Tories showing their true colours again.

shortchanged_2

DexterA wrote: »

The media got hold of the wrong end of the stick, portrayed it in a bad light, and killed the policy before it began.

Policy by tabloid. One day, I hope people become wiser, and not grasp emotive headlines without seeing the big picture.

Yeah right. It's another tory policy that has gone down like a lead balloon.

They've done the classic of opening the mouth before engaging the brain and not thinking of the fallout of all this.

Can this government do any more U turns?

If the government genuinely believed this was a good, viable policy then they should have the balls to stick with their convictions.

What did Cameron say during the election campaign. Something along the lines of 'tough, unpopular decisions need to be made and I'm the man to do it.'

It's almost as if they bring these things out to test out the public response and then back down when there is to much fuss.

DexterA

shortchanged wrote: »

If the government genuinely believed this was a good, viable policy then they should have the balls to stick with their convictions.

In an ideal world I'd agree with you. In a pragmatic world, it's in the interest of a every government to stay in power first, and carry out policy it thinks right second second.

shortchanged wrote: »

What did Cameron say during the election campaign. Something along the lines of 'tough, unpopular decisions need to be made and I'm the man to do it.'

All politicians are in the business of telling the electorate what they want to hear. If they don't, they don't get elected. If you can understand motives, you understand actions. If not, you look on at others actions confused.

The rules shape the political beast.

Sir_Humphrey

What this was is a policy kite-flyer that has been dropped faster than a radioactive turd.

Willetts is known as two brains. Unfortunately one of them is from a fool and he can only use one at a time.

DexterA

"The Opposition aren't really the opposition. They are only the Government in exile. The Civil Service are the opposition in residence." Yes Minister.

DexterA

shortchanged wrote: »

It's almost as if they bring these things out to test out the public response and then back down when there is to much fuss.

No, that's what focus groups are for.

Sir_Humphrey

DexterA wrote: »

"The Opposition aren't really the opposition. They are only the Government in exile. The Civil Service are the opposition in residence." Yes Minister.

It was the PM who canned the policy, he's not daft.

I'd love to have been minuting the call he must have made to Willetts this lunchtime!

shortchanged_2

DexterA wrote: »

No, that's what focus groups are for.

Normally I would agree with you on this point but this government seems far from normal.

DexterA

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

It was the PM who canned the policy, he's not daft.

What Cameron did was sensible, given the unmoderated media frenzy.

Sir_Humphrey

DexterA wrote: »

I never said otherwise. What Cameron did was sensible, given the unmoderated media frenzy.

No, he was sensible because it was a policy that was both stupid and very unpopular.

Any politician who thinks that the average person in the street would like that sort of policy are in the wrong profession.

DexterA

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

No, he was sensible because it was a policy that was both stupid and very unpopular.

Why is it stupid(?), besides the media frenzy.

Sir_Humphrey wrote: »

Any politician who thinks that the average person in the street would like that sort of policy are in the wrong profession.

Giving EU citizens the same opportunities as non-EUs is a good thing. The average person on the street may only read an emotive headline. Marketing is important.