Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader and deputy prime minister, has admitted that he changed his mind about the timing of spending cuts prior to the general election, despite publicly telling the electorate weeks before the poll that early deep cuts would be "economic masochism".In what was seen as the biggest policy reversal of the coalition negotiations, the Lib Dems abandoned their policy of maintaining the government's economic stimulus through this financial year and backed a tougher Tory plan instead.
Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader and deputy prime minister, has admitted that he changed his mind about the timing of spending cuts prior to the general election, despite publicly telling the electorate weeks before the poll that early deep cuts would be "economic masochism".
In what was seen as the biggest policy reversal of the coalition negotiations, the Lib Dems abandoned their policy of maintaining the government's economic stimulus through this financial year and backed a tougher Tory plan instead.
One of the things that is notable is that the Westminster representatives of the LDP are noticeably more right wing than their membership. The "Orange book group" (nothing to do with CD encoding) is an economic right wing set of ideas for socially liberal fiscal conservatives (where have we heard that before ?) and isvery influential in Westminster LDP circles, but seems to be reviled in the wider membership. I suspect that the right wing enthusiasms of the Westminster MPs have done for the party.
It is a shame. There will be no party here that is unashamedly socially liberal. keep to the Fen Causeway
Migeru:
Just looking at their websites, Clegg appears bland. I like this from Chris HuhneI want to lead a party that is radical, green, honest and angry about the gross unfairness in Britain. We must change not just the Government, but our democracy and our society.Apparently most Lib Dem members cannot see much in the way of policy differences between the two other than their positions on Trident, so they decide on things like character, judgement or background. I was a bit surprised that actually Trident was mentioned as the deciding issue by a number of people I talked to.
I want to lead a party that is radical, green, honest and angry about the gross unfairness in Britain. We must change not just the Government, but our democracy and our society.
there has been a bit of an internal foreign policy debate among the UK Liberal Democrats on the issue of Trident. One side advocates not replacing the Trident deployment. The other side advocates replacing them in order to use them as bargaining chips in future negotiations of global nuclear disarmament. I am not convinced about the bargaining chip argument. Apparently this was one of the few substantive policy differences that most people saw between Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne during the recent leadership contest, and the guy with the bargaining chip won. I have to say I was mystified that this was the biggest difference people saw between the candidates, and even more mystified that anyone would claim to have decided their vote on the basis of this issue.
Apparently this was one of the few substantive policy differences that most people saw between Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne during the recent leadership contest, and the guy with the bargaining chip won. I have to say I was mystified that this was the biggest difference people saw between the candidates, and even more mystified that anyone would claim to have decided their vote on the basis of this issue.
I am not convinced about the bargaining chip argument.That would be because it's complete horseshit. anyone that uses it is either fool or a bald-faced liar who thinks that you're a fool.
I am not convinced about the bargaining chip argument.
Interestingly, the latest development on Trident involves Tory budget austerity. Helen just yesterday:
Fox has obviously tried to ring fence Trident and Osborne has swatted him down, effectively telling him that he has to justify all of the cuts to the military himself. Or cut trident.
