"This is the first time a Liberal leader has stood at this dispatch box since Lloyd George in 1922."
As Clegg announces this from the unfamiliar territory of the dispatch box, the Chancellor, George Osbourne wears that all too familiar smug Tory-look which seems even more exuberant than usual...
'And after this five years of Tory hell it will be at least another 92 years until you stand there again...'
- Perhaps that's why.
Support for the Liberal Democrats has slumped to an all time low of a mere 16% since the beginning of the general election as voters feel the Lib Dems have lost their voice within the coalition government.
Whilst, it is feared almost a third (17/57) of the Lib Dem seats in Parliament could be at risk in the 2015 election as Labour support begins to recover.
Furthermore, the seats under threat include those of the Deputy Leader (Simon Hughes) and the Energy and Climate Change Secretary (Chris Huhne).
However, I think many Lib Dem supporters were simply expecting too much from the Lib Dems.
A coaliton was always going to involve comprimise and the Lib Dems were always going to have to give up more being the smaller party.
But Liberal progress in government has been made;
There will be a referendum on fairer votes (May 5th), Labour's ID card scheme will be scrapped, a Freedom Bill will be introduced, the Income Tax threshold will be raised by £1000 and a Bank Levy will be introduced; these are just a few of the major changes the Lib Dems have helped bring about within the Coalition.
In the words of Clegg, I still hope and believe "that this country will be more fair, more free and more liberal in 2015 as a result of us being part of government", and deserters must remember that ANYTHING is better than an all Tory government.
Just for the record, I can't stand ACDC but it does seem as though the coalition government could be the Lib Dems downfall if support continues to fall and therefore "I'm on a Highway to Hell..." springs to mind...
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How exactly is the coalition better than a tory minority government?
ReplyDeleteAV is a miserable little compromise, isn't it? What will be repealed by the freedom bill, real infringements of liberty such as police brutality during peaceful protests or will it be solely pathetic concerns like library fingerprint systems. How is cutting income tax and increasing VAT any different to normal tory policy. I seem to remember a banking levy being a tory policy as well, it is worth less than Labour's bonus tax and isn't a tobin tax. Oh and the banksters got several billion more out of the corporation tax that they lost to the levy.
I'm really struggling to work out how and why the LibDems are in coalition with a bunch of arrogant, smug, loaded thatcherites.
I like the Tories no more than you do.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's entirely why I'm backing the Liberal Democrats being involved in this government...
Because they promise to put a limit on political donations a party can receive and to reform party funding; restricting the amount the Tories can receive off tax evading billionaire Lord Ashcroft and other donors. Loaded? Not for too much longer...
The Academies Bill, increasing VAT - You're right; it's the same old Tories... Favouring the rich over poor. See my previous blogs where I have condemmned the Tories over both.
But... Taking those earning £10,000 or less out of tax entirely was a Lib Dem policy?
Perhaps, it is a slight dissapointment that the Lib Dems have not been able to influence as many of the big decisions as we would have liked but as mentioned above, as the smaller party that was always going to be the case.
But behind the scenes, Lib Dem involvement is making an impact on many of the smaller decisions...
The Air Passenger Duty will be replaced with a 'per plane' duty ensuring air freight will be taxed for the first time, Chris Huhne is working to reduce central government emissions by 10% within 12 months and a green investment bank will be created; all these ideas are taken straight from the Lib Dem Manifesto and would not have been carried out in a Tory minority government, plus these are just a few examples of many.
For further reasons as to why I thought and still think (although perhaps a little less enthusiastic since poll ratings have fallen!)the coalition was a good idea, visit my first blog where I discussed how Stability, Fairness and Neutrality were provided by the ConLib Coalition.