How long do you think the coalition will last?

First topic message reminder :

I want people's opinion of how long they think this coalition will last. ?

That all changed when your heroine came to power in 1979 and declared: "What are we conserving? We're conserving socialism." She moved the goalposts to the right and Blair left them there, but this shower of Tories - without even a majority of their own - have taken things much further to the right with their neo-con agenda.

I find this government - and in particular the mendacity of Cameron - to be quite frightening. Oliver Letwin admitted that after five years of the Tories there would be no NHS, yet the Tories have no mandate to destroy it. The incessant propaganda about the deficit would have made Goebbels proud, and the demonisation of those on benefits - regardless of their circumstances - is part of the slippery slope that led Hitler to scapegoat Jews

IVAN....From what I remember Britain had gone too far left prior to 79. We were in a mess, you and I know it. Thatcher had a tough job to do and I will say this now.....I think she got some things wrong...I think she let her battle with Scargill and the other unions push her too far to the right and I think many in her cabinet knew this and were uncomfortable with it. She became dictatorial and with help from Tebbit, she became a bully.....Spitting Image suddenly comes to mind ....But that was her downfall and eventually she was stabbed in the back in the end by her own people.
Blair started well, but could have done better at the end (and with Iraq)....I think he got punch drunk on the power and his place on the world stage. Saying that he had a duty as a Labour PM to take Britain back towards the centre ground and in part failed on this.

I don't know how well Cameron will do with what he has to play with between now and the next GE. He may well fail and then he would deserve to be voted out...For me the good of the country comes before party politics which is probably not a popular sentiment to most on here. I certainly don't believe he wants to take the country as far to the right as Thatcher...I may be proved wrong and I will eat humble pie if I am..........But you have to understand (and you know where Im coming from really) to start ranting that the Tories are Ultra Right wing fascists is a bit sad and more than a bit desperate.

The NHS is the holy grail and no one in their right mind wants to see it go or be privatised. The public, including the Tory public wont accept that...We all value the NHS and at some time in our lives will have benefited from it. I think Cameron has backed himself into a corner on the NHS reforms and now trying to ammend nearly every proposal is idiotic and chaotic. The NHS does need reform, but not top down reform...just re-investment in the right places and less wastage. This is not the time to do it though and I DO NOT support the goverment on this

I don't know how well Cameron will do with what he has to play with between now and the next GE

Interesting use of words..........I would have thought the word 'work' be more appropriate...unless you really do think he is just 'playing' at being PM......

I don't think that would help Bobby, the majority of the public just don't support it and far be it for me to give away Tory secrets...I think the public would get behind the government to stamp out mindless violence or property distruction. The poll tax was different...no body wanted that (even if the current system is not that different) so the public got behind the protesters there. The only babana skin for Cameron is the NHS......Its bigger than Jesus

Agreed Astadt1....Back to school for me

blueturando wrote:

A " simple answer" LABOUR by a mile blue.

Of course that will follow only when your beloved lot have scorched the earth which will never be able to be reversed and Cameron knows it, just as the Witch did with her doings..

New Labour had 13 years to change whatever they wanted, surely that's what you can do when you're in government....unless that government doesn't really want to change those things.

No jumping ship here guys, but as I did in 97, if I am not happy with the progress made by GE time I will just not vote

New right wing Labour made the mistake of grovelling to Thatcher's middle classes, just to gain power, and continue Thatcherism.

Who should they have grovelled to?

blueturando wrote:Who should they have grovelled to?

Please dont try to be cute bluey, it suits you.

Ivanhoe wrote:Neither of these three parties have got a hope in hell of winning the next General election. Albeit I would like to see the Greens in power.

Cameron and the Lib-Dems will go their seperate ways with their own manifesto's and we all know the Tory's manifesto dont we. If it moves, privatise, sod the young, the old, the ill, and the disabled. Tax cuts and profits for the top, always.

Clegg will not be Lib-Dem leader anymore. I predict possibly left wing Lib-Dem, Simon Hughes, either way the Lib-Dems will be thrown to the wasteland, and they know it, but do they deserve it ???????????

