100 Days of Coalition Government

[Johnny Bognor]

The main story in the Guardian tomorrow is that their poll shows the public back the coalition when it comes to the economy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/17/coalition-poll-winning-economy

 

 

What are your views on the first 100 days?

 

Discuss

Edited 17 August, 2010 by Johnny Bognor

[Smirking_Saint]

I think they have done well, and everything they could have done.

 

Don't get me wrong i am not a particularly politically clued up, but they have started as well as i think they could dealing with the mess left behind.

[hypochondriac]

Done really well IMO. The country is in good hands with the 2 working together.

[dune]

So far they have done extremely well, but it's too early to say too much because the real work in fixing the Socialists mess hasn't yet started.

[AndyNorthernSaints]

So far they have done extremely well, but it's too early to say too much because the real work in fixing the Socialists mess hasn't yet started.

 

Stanley if you continue to use the term socialist regarding the last government people will continue to think you are a thick ****.

[CB Fry]

Too early to say - the effect of the cuts made haven't been felt yet. Probably will be for the long term good but will be a lot of short term pain, and not just in the public sector. The economy has been built on an ever expanding public sector and there are many businesses built on the back of very lucrative public sector contracts - from builders to caterers to consultancy firms. Pull that rug away quickly, and that seems to be what is happening, and it will be a domino effect back into recession.

 

Don't get me wrong, churning taxpayers money through to private companies aint no way to run a country. Just worried that fixing it this quickly might be a bit of a seismic shock for more than just a few grumbling civil servants.

 

Beyond that, the coalition team seem competent, but Clegg and Cable keep forgetting they are in government and think they can continue to spout off responsibility-free as the Lib/SDPs have done for the last thirty years. Well chaps, you can't. You've got a country to run.

[Saintandy666]

I'm not a Tory, far from it. I really really dislike them, but a Tory government at some point is inevitable(as in the cycle in this country)... and what better way to have it than in coalition with the Liberal Democrats acting almost as a anchor to pull us back from a full on total Tory government which would be much much worse.

[Colinjb]

So far so good. They really have their work cut out stopping the nation heamorraging £14k every second but the foundations are now in place.

 

Also delighted that some of the more Orwellian aspects of the champagne socialist regime such as ID cards and speed camera funding have been removed from the agenda.

[CB Saint]

To be honest they have ahad an easy ride withe the labour party consumed in their leadership battle and the summer recess.

 

Ask this question in October - the unpopular stuff will be announced then and Labour should have a leader. Life will certainly get more bumpy.

 

I think cameron has done just alright bar a few minor diplomatic slip ups. Osbourne has been better than I expected (tbf I didn't expect much) and for Clegg, well he has a bit of a nothing job publicly, however he has to get the Lib MPs to toe the coalition line, so on that basis he is doing alright as well

[alpine_saint]

They dont seem afraid to make the tough decisions which are needed, so my opinion is generally positive.

[Fuengirola Saint]

Bag o ****e!

[JustMike]

too early to say, but i still think its a disaster waiting to happen

[Pancake]

Fuengirola Saint, Málaga, España

Bag o ****e!

 

 

[dune]

Also delighted that some of the more Orwellian aspects of the champagne socialist regime such as ID cards and speed camera funding have been removed from the agenda.

 

I quite agree. Socialism has always been a big brother philosophy and Conservatism has always been about freedom. There is a whole new generation that has only ever known life shackled to the state and it must feel so liberating for them to see that there is analternative.

[Colinjb]

There is a whole new generation that has only ever known life shackled to the state and it must feel so liberating for them to see that there is analternative.

 

I suspect it'll work the other way. More of a fear that the state has 'abandoned' them and no longer willing to prop them up regardless for some. Some friends of mine are terrified of what'll happen if they lose their jobs in the near future as for unmarried childless couples/singles there seems to be very little help available if you really do need it.

[thesaint sfc]

They've done good. The thought that Gordon was so close to getting back in still sends shivers up my spine.

[alpine_saint]

I see Simon Hughes is today demanding a veto over government policy for the LibDems and saying a coalition with labour is still possible.

 

How arrogant and undemocratic is that ? His party is the junior party.

 

He really is a jumped-up pr*ck. I reckon he'd love nothing better than to bring the coalition down and become leader.

[Fuengirola Saint]

How arrogant and undemocratic is that ? His party is the junior party.

 

He really is a jumped-up pr*ck. I reckon he'd love nothing better than to bring the coalition down and become leader.

 

Lets hope so eh?

[thefunkygibbons]

Pleased that they are showing a lot of ambition

 

The latest reports from Moodys highlight how important the deficit reduction plan is

[alpine_saint]

Lets hope so eh?

