Opinion of the ConLib coalition government?

[Oakvale]

I'm not sure if we've had one of these recently, so here it is - what's your opinion of the current unwieldy coalition running Britain?

To my own surprise, I, no, really, "lean approve". In particular, Cameron, has far exceeded my expectations as Prime Minister - he's an asset to his party, and to the country. He's clearly intelligent, despite his occasional gaffes a great representative of Britain, and seems like he has some actual integrity. If it wasn't for Cameron's admirable performance thus far I doubt I'd be in "lean approve" camp.

Clegg is, well, Clegg, but the Liberals do have the handy effect of restraining the Tories from going MAXIMUM THATCHER, although I do get the impression that Cameron is, in many ways, genuinely a "moderate hero".

As for why I'm "lean approve" rather than simply "approve", I don't agree with a lot of things the government has done - although the cuts were less severe than I'd feared, the VAT increase was a big mistake, IMO, but then again I am, when you get right down to it, a Keynesian at heart. That said, culling the quangos was laudable.

Summary - the government as a whole is doing better than I'd expected, Cameron is impressive, and, basically, if the country had to have a Tory government this is about as moderate you're going to get.

Of course, needless to say, assuming Labour elect David Miliband (or, really, any non-Diane Abbott candidate) as leader, I'll still be hoping the government is out of office at the next election.

EDIT: Here's the tl;dr version:

As Tory governments go, this is about as good as one could expect, although being an awful partisan I still hope Labour make a comeback.

[Democratic Hawk]

Disapprove. I'm done with radical right-wing liberalism, which is why I'd take the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s over anything that came before or since. In the wake of the 'Crash of 2008' I've, more or less, discovered my new liberal core

All the Crash tells me is that there is a need for more proactive government to 1) regulate the excesses of the market and 2) create a more fair society

I dare say I may approve of the odd policy but it's ultimately just going to be another dose of tarted-up neoliberalism. Labour, if anything, were neoliberal albeit with a more social touch, hence, pre-the Crash of 2008, Britons enjoying relative job security for the first time since the 1970s

I, personally, dislike Cameron. That man just reeks of his own privileged sense of entitlement

[Oakvale]

Disapprove. I'm done with radical right-wing liberalism, which is why I'd take the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s over anything that came before or since. In the wake of the 'Crash of 2008' I've, more or less, discovered my new liberal core

All the Crash tells me is that there is a need for more proactive government to 1) regulate the excesses of the market and 2) create a more fair society

I dare say I may approve of the odd policy but it's ultimately just going to be another dose of tarted-up neoliberalism. Labour, if anything, were neoliberal albeit with a more social touch, hence, pre-the Crash of 2008, Britons enjoying relative job security for the first time since the 1970s

I, personally, dislike Cameron. That man just reeks of his own privileged sense of entitlement

Let's bear in mind that I'm assuming here that a Tory government was inevitable. So, sure I don't agree with a lot of their policies, but it could be a lot worse. If there had to be a Tory government this is about as moderate as they come.

[Franzl]

Strongly approve, I'm a big fan of Cameron.

[Democratic Hawk]

Let's bear in mind that I'm assuming here that a Tory government was inevitable. So, sure I don't agree with a lot of their policies, but it could be a lot worse. If there had to be a Tory government this is about as moderate as they come.

Nowt moderate about this neo-reactionary 'slash and burn' dogmatic government, especially given the extent to which they are targetting the middle class

I suspect "We're all in this together" will come to haunt Cameron, Osborne, Clegg, Alexander et al. rather like 'an end to Tory boom-and-bust' came to haunt Gordon Brown

[Democratic Hawk]

And while there is much noise being directed at so-called 'welfare scroungers' given that even allowing for Labour having to contend with the worst global financial crisis and economic downturn this side of the 'Great Depression', welfare spending as a % of GDP is actually less than when John Major left office

The Blessed Margaret was the Founding Mother of Mass Welfare Dependency in this country; indeed, Cameron, himself, admitted to Jeremy Paxman that the Thatcher governments willingly tolerated an historical leap in poverty but I hear no atonement

Surprising as it may seem we need jobs and lots of them if we are to get people off welfare and into work. The one aspect that traps people, I'd say is Housing Benefit which is why we need more social housing at a price people can afford. Labour was very lacking on that front until their 'final days'

[Bo]

I'd say strongly approve for now, since I didn't hear of them doing anything wrong or bad.

[Phony Moderate]

My grade of it so far:

D

[k-onmmunist]

The Axis of Evil, along with the BNP.

[Oakvale]

The Axis of Evil, along with the BNP.

You might be exaggerating just a little.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

The Axis of Evil, along with the BNP.

You might be exaggerating just a little.

Winston? No never...

[Insula Dei]

Granted that their performance wasn't all bad I think I'm not alone when I would suggest that Clegg's disgracefull U-turn on the cuts as well as his agreeing to the regressive VAT-rise, makes him (and Alexander, Cable,...) into the first things to get rid of when Labour should enter in a coalition with the libdems.

But then again, I don't think Labour will fall short of a majoritie again for the better part of a generation.

[You kip if you want to...]

But then again, I don't think Labour will fall short of a majoritie again for the better part of a generation.

Five years of this and the Liberals will be lucky to have 10 MPs come May 2015, so falling short would be unlikely. And anyway, the SNP and Plaid would make happier bedfellows for Labour.

[k-onmmunist]

The Axis of Evil, along with the BNP.

You might be exaggerating just a little.

I was joking Mind you, the original phrase was exaggerated.