Ed Milliband is biding his time, and im so hoping that the largely politically clueless British public will have finally woken up to the reality of this ultra right wing fascist Tory party, since over 30 years ago they got elected under Thatcher, and we have not moved an inch further since.

I would not be surprised at all if the Tory party does not split in two two parties over Europe as yet...as they are only just holding it together right now...

blueturando wrote:I don't think that would help Bobby, the majority of the public just don't support it and far be it for me to give away Tory secrets...I think the public would get behind the government to stamp out mindless violence or property distruction. The poll tax was different...no body wanted that (even if the current system is not that different) so the public got behind the protesters there. The only babana skin for Cameron is the NHS......Its bigger than Jesus

blue boy
am i dreaming? but you keep posting saying know one believes the Labour party or left...well is this not what your economy looks like after two whole years.....

Growth Forecast downgraded for the Fifth time by (OBR in November 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 2nd Time by Bank of England 1.4% August 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 3rd Time to 1.7% (Budget 2011)
Growth forecast Downgraded for 3rd Time to by Ernst & Young from1.7% to 0.9% Jan 2012
Growth forecast Downgraded for 2nd Time to by CBI to 1.3% July 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 4th Time to by CBI to 1.2% Sept 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 4th Time to by CBI to 0.9% Feb 2012
Growth forecast Downgraded for 3rd Time to by I.M.F to 1.3% July 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 4th Time to by I.M.F to 0.6% Jan 2012
Growth forecast in the Tory budget down for a 3rd time to 1.7% (Budget 2011
Growth forecast in the City as low as 1.2% 2011
Disposable income has seen its Sharpest fall in 30 years or 1980s (ONS)
Annual Earnings Growth remains at 1.9% in February 2012
GDP The last cycle of robust growth in potential output of 2.9% was 1997 to 2006 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
GDP when the Tory-Liberal coalition come to power ,the UK was growing at an annual rate of 4% (OBR)
GDP sluggish at just 0.5% for April 2011 (OBR)
GDP City Growth forecast for 2012 are 0.3% to 0.4% (FT Sept 2011)
GDP Growth for forecast set by bank of England at 2.0% 2010
GDP Contracted by 0.5% in the Q4 in 2010 (OBR)
GDP is 0.8% lower than in November 2010 (OBR)
GDP IS 0.2% lower than MARCH 2011 (OBR)
GDP Growth Contracted by 0.5% Q4 2010 (OBR)
GDP Growth April 2011 was Q1 0.5% (OBR)
GDP Growth July 2011 was just Q2 0.2% (OBR)
GDP Growth starts Jan Q1 2012 at just 0.2% (OBR)
GDP Growth December 2011 Contracted by 0.2% Q4 (OBR)
GDP April's figures have just clawed back last years 0.5% contraction in 2010 (OBR)
GDP is 1.1% lower than the OBR thought it would be in Sept 2010 (OBR)
GDP Growth is now lower than 1930s, 1970s, 1980s 1990s (OBR)
GDP UK is 3.6% blow its pre-financial crisis 2008 (H.M.Trasury)
National Debt hits £1.03 Trillion for the first Time Jan 2012 (OBR)
National Debt actual debt after repurchase by Bank of England is £650 Billion (Guardian on B of E figures)
National Debt Coalition & Bank of England QE for 2011 was £75 billion (OBR/Bank of England)
National Debt Coalition & Bank of England QE for 2012 was £50 billion (OBR/Bank of England)
National Debt total Quantitative Easing is £325 Billion in February 2012 (OBR/Bank of England)
National Debt private + public sector debt totals some 500% 2011 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
National Debt Tory Party forecast National debt will fall by just £54 Billion by 2015 (Tory party website)
UK Economic Decline is two and half times that of the entire Euro zone (ONS & H.M.Trasury) 2011
UK Economic Decline is 77% of the EU’s decline for 2011 (H.M.Trasury)
UK Economy shrank by 5.0% in 2009 the biggest calendar year fall since 1921 ( NIE)
UK Economy shrank by 6.3% in 2011 the biggest calendar year fall on record by October 2011 ( NIE)
UK Pound exchange rate has fallen by 21.0% against the Dollar 2011 (H.M.Trasury)
UK lose market share accelerated from 2008 to 2010. (Oxford Economic )
Government Borrowing Tory-Liberal coalition come to power stated an additional £111 Billion 2009 (OBR)
Government Borrowing Net borrowing was just £7.3 Billion in 2010 (H.M.Trasury)
Government Borrowing forecast up by £54 Billion (Budget 2011)
Government Borrowing overshot in Q4 by £127 Billion (OBR)
Government Borrowing overshot in Jan 2012 by £157 Billion (ONS)
Government Borrowing topped the £10 billion by just Feb 2011 (OBR)
Government Borrowing to be £10 billion higher every year from 2012 (OBR)
Government Borrowing in Jan 2012 was £13.7 billion for December 2011 overshooting (OBR)
Private Pension deficit up from £24.5 Billion to £31.7 Billion by Sept 2011 (ONS)
Private Pension Deficit £158 billion December 2011 (ONS)
