Is Ken Clarke being unreasonable in the Daily Torygraph?

[GabbyLoggon]

Barrister Clark is warning the middleclasses that they are going to be hit by the notorious "cuts"

Now the BBC hinted this morning that Minister Ken had not cleared the article
with Dave Cameron (as he likes us to call him)

Well, surely, The minister must realise that if the "cuts" hit the middle classes
they will hit the poor more drastically.

After all Tory ministers are middle class.
Does anyone seriously think they will be hit by the cuts. (they dont even pay for petrol)
What is K.C,s game?

I was wondering this. It seems a bit odd for him to say this, unless he wants an implosion - and why would he.

Or he's softening people up with a bogeyman, so when the hurt is less than the dire warnings, people see it as some sort of escape.

yes, onimolap. Politicians do play a devious game. Sometimes against their leader.

I still tend to think Vince Cable may be the first to stomp off "Gabby"

Me too- it seemed a bizarre thing to say all round. Also I know he and Dave dont see eye to eye (rest of article was his differing view on votes for prisoners which actually seemed to be based more on what is defendable given existing eu precedent on this area rather than ideology), I don't see him as setting out to undermine Dave - never struck me as type as didn't seem to join In particularly in all the early 90s infighting .

Gabby that's what I cnt understand- no need to rock boat as lib dems will do it for him.

It is just a way to get us acclimatised to the truth, that the middle classes will be hit badly in the future. Then when the blow lands, it will not come as such a shock.

The thing that confuses me is to who doesn't think cuts will hurt?

Yes, but do they really know how much? What will happen when they find out? So Ken prepares them for it.

Yes, Claig, that is one interpretation.

But at this (possibly) early stage of this parliament; one does not need to persuade Torygraph readers to vote Tory. (just read their letters page)

So government politicians have a short game to play; and a long game

The short game is with the media. The longer game is with the voters.

I do remember that a high ranking BBC official (allegedly) went to 10 Downing street to discuss coverage.
His brief was photographed. (Now I like the Beeb, but that was not their finest hour.)

cheers "Gabby"

It's not about voting Tory. This is a Coalition, for a reason. This isn't about votes, it's about the country and easing the public into what may occur.

Look Claig, the Tories have over 300 seats
Liberals about 80 or so. Do you really think it is NOT a Tory government.

Plus the fact that Nick Clegg chose to work for a Tory MP years ago.

Nick leans well to the Right of his Liberal party activists.

Lets compromise and call it a Tory-Led government instead of the fancyful Coaltion.
Is it the new C-word? well the old one is shorter.) cheers "Gabby"

PS I must get a Valentine card for the Mr Speakers wife.

Calling it "Tory-led" is a Labour tactic - spin aimed at demonisation, and seen a lot at the moment in televised interviews.

Even though they come to this with very different numbers of MPs, what we have is a union of two parties forming a new entity.

Some cuts will hit those who are middle class in a way they dont expect. ie tax credits going to any family earning £40K between them and in a couple of years the child benefit changes will be a complete muck up affecting tax paying levels not wages. This gvmt has jumped in and made changes without thinking out the long game or even how to deploy them

Ken Clarke is rocking the boat he allways has spoken up when he feels things are being done in an underhand way. You try ringing the child benefit office, they cant tell you anything expect you will get overpayments this year which you will have to pay back.

He has given us all a wakeup call and I for one thank him, I could care less about his political reasons for doing so.

GiddyPickle I agree on the worse case scenario being the political motive but is it. Perhaps Ken Clarke just feels the gvmt is going in the wrong direction and this is his way of telling them so.

I am very worried about the next 12 months but what can we do. I believe by talking about it on MumsNet perhaps the gvmt will sit up and take notice.

Is there something wrong with middle class people being affected by cuts? Are they not allowed to be upset and angry about it?

Right: nothing wrong with it at all! But it is curious that KC chose to highlight it now and in this way.

625 elf

I think you may be onto something. I think
Cuddly Ken is not too happy with Dave and Ossie O.

And K.C is a QC does have a record of speaking out.

He is the best leader the "nasty party" never had. "Gabby"

Giddy Pickle ...we want Eric.