[Cubby]

Clegg is, well, Clegg, but the Liberals do have the handy effect of restraining the Tories from going MAXIMUM THATCHER...

Summary - .......basically, if the country had to have a Tory government this is about as moderate you're going to get.

Of course, needless to say, assuming Labour elect David Miliband (or, really, any non-Diane Abbott candidate) as leader, I'll still be hoping the government is out of office at the next election.

As Tory governments go, this is about as good as one could expect, although being an awful partisan I still hope Labour make a comeback.

I'd say strongly approve meh for now, since I didn't hear of them doing anything wrong or bad.

I agree with the above statements. The current government is making the best of a bad situation (the bad situation being the Tories back in power).

My overall opinion right now is "meh". If the Tories had to be back in power, this is as good an outcome as left wingers could hope for. Cameron is better than Hague and Michael Howard would have been (Duncan-Smith seemed okay though). I don't have an opinion on Abbott yet. I like Miliband. I get the impression he'd be a DLC-type leader (from the party's right wing) but that worked for Blair so its not as bad as DLC members here. I regret not supporting Labour more strongly during the election but I stupidly really thought the Lib Dems would do better than they ended up doing.

I thought Cameron & Obama would like each other, thoroughly modern, young, new ways of thinking, etc. but either they aren't hitting it off or its too soon after the election and both are more concerned with domestic matters for now. Does anyone know what their relationship is like? Of course, Blair and Bush got along great but I've heard Blair and Clinton didn't.

[You kip if you want to...]

Clegg is, well, Clegg, but the Liberals do have the handy effect of restraining the Tories from going MAXIMUM THATCHER...

Summary - .......basically, if the country had to have a Tory government this is about as moderate you're going to get.

Of course, needless to say, assuming Labour elect David Miliband (or, really, any non-Diane Abbott candidate) as leader, I'll still be hoping the government is out of office at the next election.

As Tory governments go, this is about as good as one could expect, although being an awful partisan I still hope Labour make a comeback.

I'd say strongly approve meh for now, since I didn't hear of them doing anything wrong or bad.

I agree with the above statements. The current government is making the best of a bad situation (the bad situation being the Tories back in power).

My overall opinion right now is "meh". If the Tories had to be back in power, this is as good an outcome as left wingers could hope for. Cameron is better than Hague and Michael Howard would have been (Duncan-Smith seemed okay though). I don't have an opinion on Abbott yet. I like Miliband. I get the impression he'd be a DLC-type leader (from the party's right wing) but that worked for Blair so its not as bad as DLC members here. I regret not supporting Labour more strongly during the election but I stupidly really thought the Lib Dems would do better than they ended up doing.

I thought Cameron & Obama would like each other, thoroughly modern, young, new ways of thinking, etc. but either they aren't hitting it off or its too soon after the election and both are more concerned with domestic matters for now. Does anyone know what their relationship is like? Of course, Blair and Bush got along great but I've heard Blair and Clinton didn't.

Don't know how much truth there is in this, and it's from before either of them were in office.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2008/dec/03/obama-cameron-lightweight

[Cubby]

Don't know how much truth there is in this, and it's from before either of them were in office.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2008/dec/03/obama-cameron-lightweight

Interesting. Thats the total opposite of what was reported after their July 2008 meeting. Of course them being friends isn't necessarily a good thing (See- Iraq).

[Dr. Cynic]

I've followed British politics a bit more closely recently and my impression is that Cameron may be a more pragmatic leader than Thatcher or John Major. He comes off snobby to me though.

Clegg, I started out liking, but the more I heard from him, the less I liked him. He seems a rather dishonest man to me. the LibDems would be better off without him.

[Хahar 🤔]

I've followed British politics a bit more closely recently and my impression is that Cameron may be a more pragmatic leader than Thatcher or John Major. He comes off snobby to me though.

Well, of course. He's a Tory. He went to Eton.

[afleitch]

I've followed British politics a bit more closely recently and my impression is that Cameron may be a more pragmatic leader than Thatcher or John Major. He comes off snobby to me though.

Well, of course. He's a Tory. He went to Eton.

And such things are only 'Officially BAD' if they ended up Tory

[Democratic Hawk]

It's just occurred to me who Gideon (George fooking Osborne) reminds me of. That kid, in a dickie-bow tie, who was an antiques expert, and grew up and had a sex change

[Democratic Hawk]

I've followed British politics a bit more closely recently and my impression is that Cameron may be a more pragmatic leader than Thatcher or John Major. He comes off snobby to me though.

Well, of course. He's a Tory. He went to Eton.

And such things are only 'Officially BAD' if they ended up Tory

Not at all. I dare say some decent One-Nation Conservatives have come out of Eton

But as for Cameron's dilemma? Picking a state school for his children. I'd have more respect for him if he sent the lad to Eton and the lass to wherever

Trying to tell people that he and Samantha are an ordinary middle class family. LOL

[You kip if you want to...]

I've followed British politics a bit more closely recently and my impression is that Cameron may be a more pragmatic leader than Thatcher or John Major. He comes off snobby to me though.

Well, of course. He's a Tory. He went to Eton.

And such things are only 'Officially BAD' if they ended up Tory

Not at all. I dare say some decent One-Nation Conservatives have come out of Eton

But as for Cameron's dilemma? Picking a state school for his children. I'd have more respect for him if he sent the lad to Eton and the lass to wherever

Trying to tell people that he and Samantha are an ordinary middle class family. LOL

If the Cameron's are middle class, what does that make the likes of us?