Private Pension deficit £255.2 form £222 billion in Jan 2012 (N.M.A & ONS)
UK 10 Year bonds, the Historical high of 12.84% set in April 1990 (H.M.Trasury)
UK 10 year Bonds, Record low of 1.97% set in Jan 2012 (H.M.Trasury)
UK 10 Year Bonds, Yields decline by 1.47% from 1989 to 2012 (H.M.Trasury)
UK 10 Year Bonds, averaged 6.28% (H.M.Trasury)
Unemployment up to record 17 year high (ONS)
Unemployment record was set in 1981 at 2.6 million or 9.8% of the Workforce
Unemployment record was set in 1981 was past at 2.67 million or 8.4% of the Workforce January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment for woman rose for the 10th month in a row March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment increased by 20,000 the highest three month figure since Jan 1997 (ONS)
Unemployment increased by 16,000 for the last tree months of 2011. January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment is now 7.7% of economically active population March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment is now 8.4%% of economically active population 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment forecast in the budget set to rise to 8.1% in 2012 (Budget 2011)
Unemployment is was2.6 million in March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment is now 2.6 million in December 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment is up to 2.67 million in January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment Claimants increased by 12,400 in March 2011 to April 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment Claimants increased 11 month in a row by 6,900 to a total of 1.6 million January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment Woman Claimants increased by 9,300 to 474,400 in March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment Men Claimants increased by 3,100 to 994,200 in March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment 16-24 hit 1.043 million in Q3, the highest since records began in 1992. 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment 16-24 hit 1.35 million in Q1 Up 22,000 January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment benefit payments rose by 1,200 to 1.6 million by December 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment benefit payments up to 1980s levels (ONS)
Business failures in 2010 was 23,000 (ONS)
Business failures in 2011 was 20,900 or 6.5% (ONS)
Bankers Bonus for £14 billion for 2011 (FT & Guardian & BBC)
Manufacturing was flat Feb 2011 (ONS)
Manufacturing production out put 1.5% decline in April 2011 (ONS)
Manufacturing touted as the engine of the economy fall by 0.3% in July 2011 (ONS)
Manufacturing jobless in Q4 2011 to Jan 2012 was up to 395,000
Manufacturing production Cable & Wireless Communication slumped nearly 17% in 2011 (FT)
BDOs output index dropped from Decembers 91.4% to February 2012 to 91.2%
Exports fell in Jan 2011 (HMCR)
Exports Vs Imports increased by 14.7% in October 2011 (HMCR)
Factory gate prices rose 0.9% between February & March 2011 (ONS)
Factory gate prices rose at an annual rate of 5.3% in May 2011 (ONS)
Factory gate prices in December 2011 to 4.8% (ONS)
Factory gate prices fell in January 2012 to 4.1% (ONS)
Factory gate Producers input price inflation in January 2012 is 7% (ONS)
Mortgage & Credit card debt will soar to £2,126 billion by 2015 (ONS)
Mortgage debt now accounts is around £21,000 per person April 2011 (ONS)
Home repossessions peak set in 1991 at 19,000 homes (council of mortgage lenders)
Home repossession forecast to rise to 45,000 in 2012 (council of mortgage lenders )
Construction industry suffered a 0.5% fall in output from November to January 2012 (ONS)
North sea Oil Tax up by £2 Billion for 2011, with HMCR taking 88% in Tax (ONS)
The Worst squeeze on living standards for 90 years
Consumer spending accounts for 65% of the UK economy April 2011 (OMS)
Consumer spending shows the biggest fell in total sales since the survey began in 1995 (KPMG)
Consumer spending has fallen by 1.7% for four consecutive Q in 2011. (ONS)
Consumer spending has rose by 1.9% Q1 January 2012 (ONS)
Personal Spending shows it first drop in personal spending power since the Thatcher slump in 1980s (KMPG)
Petrol down by 1p with VAT up by 2% in the Budget 2011
Petrol prices average increased by 52% up to March 2010
Food Prices rose 7.4% in the biggest rise since 2009 (ONS)
Food Prices rising at 4.9% rising faster than any other OECD in Jan 2012 member (UBS & OECD)
CPI Inflation increase to 3.3% December 2010 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
CPI has put the cost of living double its target from 4% in Jan 2011 to 4.4% in April 2011 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
CPI September 2011 rises by 5.2% (ONS)
CPI October 2011 fall by just 0.2% to 5.0% (ONS)
CPI January 2012 fell to 4.8% from 5.0% (Bank of England)
RPI has gone from 5.1% to 5.5% the highest since 1991 (ONS)
RPI Jan 2011 leapt to CPI 4% from 3.7% with Market Oracle putting real inflation at

