I think the Coalition aren't doing a bad job

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Things could be worse. We could be paying through the nose for our debts like the Italians or the Greeks. We could have a much steeper rise in unemployment & faster slowdown in the economy. Tough times mean governments can't make popular decisions.

Settling an argument therefore, AIBU?

Well, considering they took over in the middle of a recession, inherited a dreadful balance sheet, a sclerotic banking sector and most of our western trading partners in as bad a state as we were. And, considering the country was, and remains, at war, and with government spending black holes all over the place. Also, one must remember that the coalition had to form their own policies and somehow square the opinions of the likes of left wing Simon Hughes with the likes of right wing Eric Pickles, and that the very concept of Great Britain is in jeopardy if Scotland seeks independence. Add to that with the fact that all of our immediate neighbours are also in the middle of a debt crisis with ongoing issues affecting the very core of their currency. Then there are the riots on the streets of Britain, the toughest austerity measures seen for generations and spending cuts after years of increased public spending. Any one of these issues would be a nightmare for any government to deal with. The fact that our current government has handled all of this without going into meltdown (with the exception of Huhne the Loon) speaks wonders for how well they are doing. Hardly any of these issues are of the coalitions making - in my opinion, there is plenty of room for improvement, but on balance, they are doing a good job.

In similar circumstances, one would expect the leader of the opposition to be running away with the lead in the polls, the fact that Milliband can't even make a dent on Cameron compounds his poor showing.

Erm ... MrPants you don't think any of the riots on the streets have had anything to do with their policy decisions then ....

I suppose they could be doing a worse job? I'm just not quite sure how as-

1/ They've upset a major trading block - bad news for anyone working for a company that trades with any other European nation or that uses EU owned utilities/banking services in any form for the medium term as UK workers and customers will be placed at the bottom of the priority pile. Ths at a time when UK plc needs the best trading terms and goodwill from it's trading partners possible to drive growth and end our financial woes.

2/ Working women, low income families anyone with a child in the education system, the old, the sick and the disabled are in the process of being screwed over. (NHS reforms will eventually impact any of the above who don't fit into the above groups - the PIP scandal & private providers unwillingness to demonstrate accountability showed private healthcare isn't always a saftey net even for those with money)

3/ They haven't addressed the rampant corruption in the fnancial system that led us into the countries current financial woes, meaning we are all just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

4/ Our armed forces are being screwed over as returning servicemen either find themselves homeless due to redunancy or unable to secure prosthetic limbs due to abysmal health care provision. They also find themselved fined under self-assessment rules for daring to get stuck in a warzone. After being blown up they find the disability benefits are now in shambles.

5/ Every day 4 people die of hunger or thirst on NHS wards but the deck chairs are being moved on the titanic instead of basic care given. People trafficking increases at an annual rate, as does the disenfranchisement of the young & violent crime.

If a society is to be judged by how it treats it's most vulnerable members then
frankly the coalition is an abject failure.

They're thick as pigshit, the whole thing's a fucking shambles.

OP I take it you are not poor then?

wonkylegs Not really. As I remember it, the riots were triggered by a police shooting and then a group of ne'er-do-wells took it upon themselves to take out their 'political' frustrations by looting from the likes of Foot Locker and Bang and Olufsen.

It was opportunistic theft - nothing more.

YABVU or blinkered, I think I just heard on the news we are on a "second" recession. (Though I had never seen signs of us getting out of the first one.)

The original riots under them were the student riots triggered by changes to student fees... The demonstrations have also included matches against cuts to disability funding , privatisation of services, cuts etc... Yes the summer riots were kicked off by other things but there has been a simmering resentment over many issues and this has to have added some fuel to the rioters... I'm not saying there was any justification for any violent protest but let's just say they haven't helped with the atmosphere ...

Marches not matches sorry

I think the coalition are doing a reasonable job, they could do better but they are doing a better job than the last lot. The circumstances in which they are governing are the hardest since the Second World War. We have a fiscal situation that can only be described as dire, it was only a few years ago that we had a major financial crisis, our major trading partners in the rest of Europe are in major crisis with a currency that appears to be deeply flawed, America is struggling and the Japanese economy is a disaster also. I certainly wouldn't fancy being PM and so I cut Cameron some slack in this regard, they have made mistakes but I suppose this is only natural no person or Government is perfect. I think on most major issues they have got it right.

YANBU

Cuts were never going to be popular but they had to be made. Things could be much worse.

How, bumbleymummy? If you're unemployed or working poor, I don't think it's possible for things to be much shitter than they are right now. Oh wait, they're 'reforming' the benefits system next year so yes, actually it could and will get worse. Still, it's all their own fault for not pulling themselves up by their bootstraps eh?

Are you Samantha Cameron? Bless you xxx

Countries with current triple A status:
Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Leichtenstein, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

Of these, Finland, Luxemburg, Netherlands have a "negative" outlook - i.e. are likely to be downgraded in the coming months.

That leaves the UK as one of seven European countries with a AAA status and stable ourtlook. A fairly exclusive club, these days.

I doubt any party could do better. We are in a really difficult situation, in common with many other countries. I'm just glad we never joined the Euro - things would have been even worse. And just think - look at where all our goods are made these days, whether electrical, clothes or whatever. What does the label say? Made in China. That's where the money's going.

So glad you said that, WeeScotsLass.

It would be nice if everyone could be paid more but we have to accept that we are living in a global economy with a large, motivated, highly educated and industrious workforce in places like China and India who will do many of the jobs "we" used to do at maybe a tenth of the cost. Why pay someone £10 an hour to, say, build a TV in the UK when someone will do the same - or even better - job for £1 per hour in China?

The coalition are not doing a good job. They are doing a shit job and are destroying the economy. Yes, things could be worse and with this shower in charge we should think ourselves lucky that it is not worse.

The sooner they are seen offf the better.

Ha ha Modre, and who will sort it out? Labour? The lot who landed us in such a huge problem?

Cogito & Edith, you are correct in that MN is not in step with the national mood. As they are quite a left leaning political lobby group these days I hope the government will not take too much notice of them.

Our AAA rating is something to be valued and Osborne is playing a difficult hand quite well. Obviously no-one wants to be in this pile of poo in the 1st place but some feckless socialists spent all the money and then borrowed loads more.

"or unable to secure prosthetic limbs due to abysmal health care provision"

I have to take issue with this. Headley Court is a world leader in rehabilitation, and provides the absolute state of the art in prosthetics.

Bradbourne I think I'm your new number one fan. :o

Overwhelming need to mention Stephen Hester's bonus

I assume you mean the one agreed under the labour govt julia ?

I think YABU but not because I think the Coalition are doing a bad job (they have some good ideas but the detail/execution is pretty poor).

YABU because you still think it actually matters who is in government. When will people realize this is not the post-WWII Cold-war era where Western democratic nation states had some form of control over their destiny. This is the 21st century where globalization and technology are allowing multi-national corporations and all those long suppressed emerging economies to control the agenda.

So it doesn't matter if we have Cameron/Clegg or Milliband, they are just not in control anymore. We're just going to get swept along for the ride with our politicians pretending they have some for of influence whilst actually just fiddling around the edges.