 

Why ?

 

You really dont get the state the UK is in, do you ?

 

The UK is in such a mess it needs measures that make Thatcherism seem like the Samaritans.

 

And Hughes wants to sabotage the activities of the only party willing to even vaguely face-up to the realities.

 

This isnt a class war, this isnt fleecing the poor to give to the rich. The whole country is in BIG trouble. And playing petty idealogical battles is plain pathetic.

[hypochondriac]

Even if you are a labour supporter. why would you want the Tories to fail? That's what I never understand. People jump on any tiny mistake with glee as if it's the best thing in the world. What is wrong with wishing success on whichever party is in charge, because ultimately it benefits Britain.

[badgerx16]

The honeymoon period will come to an end when the next Parliamentary session starts, and things will start getting serious. So far they have managed to justify every action as "Labour's legacy", and where services have already been cut, particularly with local councils, it seems the councils are targeted by the public as being to blame, rather than the Government for cutting the grant funding. They have also gone for some very easy PR wins - such as speed cameras and clamping on private land.

 

Don't forget the 25% cuts due in October and the VAT rise in January. Let's see how popular they are by next Easter.

[badgerx16]

Even if you are a labour supporter. why would you want the Tories to fail? That's what I never understand. People jump on any tiny mistake with glee as if it's the best thing in the world. What is wrong with wishing success on whichever party is in charge, because ultimately it benefits Britain.

Why do Tory lapdogs such as June maintain that Labour DELIBERATELY mismanaged the economy ? A different political ideology perhaps, placing the emphasis of fiscal policy in other areas, but the concept of Gordy and Darling maliciously destroying the nation's finances is even more ludicrous than the idea that the LDs have any real sway in the current coalition.

[Sour Mash]

How arrogant and undemocratic is that ? His party is the junior party.

 

He really is a jumped-up pr*ck. I reckon he'd love nothing better than to bring the coalition down and become leader.

 

Lets hope so eh?

 

Posting from Spain, hoping for an unstable UK government? Some of us live here thanks!

[saintjay77]

Every time there is a change in gov they spend the 1st year bleating on about how they are fixing the mess left from the last lot. When Labour got in before they pushed the whole time they were in about how they were improving the NHS and cutting waiting times that the previous Tory gov ignored.

 

Now the Tory/Lib dems are on about cutting the public sector to pay for the debts that labour racked up and they will keep doing that for most of the time they are in gov. By the time everyone has had enough of them (prob another 10 years) they public will be fed up with something that the current gov have failed to make better and the new gov will come in promising to fix all the damage that this lot has made.

 

I am hoping I can win a massive payout on the Euro millions and then buy a self sufficiant Island so I can bugger oof to leave the polititions to fight amongst them selves and in the mean time I will just hope to earn enough to keep mine and my familys heads above water.

[Saintandy666]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1303942/Bonfire-middle-class-benefits-Families-lose-13bn-welfare-clampdown.html

 

Typical hypocrisy by the Daily Mail here, they moan and moan and moan about the amount of benefits given to poorer families who live in desolate areas. The second the 'Middle Class' benefits come 'under risk', they go off on one.

[Johnny Bognor]

Why do Tory lapdogs such as June maintain that Labour DELIBERATELY mismanaged the economy ? A different political ideology perhaps, placing the emphasis of fiscal policy in other areas, but the concept of Gordy and Darling maliciously destroying the nation's finances is even more ludicrous than the idea that the LDs have any real sway in the current coalition.

 

I don't believe they did that in the early days or in the middle. However, towards the end, there was definately a scorched earth policy going on.

 

From memory, major long term contracts were signed just before the election (which isn't the done thing), committing the incoming government to unnecessary expenditure. If you know you are going to lose (which they did), why not try to make things more difficult for your opponents (which they did)?

Edited 18 August, 2010 by Johnny Bognor

[alpine_saint]

I don't believe they did that in the early days or in the middle. However, towards the end, there was definately a scorched earth policy going on.

 

From memory, major long term contracts were signed just before the election (which isn't the done thing), committing the incoming government to unnecessary expenditure. If you know you are going to lose (which they did), why not try to make things more difficult for your opponents (which they did)?

 

ZaNuLabour definitely played fast-and-loose with the public purse strings over the last term of their government. Was it a scorched earth policy, or a crude attempt at electoral bribery ? It doesnt matter, its left a f**king mess either way that will take a generation to resolve - longer if Labour get back in in 2015 which is clearly what W*nker Hughes is thinking.