Are really trying to tell me that any opposition cannot beat this banal government with data like this?....if you are Blue...you need to think again....why do you think the front bench of the opposition is not making a great be play of this data?.....could it just not be there is no GE around the corner?....its called keep your economic powder dry Blue....you do not win any elections right now...pointless...so let the Tory party carry on with all there hot air now...if all they have to show for two years is economic data like this and at best a 2 point lead in some poll.... I am over the moon...

I am more than happen with that....but would not be if I was a Tory party member....believe me..right now the UK media has be quite soft of the Tory party...got a feeling this will not go on for much longer....

Stox 16 wrote:

Ivanhoe wrote:Neither of these three parties have got a hope in hell of winning the next General election. Albeit I would like to see the Greens in power.

Cameron and the Lib-Dems will go their seperate ways with their own manifesto's and we all know the Tory's manifesto dont we. If it moves, privatise, sod the young, the old, the ill, and the disabled. Tax cuts and profits for the top, always.

Clegg will not be Lib-Dem leader anymore. I predict possibly left wing Lib-Dem, Simon Hughes, either way the Lib-Dems will be thrown to the wasteland, and they know it, but do they deserve it ???????????

Ed Milliband is biding his time, and im so hoping that the largely politically clueless British public will have finally woken up to the reality of this ultra right wing fascist Tory party, since over 30 years ago they got elected under Thatcher, and we have not moved an inch further since.

I would not be surprised at all if the Tory party does not split in two two parties over Europe as yet...as they are only just holding it together right now...

Yes, and we have 3 years to go yet.

Yes, and we have 3 years to go yet..
Ivanhoe


Posts: 319
Join date: 2011-12-11

The odds on England winning the European Championship are better than this Government surviving another 3 years. Excluding the under 21 championship which we might manage.
But then what do I know. I'm still waiting for a lottery win

Watching the news from Westminster one wonders how the two parties can continue (Tory/LibDem). Cameron being hounded by his own backbenchers to stand firm on the NHS, while Clegg is in a Clegg stick - ooops cleft stick - trying to balance amendments to the NHS by his party, with Cameron's problems.
In real life a company divided like this would fall. But then, politics is not real life. It's a game politicians play with the public as pawns.

Rather like Chess.
Cameron the King. Standing firm, moving little. Clegg the Queen, dodging all over the place. Knights and Bishops in the Lords, making their respective moves to alter strategy. And Rooks all over Parliament. (Need I say more).
And then there's poor old you and me. Pawns being pushed around and sacrificed to allow the 'Parliamentarians' to have their way.

