Sam's disappointments?

[belfast_birty]

The Lib Dems have now achieved much more than had proportional representation been in force.However the Toys will embrace them and neuter them in the process!

[David Johnson]

Hi,

I agree with the comment about the Tories neutering them via the coalition. The coalition ties in the Lib Dems via an agreement for them to vote for or in the worst case scenario, abstain from all the Tory measures anathema to the Lib Dems.

I think this neutering has already happened as a result of Cameron's determination that the Lib Dems will suffer guilt by association. So when David Laws resigned, rather than get a Tory into the job of Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Cameron brought in the totally inexperienced Lib Dem, Danny Alexander.

That way, when George Osborne goes through his severe cuts agenda, the Lib Dem, Alexander is always nearby.

Cheers
D

[Ned]

Nice to see the coalition government slashing spending in the north east today and cutting hospital spending (after pledging to protect health spending) and also taking away a grant in Sheffield, Nick Clegg's constituency, which would have created 180 jobs.

Clegg's bullshit about Labour only giving the grant to get votes in Sheffield is laughable.

[number 6]

It is sickening,but we knew this was coming. Its going to be a very hard 5 years if you are working class or poor.

[number 6]

The one good thing is the lib dems are completely finished as a political force now,any left leaning people who voted for them at the last election thinking they were stopping the tories have been butt raped. All those votes will go to labour at the next election,and rightly so.

[David Johnson]

Yup, it's the same old, same old from the Tories, salivating at the thought of all the cuts they can push through in public services.

The only difference is that they have managed to get a bunch of political halfwits, called the Lib Dems, to front it up for them and help push the cuts through, in return for a sniff of governmental power.

But hey, wasn't it Nick Clegg who said the cuts would be "progressive cuts"

So I am sure these cuts will be just fine, really. Won't they?

Cheers
D

[David Johnson]

I thought it was a masterstroke for the Tories to get Lib Dem Danny Alexander to announce the pulling of the ?80 million for Sheffield Forgemasters in Cleggie's stamping ground of Sheffield.

The money was a loan, repayable with interest which would have triggered private finance as well as 70 million of European money. It would have allowed Forgemasters to be the only company in Europe and one of only 3 in the world to be able to make casings for nuclear power stations.

If the British economy is going to come out of the recession with some decent growth, you would have thought that loans to manufacturing industry which would have created 100's of jobs would be one way of helping.

As the slash and burn tactics of the Lib Dem Con coalition intensifies, you have to ask who is going to be left to go out and buy products, services, take on new employees etc etc.

Double dip recession here we come, brought to you by the Lib Dem Con coalition.

CHeers
D

[David Johnson]

Only time will tell if cancelling the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters, cancelling the development of an old steel site in Sheffield and the Future Jobs fund among a lot of others will be a positive or not.

But Johnson, trolls like you to need realise that there is such a thing as compromise in this world. It must be terrible being your partner. Everything would have to be done your way. Can't you understand that the Lib Dems throwing out the vast majority of their policies in return for power is the new politics of compromise?

Why can't you accept that it was the Labour party by refusing to join the Lib Dems who were very keen on a centre-left coalition, that FORCED the Lib Dems into this coalition with the Tories? And that Nick and his chums were FORCED to change their views overnight about the timing of the cuts.
And that Nick and his chums were FORCED to throw out most of their beliefs and policies by the nasty Labour party. And they did it all for the likes of you, Johnson, for the national interest. Mind they did get a few cabinet posts and a shed load of minor government positions in exchange.

As I explained to my grannie why Nick and Dave had to get rid of free swimming for the over 60's, definite positives can exceed suspected negatives.

Mind you, my ear's still hurting from the clip round the head she gave me.

"Don't let anyone tell you that this time it can't be different - it can."

Nick Clegg

[number 6]

I think Sam is lost for words.

[David Johnson]

It's interesting that Sam's apparent unwillingness to comment on the cuts introduced this week by the Lib Dem Con coalition mirrors the same reluctance within the Lib Dem party.

On Newsnight last night when there was a discussion on the impact of these cuts and what it might do to grassroots Lib Dem support, there was absolutely no one among Lib Dem MPs and hierarchy who was prepared to come on and defend the Lib Dem position.

I wonder which of the Lib Dems will be prepared to come on national TV next week after the Lib Dem Con coalition introduces its emergency budget?

Cheers
D