[Update] The Liberal-Conservative Coalition

[Flyboy]

Am I right in understanding that the Tories have now decided that they are not going to stop the national insurance increase?

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by Chris

The more I hear, the more excited I'm getting. Does anyone else think there is a massive, massive opportunity for good stuff to happen here?

Yep.

I feel very strange, being actually excited by the prospect of a Tory Government ... however I reassure my Liberal self and my inner-lefty by remembering that it's a Tory / Lib Dem "Proper & Full" Coalition Government

This really could be a very good thing!...I just hope it doesn't go pear shaped.

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

I am ecstatic about the House of Lords being reformed to a fully PR elected house. Exactly what I wanted and posted about in the previous thread.

The more I see the more I like it. The Lib Dems seem to have pushed back on some of the more dubious Tory policies while the Tories have pushed back on some of the Lib Dems more dubious policies with the result being a pretty centrist and sensible sounding policy set along with rolling back Labour's authoritarianism and state expansion.

Optimistic. Here's hoping they deliver.

Yep! Some good concessions on both sides, with each party appearing to moderate the other.

And with the existing common ground on Civil Liberties, George Orwell should soon finally be able to stop spinning in his grave.

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

bookmakers are taking bets round where l live, on how long it will last, the last time it last 119 days. There was a colation government, it didn't last.

Some Lib Dems voters l know, have vowed not to vote Libs again, due to this partnership.

Well, this Lib Dem voter + Lib Dem member is quite pleased with the result, and will happily renew his party membership next year plus vote Lib Dem at the next election.

What other option was there? Seriously? What could possibly have been done instead of this, and still provide the UK with a strong Government?

Tory minority Govt. = FAIL

Rainbow Coalition / Progressive Alliance = FAIL

As I mentioned before, the Lib Dems are not to "blame" for us having a Tory(-led) Government: if anyone wants to "blame" anyone, they should "blame" the people who chose to switch from Labour to the Tories - that is where the vote swing lay (5% from Labour to the Tories), and that is where the seat swing lay (+97 seats to the Tories, -91 to Labour).


This Coalition Government may be seen by some as a marriage of inconvenience, but it's the best option of the bad bunch made available by last week's results.

And in some ways it could actually be rather good... both sides have made compromises, & the Coalition Agreement actually contains some very good policies. I do not agree with all of them, but then again how many people agreed with all the policies of each of the last three New Labour Governments, or the previous Tory Governments?

People should give it a chance, instead of automatically going "OH NOES IT'S TEH TORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!"

They should also remember that it is not the Tory Majority Government that most people expected just a couple of months ago... it's a proper Coalition Government, with some previous Tory policies tamed or removed, and some Lib Dem policies included, along with Lib Dem Cabinet & ministerial positions.

Originally Posted by frogstamper

Just to add in my two penneth, the LD's were damned whatever they did, but in my opinion I think they have done the right thing, anyone who voted for them at least has a good chance now of seeing a fair amount of their manifesto being brought into law, plus as mentioned earlier a coalition between the pair of them puts paid to any dopey ideological fantasies either of them might have wished to bring in had they got a majority.

Yup.

Siding with the Tories will anger those on the Left of the party, along with people who voted Lib Dem to "keep the Tories out". [Although I still think that's a stupid anger, as above: no other option, + better for left/lib/prog than the Tory Majority earlier polls suggested, + not LD "fault"!].

Siding with Labour + All The Others would have angered the many Lib Dems who dislike Labour (e.g. due to civil liberties), plus would have caused them to be crucified in the press for being a "coalition of losers" (as some senior Labour MPs actually called the idea!) led by another "unelected" PM (not that we actually elect our PM, of course), plus wouldn't have been stable...

I think the Lib Dems will pay a price at the next election...Although I hope not.

As you said, this way some of the Lib Dem policies *are* going to be carried out, plus the Coalition will "tame" certain parts of each party & their policies.

---------- Post added at 03:53 ---------- Previous post was at 03:19 ----------

Coalition Agreement link again:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politi...10/8677933.stm

[Oh, & not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but this is another good one: "We will end the detention of children for immigration purposes." ]


I don't think anyone has listed the new Cabinet yet...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politi...10/8675705.stm

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/gove...ibilities.aspx

PRIME MINISTER, FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY, MINISTER FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE - DAVID CAMERON (Tory)

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER - NICK CLEGG (Lib Dem) [Also appointed as LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL*] (with special responsibility for political and constitutional reform)

FOREIGN SECRETARY - WILLIAM HAGUE (Tory) [Also appointed as FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE*]

CHANCELLOR - GEORGE OSBORNE (Tory)

HOME SECRETARY AND MINISTER FOR WOMEN AND EQUALITY - THERESA MAY (Tory)

DEFENCE SECRETARY - DR LIAM FOX (Tory)

LORD CHANCELLOR AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR JUSTICE - KEN CLARKE (Tory)

HEALTH SECRETARY - ANDREW LANSLEY (Tory)

EDUCATION SECRETARY - MICHAEL GOVE (Tory)

BUSINESS SECRETARY - VINCE CABLE (Lib Dem)

WORK AND PENSIONS - IAIN DUNCAN SMITH (Tory)