If I'm not on again soon you'll know I'm in the Tower

trevorw2539 wrote:Yes, and we have 3 years to go yet..
Ivanhoe


Posts: 319
Join date: 2011-12-11

The odds on England winning the European Championship are better than this Government surviving another 3 years. Excluding the under 21 championship which we might manage.
But then what do I know. I'm still waiting for a lottery win

Watching the news from Westminster one wonders how the two parties can continue (Tory/LibDem). Cameron being hounded by his own backbenchers to stand firm on the NHS, while Clegg is in a Clegg stick - ooops cleft stick - trying to balance amendments to the NHS by his party, with Cameron's problems.
In real life a company divided like this would fall. But then, politics is not real life. It's a game politicians play with the public as pawns.

Rather like Chess.
Cameron the King. Standing firm, moving little. Clegg the Queen, dodging all over the place. Knights and Bishops in the Lords, making their respective moves to alter strategy. And Rooks all over Parliament. (Need I say more).
And then there's poor old you and me. Pawns being pushed around and sacrificed to allow the 'Parliamentarians' to have their way.

If I'm not on again soon you'll know I'm in the Tower

Trevor, well put. We British largely are our own worst enemies when it comes to politics.

Stox 16 wrote:

blueturando wrote:I don't think that would help Bobby, the majority of the public just don't support it and far be it for me to give away Tory secrets...I think the public would get behind the government to stamp out mindless violence or property distruction. The poll tax was different...no body wanted that (even if the current system is not that different) so the public got behind the protesters there. The only babana skin for Cameron is the NHS......Its bigger than Jesus

blue boy
am i dreaming? but you keep posting saying know one believes the Labour party or left...well is this not what your economy looks like after two whole years.....

