get us out of this mess . I am happy to let them try to solve the problems and if they do have many commisions looking at other matters then so be it . We should not or should I say the media should not be looking for every possible disagreemnet

sagamix 81

'no more banging on about Brown and "the gold". It's a dead issue.'

Brown or the gold ? Both I guess.

OK little Kevin B.Here`s one lefty who refuses to be pigeonholed.I posted this on April 25th at the height of the LIb-Dem surge.Like many people I overstimated their support while recognizing it was always flaky.I underestimated the Labour vote.

I wrote: April 25th 11.40

"Prediction,conservatives with most seats,280-290,Lib-Dems,90-100,Labour 230-240,others...
Con-LIb-Dem coalition on a national interest ticket with a commitment to a referendum on PR.
However,the bar is high,if Cameron can`t deliver reform all bets are off."

Following the election and before Clegg had signed off with the conservatives I posted that Brown should stand down.I am still surprised that Clegg has achieved so much with so few seats,I put it down to conservative intellectual and political weakness.


Don't think I've been called little before

It is actually Conservative maturity, wisdom and political ability

Only someone as tribal as you would see it the other way round

In one foul swoop, Cameron has taken the centre ground, and ensured that the Labour Party will have a blood letting style Leadership contest, inwardly navel gazing, whilst the Big Boys get on with running, rather than ruining the country

Labour will be very ineffective as an opposition, as when the buried bodies start to be uncovered, they will just find it very very difficult to criticise and oppose

You may also recall, that I posted along the same lines, and also said that Osborne needed to lay it all out in the emergency budget which is what he is doing

Cameron could save your life, and you would still call him a lightweight

Such is life

#68 KevinB

"People on the very left of politics are seething too, as they thought that the rainbow nonsense was going to happen...."

Hmm - not many realistically thought it would happen - it was a remote possibility but at best it was always an outside chance.

Most people on the left that I have spoken to are just relieved that Cameron didn't win a huge majority as was expected a few years ago.

And if Liberal Dave wants to camp his tent on the centre-left then he's welcome to. If I get left-wing policies from a Tory government I won't complain. It will be an indication of the success of the Labour Party over the last 13 years in moving the country to the left.

I hope after Cable defects BACK to the labour party and Cash and a couple of others defect to UKIP, this new coalition government will sort out the problems labour left this country with.

I have to agree with a lot of comments on here about your negative views Nick and your obvious wishes for it all to fail. You are not alone in this position as every BBC news and Sky news broadcast and almost every political program seems to be looking for problems.

Unlike reporters like yourself, I am optomistic and I believe many millions of UK voters are of a similar view and really wish this government every success.