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"I don't like the cuts as they are and I wasn't defending Clegg. I'm just not blaming Clegg either"

1. Clegg was not responsible for the deficit.
2. Clegg was not in favour of the 6billion of cuts in the first year.
3. Clegg's involvement in the coalition talks as Lib Dem leader resulted in those cuts in the first year being agreed and pushed through.

Should he be blamed for either 1 or 2. No.
Should he be blamed for 3. Yes.

WIthout doubt given the decision completely contradicted what he said prior to the election about the cuts destroying any chance of a sustainable recovery.

D

"Do I think that these big, big cuts are merited or justified at a time when the economy is struggling to get to its feet? Clearly not. Of course I would vote against cuts which would destroy any chance we would have of having a sustainable recovery." Nick Clegg to Jeremy Paxman re. the Tory planned 6 billion cuts in 2010 his party have just accepted in full as part of the Lib Dem Con coalition.

Agreed.

Clegg has at the very least to share the blame with the Tories for the introduction of ?6 billion pounds worth of cuts this year. Something which he said would damage the economic recovery in Britain.

In the world of collective cabinet responsibility Clegg takes responsibility for the decisions made by the coalition government, not just the Lib Dem manifesto ones. WIth government comes brickbats as well as bouquets. Or blame to use a commonly used word.

Cheers
D

Neither Clegg or Cammeron is resposible foe the ?6 Billion cuts, Gordon Brown is to blame for allowing to much debt to accumulate.

"Neither Clegg or Cammeron is resposible foe the ?6 Billion cuts, Gordon Brown is to blame for allowing to much debt to accumulate"

You are confusing two different issues.

1. Who was responsible for creating the debt and not dealing with it?
2. The merit or otherwise of plans to reduce the debt.

1. I don't want to go through old ground again and again, but once more, the United Kingdom is not Greece, no matter how much the Tories and their fellow travellers want to talk it down. And Osborne and Cameron were almost alone in the western world when they opposed Brown's support measures during the global recession.
2. This is the subject of the thread. Clegg has moved from stating that Osborne's measures risk destroying any economic recovery to supporting them. What's changed? THe chance of government.

D

Ah compromise.

Like Stalin and Hitler. That was a wee bit of a compromise. However, it did have its consequences and not a little blame.

Cheers
D

Stalin and Hitler had moustaches.

Moustaches are evil.

To paraphrase, "It's a coalition compromise. So that's why Cleggie is not to blame".

Err, okay. Personally, I don't think so. But you have obviously convinced yourself so that's the main thing. Eh?

D

You don't have to agree with the coalition, David, but blaming Clegg for everything two whole parties jointly agree and compromise on is childish. I've argued many on here who just attacked Brown just for the sake of it. It seems you're just as bad!

I think the point is,nobody FORCED clegg to go into coalition with the tories,and he certainly never gave the impressionBEFORE the election that he would