Growth Forecast downgraded for the Fifth time by (OBR in November 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 2nd Time by Bank of England 1.4% August 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 3rd Time to 1.7% (Budget 2011)
Growth forecast Downgraded for 3rd Time to by Ernst & Young from1.7% to 0.9% Jan 2012
Growth forecast Downgraded for 2nd Time to by CBI to 1.3% July 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 4th Time to by CBI to 1.2% Sept 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 4th Time to by CBI to 0.9% Feb 2012
Growth forecast Downgraded for 3rd Time to by I.M.F to 1.3% July 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 4th Time to by I.M.F to 0.6% Jan 2012
Growth forecast in the Tory budget down for a 3rd time to 1.7% (Budget 2011
Growth forecast in the City as low as 1.2% 2011
Disposable income has seen its Sharpest fall in 30 years or 1980s (ONS)
Annual Earnings Growth remains at 1.9% in February 2012
GDP The last cycle of robust growth in potential output of 2.9% was 1997 to 2006 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
GDP when the Tory-Liberal coalition come to power ,the UK was growing at an annual rate of 4% (OBR)
GDP sluggish at just 0.5% for April 2011 (OBR)
GDP City Growth forecast for 2012 are 0.3% to 0.4% (FT Sept 2011)
GDP Growth for forecast set by bank of England at 2.0% 2010
GDP Contracted by 0.5% in the Q4 in 2010 (OBR)
GDP is 0.8% lower than in November 2010 (OBR)
GDP IS 0.2% lower than MARCH 2011 (OBR)
GDP Growth Contracted by 0.5% Q4 2010 (OBR)
GDP Growth April 2011 was Q1 0.5% (OBR)
GDP Growth July 2011 was just Q2 0.2% (OBR)
GDP Growth starts Jan Q1 2012 at just 0.2% (OBR)
GDP Growth December 2011 Contracted by 0.2% Q4 (OBR)
GDP April's figures have just clawed back last years 0.5% contraction in 2010 (OBR)
GDP is 1.1% lower than the OBR thought it would be in Sept 2010 (OBR)
GDP Growth is now lower than 1930s, 1970s, 1980s 1990s (OBR)
GDP UK is 3.6% blow its pre-financial crisis 2008 (H.M.Trasury)
National Debt hits £1.03 Trillion for the first Time Jan 2012 (OBR)
National Debt actual debt after repurchase by Bank of England is £650 Billion (Guardian on B of E figures)
National Debt Coalition & Bank of England QE for 2011 was £75 billion (OBR/Bank of England)
National Debt Coalition & Bank of England QE for 2012 was £50 billion (OBR/Bank of England)
National Debt total Quantitative Easing is £325 Billion in February 2012 (OBR/Bank of England)
National Debt private + public sector debt totals some 500% 2011 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
National Debt Tory Party forecast National debt will fall by just £54 Billion by 2015 (Tory party website)
UK Economic Decline is two and half times that of the entire Euro zone (ONS & H.M.Trasury) 2011
UK Economic Decline is 77% of the EU’s decline for 2011 (H.M.Trasury)
UK Economy shrank by 5.0% in 2009 the biggest calendar year fall since 1921 ( NIE)
UK Economy shrank by 6.3% in 2011 the biggest calendar year fall on record by October 2011 ( NIE)
UK Pound exchange rate has fallen by 21.0% against the Dollar 2011 (H.M.Trasury)
UK lose market share accelerated from 2008 to 2010. (Oxford Economic )
Government Borrowing Tory-Liberal coalition come to power stated an additional £111 Billion 2009 (OBR)
Government Borrowing Net borrowing was just £7.3 Billion in 2010 (H.M.Trasury)
Government Borrowing forecast up by £54 Billion (Budget 2011)
Government Borrowing overshot in Q4 by £127 Billion (OBR)
Government Borrowing overshot in Jan 2012 by £157 Billion (ONS)
Government Borrowing topped the £10 billion by just Feb 2011 (OBR)
Government Borrowing to be £10 billion higher every year from 2012 (OBR)
Government Borrowing in Jan 2012 was £13.7 billion for December 2011 overshooting (OBR)
Private Pension deficit up from £24.5 Billion to £31.7 Billion by Sept 2011 (ONS)
Private Pension Deficit £158 billion December 2011 (ONS)
Private Pension deficit £255.2 form £222 billion in Jan 2012 (N.M.A & ONS)
UK 10 Year bonds, the Historical high of 12.84% set in April 1990 (H.M.Trasury)
UK 10 year Bonds, Record low of 1.97% set in Jan 2012 (H.M.Trasury)
UK 10 Year Bonds, Yields decline by 1.47% from 1989 to 2012 (H.M.Trasury)
UK 10 Year Bonds, averaged 6.28% (H.M.Trasury)
Unemployment up to record 17 year high (ONS)
Unemployment record was set in 1981 at 2.6 million or 9.8% of the Workforce
Unemployment record was set in 1981 was past at 2.67 million or 8.4% of the Workforce January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment for woman rose for the 10th month in a row March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment increased by 20,000 the highest three month figure since Jan 1997 (ONS)
Unemployment increased by 16,000 for the last tree months of 2011. January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment is now 7.7% of economically active population March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment is now 8.4%% of economically active population 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment forecast in the budget set to rise to 8.1% in 2012 (Budget 2011)
Unemployment is was2.6 million in March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment is now 2.6 million in December 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment is up to 2.67 million in January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment Claimants increased by 12,400 in March 2011 to April 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment Claimants increased 11 month in a row by 6,900 to a total of 1.6 million January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment Woman Claimants increased by 9,300 to 474,400 in March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment Men Claimants increased by 3,100 to 994,200 in March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment 16-24 hit 1.043 million in Q3, the highest since records began in 1992. 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment 16-24 hit 1.35 million in Q1 Up 22,000 January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment benefit payments rose by 1,200 to 1.6 million by December 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment benefit payments up to 1980s levels (ONS)
Business failures in 2010 was 23,000 (ONS)
Business failures in 2011 was 20,900 or 6.5% (ONS)
Bankers Bonus for £14 billion for 2011 (FT & Guardian & BBC)
Manufacturing was flat Feb 2011 (ONS)
Manufacturing production out put 1.5% decline in April 2011 (ONS)
Manufacturing touted as the engine of the economy fall by 0.3% in July 2011 (ONS)
Manufacturing jobless in Q4 2011 to Jan 2012 was up to 395,000
Manufacturing production Cable & Wireless Communication slumped nearly 17% in 2011 (FT)
BDOs output index dropped from Decembers 91.4% to February 2012 to 91.2%
Exports fell in Jan 2011 (HMCR)
Exports Vs Imports increased by 14.7% in October 2011 (HMCR)
Factory gate prices rose 0.9% between February & March 2011 (ONS)
Factory gate prices rose at an annual rate of 5.3% in May 2011 (ONS)
Factory gate prices in December 2011 to 4.8% (ONS)
Factory gate prices fell in January 2012 to 4.1% (ONS)
Factory gate Producers input price inflation in January 2012 is 7% (ONS)
Mortgage & Credit card debt will soar to £2,126 billion by 2015 (ONS)
Mortgage debt now accounts is around £21,000 per person April 2011 (ONS)
Home repossessions peak set in 1991 at 19,000 homes (council of mortgage lenders)
Home repossession forecast to rise to 45,000 in 2012 (council of mortgage lenders )
Construction industry suffered a 0.5% fall in output from November to January 2012 (ONS)
North sea Oil Tax up by £2 Billion for 2011, with HMCR taking 88% in Tax (ONS)
The Worst squeeze on living standards for 90 years
Consumer spending accounts for 65% of the UK economy April 2011 (OMS)
Consumer spending shows the biggest fell in total sales since the survey began in 1995 (KPMG)
Consumer spending has fallen by 1.7% for four consecutive Q in 2011. (ONS)
Consumer spending has rose by 1.9% Q1 January 2012 (ONS)
Personal Spending shows it first drop in personal spending power since the Thatcher slump in 1980s (KMPG)
Petrol down by 1p with VAT up by 2% in the Budget 2011
Petrol prices average increased by 52% up to March 2010
Food Prices rose 7.4% in the biggest rise since 2009 (ONS)
Food Prices rising at 4.9% rising faster than any other OECD in Jan 2012 member (UBS & OECD)
CPI Inflation increase to 3.3% December 2010 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
CPI has put the cost of living double its target from 4% in Jan 2011 to 4.4% in April 2011 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
CPI September 2011 rises by 5.2% (ONS)
CPI October 2011 fall by just 0.2% to 5.0% (ONS)
CPI January 2012 fell to 4.8% from 5.0% (Bank of England)
RPI has gone from 5.1% to 5.5% the highest since 1991 (ONS)
RPI Jan 2011 leapt to CPI 4% from 3.7% with Market Oracle putting real inflation at

