This is Somerset -- *Lobby correspondent Graeme Demianyk assesses the Coalition Agreement, three years to the day that it was announced...* It's not such a happy third birthday for the coalition Government. It's childcare policy is in pieces, Europe is tearing the Conservatives apart (again) and the Queen's Speech studiously avoided any legislation likely to cause further ructions. When the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats tied the knot three years ago today, the arrangement was seen as a marriage of convenience. Warring couples, soap opera cliche dictates, stay together for the children. But warring coalition parties stay together for the sake of the economy. They haven't got much else in common. In May 2010, the country delivered a verdict on politics that suggested most of us were fairly confused. We'd grown sick of Labour after 13 years, yet even though voters were unconvinced by the ever-brooding Gordon Brown we weren't entirely convinced by the fresh-faced, husky-hugging David Cameron either. The failure of the Conservatives to get over the line – the hung parliament – came as parts of the country fell a little bit in love with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg ("Cleggmania" they called it). The mess was cleared up when the Coalition Agreement was published on May 11, 2010, and the hook-up began with good grace as Dave and Nick shared a platform in the Downing Street rose garden. How we laughed when Dave was asked by a journalist about the time he called Nick "a joke". And yet, despite the good-natured banter, it was always acknowledged that what brought them together was one thing. Salvaging the economy. The coalition even coined a phrase: together in the national interest. In turn, there was a tacit acceptance that agreeing anything else beyond economic parameters would be an uphill struggle. So it was with the NHS reforms, the Liberal Democrats trumpeting a "pause" it forced on the Tory-led plans to give GPs more control over funding and opening the NHS to more competition. It was the most striking manifestation of its "differentiation" strategy, which essentially meant shouting from the rooftops whenever the Lib Dem secured a significant win, or put the brakes on Tory excess. Conservative frustration was evident. At Prime Minister's Questions in autumn 2011, Tory backbencher and (later) I'm a Celebrity... alumnus Nadine Dorries urged Dave to show Nick "who's the boss" amid claims the PM dropped his support for her abortion advice campaign after pressure from the Lib Dem leader. Even when they do agree, there is residual resentment. The Lib Dems are anxious to make clear increasing the point at which people start paying income tax – effectively a tax cut – was on the front page of their manifesto, much to the chagrin of Conservatives, who argue they backed the policy before the election too. But, hey, every time the press wrote the coalition was riven, we were told to get used to it. This is how politics will look for years to come. Fair enough. But surely there comes a time when petty squabbling becomes grounds for divorce. If a Government becomes a policy-free vehicle merely designed to push taxpayers' money around Whitehall, perhaps it's time to give someone else a go? This week was instructive, arguably the moment when the coalition slipped into a red zone marked "dysfunction". Commentators have written off the Government's flagship childcare reforms as dead in the water after Mr Clegg criticised plans to relax rules on the number of toddlers nursery staff can supervise. He warned changing the "ratios"– minders would be allowed to look more babies and children than at present – would not deliver the savings claimed and that present limits were "already quite a handful" for staff. Tory sources briefed against Mr Clegg, claiming he had signed off on the plans. No wonder legislation to sell cigarettes in plain packaging and support gay marriage were ditched from the Queen's Speech. Meanwhile, the Tory truce on Europe appears to have been lifted as a group of MPs will attempt to force a Commons vote over a referendum on the UK's European Union membership in a fresh blow to David Cameron's authority. The move is a manifestation of Conservative MPs frustrated at the rise of the UK Independence Party, because they claim they are doing things that appeal to supporters who are leaving them for Nigel Farage's embrace. The coalition hems them in, however, they argue. Separation is unlikely. With the economy in the doldrums, the pair cling on to hopes austerity will save the economy and their poll ratings. With two years left, this loveless relationship will be difficult to watch.
Reported by This is 2 hours ago.
This is Somerset -- *Lobby correspondent Graeme Demianyk assesses the Coalition Agreement, three years to the day that it was announced...* It's not such a happy third birthday for the coalition Government. It's childcare policy is in pieces, Europe is tearing the Conservatives apart (again) and the Queen's Speech studiously avoided any legislation likely to cause further ructions. When the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats tied the knot three years ago today, the arrangement was seen as a marriage of convenience. Warring couples, soap opera cliche dictates, stay together for the children. But warring coalition parties stay together for the sake of the economy. They haven't got much else in common. In May 2010, the country delivered a verdict on politics that suggested most of us were fairly confused. We'd grown sick of Labour after 13 years, yet even though voters were unconvinced by the ever-brooding Gordon Brown we weren't entirely convinced by the fresh-faced, husky-hugging David Cameron either. The failure of the Conservatives to get over the line – the hung parliament – came as parts of the country fell a little bit in love with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg ("Cleggmania" they called it). The mess was cleared up when the Coalition Agreement was published on May 11, 2010, and the hook-up began with good grace as Dave and Nick shared a platform in the Downing Street rose garden. How we laughed when Dave was asked by a journalist about the time he called Nick "a joke". And yet, despite the good-natured banter, it was always acknowledged that what brought them together was one thing. Salvaging the economy. The coalition even coined a phrase: together in the national interest. In turn, there was a tacit acceptance that agreeing anything else beyond economic parameters would be an uphill struggle. So it was with the NHS reforms, the Liberal Democrats trumpeting a "pause" it forced on the Tory-led plans to give GPs more control over funding and opening the NHS to more competition. It was the most striking manifestation of its "differentiation" strategy, which essentially meant shouting from the rooftops whenever the Lib Dem secured a significant win, or put the brakes on Tory excess. Conservative frustration was evident. At Prime Minister's Questions in autumn 2011, Tory backbencher and (later) I'm a Celebrity... alumnus Nadine Dorries urged Dave to show Nick "who's the boss" amid claims the PM dropped his support for her abortion advice campaign after pressure from the Lib Dem leader. Even when they do agree, there is residual resentment. The Lib Dems are anxious to make clear increasing the point at which people start paying income tax – effectively a tax cut – was on the front page of their manifesto, much to the chagrin of Conservatives, who argue they backed the policy before the election too. But, hey, every time the press wrote the coalition was riven, we were told to get used to it. This is how politics will look for years to come. Fair enough. But surely there comes a time when petty squabbling becomes grounds for divorce. If a Government becomes a policy-free vehicle merely designed to push taxpayers' money around Whitehall, perhaps it's time to give someone else a go? This week was instructive, arguably the moment when the coalition slipped into a red zone marked "dysfunction". Commentators have written off the Government's flagship childcare reforms as dead in the water after Mr Clegg criticised plans to relax rules on the number of toddlers nursery staff can supervise. He warned changing the "ratios"– minders would be allowed to look more babies and children than at present – would not deliver the savings claimed and that present limits were "already quite a handful" for staff. Tory sources briefed against Mr Clegg, claiming he had signed off on the plans. No wonder legislation to sell cigarettes in plain packaging and support gay marriage were ditched from the Queen's Speech. Meanwhile, the Tory truce on Europe appears to have been lifted as a group of MPs will attempt to force a Commons vote over a referendum on the UK's European Union membership in a fresh blow to David Cameron's authority. The move is a manifestation of Conservative MPs frustrated at the rise of the UK Independence Party, because they claim they are doing things that appeal to supporters who are leaving them for Nigel Farage's embrace. The coalition hems them in, however, they argue. Separation is unlikely. With the economy in the doldrums, the pair cling on to hopes austerity will save the economy and their poll ratings. With two years left, this loveless relationship will be difficult to watch.
Reported by This is 2 hours ago.