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE - CHRIS HUHNE (Lib Dem)

CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY - DAVID LAWS (Lib Dem)

SCOTTISH SECRETARY - DANNY ALEXANDER (Lib Dem)

CHIEF WHIP - PATRICK MCLOUGHLIN (Tory)

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARY - ERIC PICKLES (Tory)

ATTORNEY GENERAL - DOMINIC GRIEVE (Tory)

CULTURE, OLYMPICS, MEDIA AND SPORT - JEREMY HUNT (Tory)

CONSERVATIVE CO-CHAIRMAN - BARONESS WARSI (Tory)

ENVIRONMENT - CAROLINE SPELMAN (Tory)

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT - ANDREW MITCHELL (Tory)

TRANSPORT - PHILIP HAMMOND (Tory)

NORTHERN IRELAND - OWEN PATERSON (Tory)

WALES - CHERYL GILLAN (Tory)

LEADER OF THE LORDS - LORD STRATHCLYDE (Tory)

LEADER OF THE COMMONS - SIR GEORGE YOUNG (Tory)

CABINET OFFICE MINISTER - FRANCIS MAUDE (Tory) [not a full cabinet member]

MINISTER OF STATE AT CABINET OFFICE, POLICY - OLIVER LETWIN (Tory) [not a full cabinet member]

UNIVERSITIES, SCIENCE AND SKILLS - DAVID WILLETTS (Tory) [minister of state for education and skills, with responsibility for universities, attending cabinet rather than a full member.]



*[Both of these positions were previously held by Mandelson while he was Business Secretary]



"Children, Schools, and Families" has gone back to being the "Department for Education". Not sure if the Universities & Skills brief has been folded back into Education (under Gove), or if it's still part of BIS (under Cable). Cable will apparently have some sort of Banking brief in addition to being Business Secretary.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Flyboy

Am I right in understanding that the Tories have now decided that they are not going to stop the national insurance increase?

no -the lib dem side of the coalition decided that as part of there bargaining strategy .

so no need to worry -those at the top of the food chain will still be supporting those at the bottom,[for now]

[Angua]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

no -the lib dem side of the coalition decided that as part of there bargaining strategy .

so no need to worry -those at the top of the food chain will still be supporting those at the bottom,[for now]

To be completely accurate, the employee increase of 1p next year will go ahead but the employer contribution has been scrapped. However much of this will be reduced/or gone completely for the lowest paid when the £10,000 tax threshold introduction is completed.

OK people, it's open season .... as of now, the new Liberal-Conservative Coalition is getting down to business and making policy announcements, so it's about time we re-opened the Current Affairs forum for normal business.

Please feel free to start a thread for each new subject you want to discuss. Do however remember the usual etiquette ... use the SEARCH to avoid starting duplicate threads.

This thread, originally called 'The New British Government: David Cameron is PM' has been renamed '[Update] The Liberal-Conservative Coalition' and will continue to be the thread to use if you want to discuss any aspects of the mechanics of the coalition.

Please resist the temptation to continue discussing policies in this thread - they are no longer on-topic if posted there.

Thanks for your co-operation.

[Julian]

Does this mean the LibDem MP's will also get to sit on the other side of the house with the Conservatives?

Yes, they will be on the Government benches. And they won't all have to sit down the far end, either. The Lib Dems with ministerial jobs, in particular, are front benchers and will be entitled to speak from the dispatch box when appropriate.

[injuneer]

Boris Johnson hails new coalition as bulldog and Chihuahua cross, great image.Lol

[darroch]

they say they are going to trasfer more powers to the scottish government about time imo

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by darroch

they say they are going to trasfer more powers to the scottish government about time imo

Give Scotland the ability to raise it's own tax from it's people to be spent on Scottish needs such as roads, drink and drug rehabilitation, dole money, health services, haggis hunting, so the rest of us don't have to keep subsidising them.

[darroch]

i think we are all subsidising on another here atm all the nations get a budget incl england

---------- Post added at 10:49 ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 ----------

there is no such thing as haggis hunting btw

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Give Scotland the ability to raise it's own tax from it's people to be spent on Scottish needs such as roads, drink and drug rehabilitation, dole money, health services, haggis hunting, so the rest of us don't have to keep subsidising them.

Yep free up the money for the English to spend on morris dancing or other english pursuits.

I feel I should point out the Scottish Parliament already has tax varying powers and the level of subsidy is nowhere near as much as some of the English media would have you believe.

[darroch]

our parliament should have the right to keep the amount of tax raised in scotland tae stay in scotland - and as for the so called union i believe its had it's day and that all the nations should be independent

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by Derek S

Yep free up the money for the English to spend on morris dancing or other english pursuits.

Exactly, our black pudding industry could be better than Ireland's with sufficent funding.

Originally Posted by Derek S

I feel I should point out the Scottish Parliament already has tax varying powers and the level of subsidy is nowhere near as much as some of the English media would have you believe.

It's still more than it should be. Scotland should be given the oppertunity to learn to fund itself if it wants to govern itself.

[darroch]

well england should do the same then be anle to fund itself and be an independent nation coz tbh the union has had its day - give england ,scotland ,wales and n ireland independence so they can do what they want to do no questions asked then maybe we would all get on a lot better that way