Breakup of the coalition?

Graham_Devon

Just wondering if were seeing the start of the breaking up of the coalition?

Over the last couple of days, we've had Nick Clegg suggesting the referendum was a bad idea.

He has now suggested the coalition have made a mistake, by cutting too much. This comes on the back of an IMF report that suggests (again) the UK need to spend more and take on more debt to do so, as austerity has been too damaging.

I'm still very confused about where this massive austerity actually is, especially compared to other nations, but hey ho.

So, Clegg is making appearences on the news, saying the coaltion have made mistakes, they are going down the wrong road etc. In other words, he's now trying to alienate himself from the conservatives.

So is this it? Will they last much longer? And if not, what are the consequences?

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Clegg finally admits they cut too far, too fast.

IMF warns, yet again, that it's time for plan B.

Nothing many of us don't already know....

shortchanged_2

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Clegg finally admits they cut too far, too fast.

IMF warns, yet again, that it's time for plan B.

Nothing many of us don't already know....

Wha hey Mctav. Something me and you actually agree on.

michaels

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Just wondering if were seeing the start of the breaking up of the coalition?

A bit meodramatic? Isn't this just politics as usual, surely the junior partner in a coalition but default starts off very bullish about 'what we can finally acheive now we have a small grasp on the handles of power' but as the next election comes closer it becomes time to start differentiating and distancing from unpopular policies. Doesn't mean they will vote to bring down the govt any time soon. Of course for Labour the challenge is to table some votes that the lib dems really can't abstain on leaving the govt with the risk of defeat and the Tories then left to chose to use a confidence vote to push things through which the lib dems probably would reluctantly support but being politically very damaging for the Tories.

One thing that amazes me is that the Tories couldn't see the wood for the trees over the lords reform / redistricting stand off. Surely as a party they would have been better off letting lords reform through to increase their chances of winning the 2012 election than standing on principle that will cost them 15+ seats at the general electio? Then again, what do I know.

Wookster

I love the way hamish blatantly twists what folks say to suit his view of the world.

Clegg actually said that capital spending was cut too deeply.

ukcarper

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Just wondering if were seeing the start of the breaking up of the coalition?

Over the last couple of days, we've had Nick Clegg suggesting the referendum was a bad idea.

He has now suggested the coalition have made a mistake, by cutting too much. This comes on the back of an IMF report that suggests (again) the UK need to spend more and take on more debt to do so, as austerity has been too damaging.

I'm still very confused about where this massive austerity actually is, especially compared to other nations, but hey ho.

So, Clegg is making appearences on the news, saying the coaltion have made mistakes, they are going down the wrong road etc. In other words, he's now trying to alienate himself from the conservatives.

So is this it? Will they last much longer? And if not, what are the consequences?

Is my memory playing tricks on me but wasn’t he nearer Labour's position than the Tories just prior to the election.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Wookster wrote: »

Clegg actually said that capital spending was cut too deeply.

Indeed.

So spending then.

N1AK

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Indeed.

So spending then.

I think it's a reasonable admission, although it should be noted that he said they felt more confident about the plans as they were in line with Labour's own plans for what they'd have done if they'd won.

It's easy to look back in hindsight and say that a specific area of government spending shouldn't have been cut. It's much harder to suggest what they should have done instead; be it cutting something else, the NHS for example. That also brings up whether any other cuts would have been viable. It also isn't clear how confident people would have been in our economy if we had simply spent money with no alternative cut to balance it out.

They've already increased spending in that area and are likely to do so again. So they got it wrong, perhaps, and are now doing the right thing. Doesn't strike me as a worrying admission.

sheffield_lad

Quick methods for a bit of growth.

All workers private and public work an extra 2hrs per week gratis until 2016 to improve productivity.

BST to move +2hrs giving extra light in the evenings which would generate revenue to the tourism/entertainment industry.

martinsurrey

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Indeed.

So spending then.

capital spending does NOT equal spending.

in 2006 I spent £100m on defence and £20m on road building (capital) total spend £120m

in 2012 I spent £10m on defence and £15m on road building (capital) total spend £25m

by saying I cut capital spending to much, all I am saying is that I should have spent £20m ish in 2012 on it, taking total spend to £30, but maybe if I had I would have cut defence by a further £5m.

he in NO way said he thinks they cut spending to much, just one element of it.

gorgeyetsun

shortchanged wrote: »

Wha hey Mctav. Something me and you actually agree on.

Let me guess.... you've "been saying this all along, but no one would listen to you?"