Clegg biography claims the Lib Dems want a new coalition agreement
James Forsyth 12:22am
Lib Dem conference this year brings with it the serialisation of Jasper Gerard’s biography of Nick Clegg. The focus will be on the claims that deputy Prime Minister has promised his wife he’ll only serve one term and that senior Lib Dems are interested in a soft electoral pact with the Tories. But, to my mind, the most interesting point is that the Lib Dems are keen on a new coalition agreement to cover the second half of the parliament.
Coalition insiders have always admitted that the legislation mentioned in the agreement should have been mostly passed by 2012. But the Tories have been keen to spend the second half of the parliament concentrating on delivering on what’s already on the statue book rather than dealing with a whole new set of bills. A mid-term review conducted by Number 10 concluded that the only area in which new legislation would be needed is housing. So, if the Lib Dems do insist on a full, second agreement that could bring out a whole host of coalition tensions on various issues.
In other pre-conference news, Nick Clegg has done some more sabre-rattling on the 50p rate in an interview with The Independent—the headline is ‘Clegg vows: I won’t let Osborne abolish the 50p tax rate’. But the actual substance of Clegg’s words don’t mark a shift from the party’s previous position that raising the income tax threshold should come first and that 50p, if it goes, should be replaced by some other form of tax on the wealthy
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Nicholas
September 17th, 2011 1:03am Report this commentHe's not the Messiah he's a very naughty boy.
Colin
September 17th, 2011 8:43am Report this commentQuoted in the independent, was he?
Did he actually say that, or was it made up, a rehash from a previous interview, perhaps? Who knows, these days? It's not as if that downmarket, low circulation rag has form...
michael
September 17th, 2011 9:38am Report this commentBiographies containing 'new UK governance policy' appear to have become a legitimate source of kick back ... policy for profit.
Another pretty smile to disguises systemic corruption.
This is just the kind of arrogance that is fostered by an obvious belief that the electorate are as thick as pig sh*t.
-so much for the 'Dem' bit.
Russell
September 17th, 2011 10:31am Report this commentWhy is the media just cannot accept the fact that there is no split between the coalition government and it will last until the next general election in 2015.
The public are bored with these 'stories' produced by the press, the bbc and the labour party/supporters.
Perhaps the press coul;d actually start doing what they should be doing and reporting news instead of regurgitated in-house rubbish, keeping themselves in work like the million plus public sector non-jobs.
How about concentrating on the £millions of taxpayers money wasted on 'Pilgrims' and the Trade Union Modernisation Fund (still not scrapped) and the useless unaffordable Quangos costing more £millions.
Richard Marriott
September 17th, 2011 10:33am Report this commentI would like to concentrate on the 50p rate. It is clear that the 50p rate is there for purely political reasons, indeed it was introduced by Brown purely in an attempt to wrong foot the Tories. So, assuming that the 50p rate brings in scarcely any additional revenue, that it is in the round bad for the economy and is there purely to punish high earners, why do the Lib Dems feel the need to defend it?
I ask the question in all sincerity and would like some genuine answers.
TrevorsDen
September 17th, 2011 10:41am Report this commentIt is of course daft and shows that there are some in LD circles not interested in governing but in politicking. I would have thought there is enough to do to be going on with without more legislation.
There is very little need for another agreement. What will be interesting is how the parties deal with the financial statement of 2014 and the budget of 2015. To what extent can they be different in the 2015 election if both parties have agreed the budget for the coming year and the financial statement for the next 2-4 years?
Scary Biscuits
September 17th, 2011 10:52am Report this commentIf the Tories think that all the major legislation of this term will passed by next year then what is the point of the coalition? They would be better off carrying on under a supply arrangement.
Andrew SW18
September 17th, 2011 11:22am Report this commentClegg "...has promised his wife he’ll only serve one term..."
One hopes La Senora has better luck than English University students.
TGF UKIP
September 17th, 2011 1:22pm Report this commentNot just becoming, but long ago became, a complete misnomer to refer to a coalition government. This is in every respect a LibDem government which, of course, it always would have been even if James' forlorn dream of an overall Tory majority had come to pass.
What a supine bunch the current Tory party and their media cheerleaders are.
Sean
September 17th, 2011 1:23pm Report this commentThe lib deems need to be careful. After watching the news channels this morning they seem to be the party of "tax this, tax that, tax everything". What twonks vote for these people?
Baron
September 17th, 2011 10:17pm Report this commentRichard Marriot, sir, whether any policy is right for the country matters not, the policy must feel good, in line with the feeling in the country, and the country currently feels strongly about people earning enough to be taxed at 50%, our governing class have long abandon cool, rational thinking, all they do is appeal to people’s emotions, it gets them re-elected, if things go bad they won’t pain, their pensions are underwritten by the unwashed, they have no worries.
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