Thoughts on the Tory-Lib Dem Coalition so far

[MRaverz]

This thread has spawned, gremlin style, from this thread: http://forums.leagueofreason.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4881

Essentially, what is everyone's thoughts on how the UK coalition has been?

Personally, I quite like the coalition because it allows Lib Dem policies to be implemented whilst also including the fail-safe mechanism of it all being blamed on the Tories if something goes wrong.

Afterall, to me, the important thing is the policies.

 

[australopithecus]

THEY TUK MAH JURB!

So far, so meh. I still get the feeling that the Tories are just stringing along the Lib Dems and would happily drop them at the first available oppotunity. I like that we're getting a referendum on voting reform but I don't see it leading to any real change.

 

[MRaverz]

THEY TUK MAH JURB!

So far, so meh. I still get the feeling that the Tories are just stringing along the Lib Dems and would happily drop them at the first available oppotunity. I like that we're getting a referendum on voting reform but I don't see it leading to any real change.

Labour tuk yur jurb! With their crazy economics. :cry:

 

[PAB]

i wouldn't really blame labour, (im not a fan of them) but its obvious that labour didn't 'fuck up' the country economically. and there's been a lot of scapegoating, like 'look what labour did' and look what the 'we the conservatives' have to fix. e.g you must have seen in the paper the attack on the waste on the tamiflu drugs.[ I see it as a good sign that a ridiculous amounts were produced, regardless of economic costs.]
Im still very sceptical on this coalition.
The lib dem's have been disappointing,
how exactly is the conservative approach to the economy the right approach ?

 

[Prolescum]

It seems to me that the Tories are doing whatever the hell they want (as they were always going to), cutting budgets willy-nilly, announcing this that and the other without consultation (or accurate data, yes looking at you, Gove) and are avoiding much of the criticism, with the media saying, well it is the Tories - that's what you expect from them; blame the Lib-Dems, they're the ones who are supposed to temper their usual wicked ways. The Lib-Dems are sitting, like a rabbit in the headlights, having to make excuses to their members and pretend that they agree with what's going on. Not doing a convincing job of it IMO so far.

You can find the full coalition agreement here so we can keep track of its success...

 

[MRaverz]

It seems to me that the Tories are doing whatever the hell they want (as they were always going to), cutting budgets willy-nilly, announcing this that and the other without consultation (or accurate data, yes looking at you, Gove) and are avoiding much of the criticism, with the media saying, well it is the Tories - that's what you expect from them; blame the Lib-Dems, they're the ones who are supposed to temper their usual wicked ways. The Lib-Dems are sitting, like a rabbit in the headlights, having to make excuses to their members and pretend that they agree with what's going on. Not doing a convincing job of it IMO so far.

You can find the full coalition agreement here so we can keep track of its success...

Let's not forget that the Tories have a lot more seats than the Lib Dems, it makes sense that the Tories would have a larger influence.

 

[Prolescum]

It seems to me that the Tories are doing whatever the hell they want (as they were always going to), cutting budgets willy-nilly, announcing this that and the other without consultation (or accurate data, yes looking at you, Gove) and are avoiding much of the criticism, with the media saying, well it is the Tories - that's what you expect from them; blame the Lib-Dems, they're the ones who are supposed to temper their usual wicked ways. The Lib-Dems are sitting, like a rabbit in the headlights, having to make excuses to their members and pretend that they agree with what's going on. Not doing a convincing job of it IMO so far.

You can find the full coalition agreement here so we can keep track of its success...

Let's not forget that the Tories have a lot more seats than the Lib Dems, it makes sense that the Tories would have a larger influence.

I understand that, and even it the Lib-Dems pulled out of the coalition, they've already helped spawn much the Tory manifesto. Off the top of my head, where's the discussion of trident replacement? I seem to recall Cameron dismissing it at PMQs recently.

The Government will be committed to the maintenance of Britain's nuclear deterrent, and have agreed that the renewal of Trident should be scrutinised to ensure value for money. Liberal Democrats will continue to make the case for alternatives. We will immediately play a strong role in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, and press for continued progress on multilateral disarmament.

Just an example, but to stretch the one gag in this post to its inevitable conclusion, getting into bed with the Tories looks like a tactical error.

 

[MRaverz]

The Government will be committed to the maintenance of Britain's nuclear deterrent, and have agreed that the renewal of Trident should be scrutinised to ensure value for money. Liberal Democrats will continue to make the case for alternatives. We will immediately play a strong role in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, and press for continued progress on multilateral disarmament.

Just an example, but to stretch the one gag in this post to its inevitable conclusion, getting into bed with the Tories looks like a tactical error.[/quote]
But was the alternative, a rainbow coalition with Labour, going to be any better?

 

[Prolescum]

But was the alternative, a rainbow coalition with Labour, going to be any better?

That wasn't the only alternative; the Tories could've formed a minority government which would've allowed similar influence for the Lib-Dems. I'm starting to think this would've been the better choice, not that I think the coalition will stand that long, grassroots members being particularly unhappy at the mo.