Are really trying to tell me that any opposition cannot beat this banal government with data like this?....if you are Blue...you need to think again....why do you think the front bench of the opposition is not making a great be play of this data?.....could it just not be there is no GE around the corner?....its called keep your economic powder dry Blue....you do not win any elections right now...pointless...so let the Tory party carry on with all there hot air now...if all they have to show for two years is economic data like this and at best a 2 point lead in some poll.... I am over the moon...

I am more than happen with that....but would not be if I was a Tory party member....believe me..right now the UK media has be quite soft of the Tory party...got a feeling this will not go on for much longer....

Stox 16, The UK media have to be politically impartial. But I am equally wondering when the rot is going to turn the tables as State cuts continue, and unemployment rises, when and if the media worm will turn.

Also im wondering how long Clegg and Cameron and their respective party MP's scattered around the country, are going to continue getting away with the following, "you have to remember we were left a huge deficit by Labour".?.

This Deficit cutting was pushed by the media before the coalition was formed, with the three leaders of their respective parties orchestrated to answer this one question, with a mute audience on hand.

It was a circus.

Ivanhoe wrote:

Stox 16 wrote:

blueturando wrote:I don't think that would help Bobby, the majority of the public just don't support it and far be it for me to give away Tory secrets...I think the public would get behind the government to stamp out mindless violence or property distruction. The poll tax was different...no body wanted that (even if the current system is not that different) so the public got behind the protesters there. The only babana skin for Cameron is the NHS......Its bigger than Jesus

blue boy
am i dreaming? but you keep posting saying know one believes the Labour party or left...well is this not what your economy looks like after two whole years.....