[dune]

Why do Tory lapdogs such as June maintain that Labour DELIBERATELY mismanaged the economy ? A different political ideology perhaps, placing the emphasis of fiscal policy in other areas, but the concept of Gordy and Darling maliciously destroying the nation's finances is even more ludicrous than the idea that the LDs have any real sway in the current coalition.

 

Brown and the other Socialist cronies deliberately carried out a scorched earth policy in their dieing days to make it much harder for the Conservatives to sort out the mess. I despise Labour with a passion for this.

[Saintandy666]

Brown and the other Socialist cronies deliberately carried out a scorched earth policy in their dieing days to make it much harder for the Conservatives to sort out the mess. I despise Labour with a passion for this.

 

You are a nutcase.

[dune]

You are a nutcase.

 

But i'm not wrong am I. It was widely speculated that Labour would go out of their way to riddle the nation with debt for political gain at the 2015 election and this is exactly what they did.

[Joensuu]

Dune, is there any good reason for referring to the Labour party leadership as 'socialist', other than to provoke?

[dune]

Dune, is there any good reason for referring to the Labour party leadership as 'socialist', other than to provoke?

 

Because that is exactly what the Labour Party was. Socialism is all about taxing the working classes upwards to distribute the money between those on benefits and a bloated public service. Socialits hate the idea of freedom and leaving people to choose how they live their lives and spend their money - these busy bodies believe it's their place on this earth to control everything from the top and conveniently in the process support their ilk in made up jobs.

[Jones91]

Also Labour were slightly favouring Scotland, sending all the jobs up there and free benefits such as medication and Uni fees.

 

Bastards

[Saintandy666]

But i'm not wrong am I. I widely speculated that Labour would go out of their way to riddle the nation with debt for political gain at the 2015 election and this is exactly what they did.

 

Got any proof or this or is it your usual non-stop bullcrap you spout? You sound so assured of yourself all the time, every single time you say your sweeping statements which never seem to carry any actual weight.

 

P.S I corrected your post for you.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Politically, this was a good election to lose. Whoever was in charge would have to face up to cuts that would make even make Thatcher's eyes water. The fact that the Torys are able to do this with the Lib/Dem's in tow could work out better for them in the long run.

 

Everybody knows there needs to be cuts but nobody wants any cuts that will impact on them.Labour seem incapable of "grown up" opposition, they oppose every cut,every penny that is saved, offering no alternative solution. God knows how they were going to halve the deficit. The Labour leadership contest has to be the most boring in history, with the people who've been running the Country seeing who can put the most distance between themselves and the last Labour Govt's policies.

 

As for the Coalition there's been a bit too much spin for my liking, too much announced in the press rather than to Parliament, but that's the modern way and it looks like we're stuck with it. Osbourne's done better than expected, Cameron's shown himself to be a bit clumsy around foregin policy. Ken Clarke is too wet for the job he's in and Vince Cable looks a bit confussed (I think opossition suits him better). Eric Pickles,and IDS have been the best performers in my opinion, and the worst Chris Huhne, his U turn on nuculear energy was just plain embarressing.

 

The Lib/Dems slip in the polls should surprise nobody. Their share of the vote was always bouyed by Labour supporters voting against the Tories in seats Labour couldn't win. There's no point in that now, if the Lib/Dems spend 5 years attached to the Tories, they'll lose those Anti Tory votes for a generation.

[Fuengirola Saint]

Lets hope so eh?

 

Posting from Spain, hoping for an unstable UK government? Some of us live here thanks!

 

I am thinking about the poor people that are going to have to live in that Tory paradise

[Thedelldays]

The honeymoon period will come to an end when the next Parliamentary session starts, and things will start getting serious. So far they have managed to justify every action as "Labour's legacy", and where services have already been cut, particularly with local councils, it seems the councils are targeted by the public as being to blame, rather than the Government for cutting the grant funding. They have also gone for some very easy PR wins - such as speed cameras and clamping on private land.

 

Don't forget the 25% cuts due in October and the VAT rise in January. Let's see how popular they are by next Easter.

labour (or their supporters) blamed maggie for 17 years or so...so they have some leeway yet lol

[Fuengirola Saint]

ZaNuLabour definitely played fast-and-loose with the public purse strings over the last term of their government. Was it a scorched earth policy, or a crude attempt at electoral bribery ? It doesnt matter, its left a f**king mess either way that will take a generation to resolve - longer if Labour get back in in 2015 which is clearly what W*nker Hughes is thinking.

 

Please Please don't call them ZaNuLabour, you just sound like one of those numpties from the Daily Mail

[alpine_saint]

Please Please don't call them ZaNuLabour, you just sound like one of those numpties from the Daily Mail

 

Why not ? They came as close to destroying freedom and civil liberties in the UK as any Orwellian novel.

[dune]

Why not ? They came as close to destroying freedom and civil liberties in the UK as any Orwellian novel.

 

1984 sums up the past 13 years perfectly. You just need to look at the number of cameras the socialists installed, their ripping up of Magna Carta in terms of imprisonment without trial. In fact they took Socialism to it's extremes of state dictatorship. Thank god they were booted out when they were.

[Joensuu]

Because that is exactly what the Labour Party was. Socialism is all about taxing the working classes upwards to distribute the money between those on benefits and a bloated public service. Socialits hate the idea of freedom and leaving people to choose how they live their lives and spend their money - these busy bodies believe it's their place on this earth to control everything from the top and conveniently in the process support their ilk in made up jobs.

 

You do realise Labour has been a right of centre party since Smith passed away... don't you?

 

1984 sums up the past 13 years perfectly. You just need to look at the number of cameras the socialists installed, their ripping up of Magna Carta in terms of imprisonment without trial. In fact they took Socialism to it's extremes of state dictatorship. Thank god they were booted out when they were.

 

And here you are again you appear to be confusing 'Socialism' with 'Authoritarianism'. New Labour were led by a cabinet who were right of centre; they were pro-business, pro-free market, anti-financial regulation (which is one of the main reasons the bankers were able to cause the mess in the first place). The only thing they share with a socialist is that they are both borderline authoritarian (hense the shocking restrictions of civil liberties*). In fact, New Labour are more akin to Thatcher than to any socialist.

 

* anyhow, isn't this extreme restriction of civil liberties something you claim to politically support (hense your chosen party on the Election board, and your Political Compass score etc)?

[CB Fry]

Why not ? They came as close to destroying freedom and civil liberties in the UK as any Orwellian novel.

 

 

He says from Austria. I've not noticed any infringement of my civil liberties whatsoever, at all, in any way shape or form at any point in the last twenty years.

 

What I am not allowed to do exactly in this Orwellian Police State you seem to think we're supposed to be living in?

 

Oh sorry, got to go. The Stazi are kicking the door down.

[alpine_saint]

He says from Austria. I've not noticed any infringement of my civil liberties whatsoever, at all, in any way shape or form at any point in the last twenty years.

 

What I am not allowed to do exactly in this Orwellian Police State you seem to think we're supposed to be living in?

 

Oh sorry, got to go. The Stazi are kicking the door down.

 

ID Cards

 

DNA Database

 

CCTV boom in UK

 

Dont have any of that in "Naziland"......

[Saint George]

He says from Austria. I've not noticed any infringement of my civil liberties whatsoever, at all, in any way shape or form at any point in the last twenty years.

 

What I am not allowed to do exactly in this Orwellian Police State you seem to think we're supposed to be living in?

 

Oh sorry, got to go. The Stazi are kicking the door down.

 

The fact you, like many Brit's no longer see, or feel it, just demonstrates how deeply the indoctrination has run....Government intervention has become so embedded into British life, most peeps don't even notice it's there anymore. Hell, y'all have whole generations born into it. To them it's normal and the way things should be, they know no different .....The view from the outside certainly shows a clearer picture

[Joensuu]

The fact you, like many Brit's no longer see, or feel it, just demonstrates how deeply the indoctrination has run....Government intervention has become so embedded into British life, most peeps don't even notice it's there anymore. Hell, y'all have whole generations born into it. To them it's normal and the way things should be, they know no different .....The view from the outside certainly shows a clearer picture

 

For the first time ever, I agree with you on this one. Although (I assume) we have reached the same conclusions from very different reasoning.

 

Government Intervention - something to be prevented at all costs (unless the government is protecting individuals, locations, or objects from the excesses of another).

 

Government support - something to be encouraged (but it's gone to far if it causes able people to stop making the effort to try to support themselves).

[badgerx16]

 

DNA Database

 

Introduced during John Major's premiership in 1995

[Thorpe-le-Saint]

Because that is exactly what the Labour Party was. Socialism is all about taxing the working classes upwards to distribute the money between those on benefits and a bloated public service. Socialits hate the idea of freedom and leaving people to choose how they live their lives and spend their money - these busy bodies believe it's their place on this earth to control everything from the top and conveniently in the process support their ilk in made up jobs.

 

Hahahahahaha! Jesus you are an actual nutcase.

[dune]

Hahahahahaha! Jesus you are an actual nutcase.

 

It's more bemusing that they let you teach.