Growth Forecast downgraded for the Fifth time by (OBR in November 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 2nd Time by Bank of England 1.4% August 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 3rd Time to 1.7% (Budget 2011)
Growth forecast Downgraded for 3rd Time to by Ernst & Young from1.7% to 0.9% Jan 2012
Growth forecast Downgraded for 2nd Time to by CBI to 1.3% July 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 4th Time to by CBI to 1.2% Sept 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 4th Time to by CBI to 0.9% Feb 2012
Growth forecast Downgraded for 3rd Time to by I.M.F to 1.3% July 2011
Growth forecast Downgraded for 4th Time to by I.M.F to 0.6% Jan 2012
Growth forecast in the Tory budget down for a 3rd time to 1.7% (Budget 2011
Growth forecast in the City as low as 1.2% 2011
Disposable income has seen its Sharpest fall in 30 years or 1980s (ONS)
Annual Earnings Growth remains at 1.9% in February 2012
GDP The last cycle of robust growth in potential output of 2.9% was 1997 to 2006 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
GDP when the Tory-Liberal coalition come to power ,the UK was growing at an annual rate of 4% (OBR)
GDP sluggish at just 0.5% for April 2011 (OBR)
GDP City Growth forecast for 2012 are 0.3% to 0.4% (FT Sept 2011)
GDP Growth for forecast set by bank of England at 2.0% 2010
GDP Contracted by 0.5% in the Q4 in 2010 (OBR)
GDP is 0.8% lower than in November 2010 (OBR)
GDP IS 0.2% lower than MARCH 2011 (OBR)
GDP Growth Contracted by 0.5% Q4 2010 (OBR)
GDP Growth April 2011 was Q1 0.5% (OBR)
GDP Growth July 2011 was just Q2 0.2% (OBR)
GDP Growth starts Jan Q1 2012 at just 0.2% (OBR)
GDP Growth December 2011 Contracted by 0.2% Q4 (OBR)
GDP April's figures have just clawed back last years 0.5% contraction in 2010 (OBR)
GDP is 1.1% lower than the OBR thought it would be in Sept 2010 (OBR)
GDP Growth is now lower than 1930s, 1970s, 1980s 1990s (OBR)
GDP UK is 3.6% blow its pre-financial crisis 2008 (H.M.Trasury)
National Debt hits £1.03 Trillion for the first Time Jan 2012 (OBR)
National Debt actual debt after repurchase by Bank of England is £650 Billion (Guardian on B of E figures)
National Debt Coalition & Bank of England QE for 2011 was £75 billion (OBR/Bank of England)
National Debt Coalition & Bank of England QE for 2012 was £50 billion (OBR/Bank of England)
National Debt total Quantitative Easing is £325 Billion in February 2012 (OBR/Bank of England)
National Debt private + public sector debt totals some 500% 2011 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
National Debt Tory Party forecast National debt will fall by just £54 Billion by 2015 (Tory party website)
UK Economic Decline is two and half times that of the entire Euro zone (ONS & H.M.Trasury) 2011
UK Economic Decline is 77% of the EU’s decline for 2011 (H.M.Trasury)
UK Economy shrank by 5.0% in 2009 the biggest calendar year fall since 1921 ( NIE)
UK Economy shrank by 6.3% in 2011 the biggest calendar year fall on record by October 2011 ( NIE)
UK Pound exchange rate has fallen by 21.0% against the Dollar 2011 (H.M.Trasury)
UK lose market share accelerated from 2008 to 2010. (Oxford Economic )
Government Borrowing Tory-Liberal coalition come to power stated an additional £111 Billion 2009 (OBR)
Government Borrowing Net borrowing was just £7.3 Billion in 2010 (H.M.Trasury)
Government Borrowing forecast up by £54 Billion (Budget 2011)
Government Borrowing overshot in Q4 by £127 Billion (OBR)
Government Borrowing overshot in Jan 2012 by £157 Billion (ONS)
Government Borrowing topped the £10 billion by just Feb 2011 (OBR)
Government Borrowing to be £10 billion higher every year from 2012 (OBR)
Government Borrowing in Jan 2012 was £13.7 billion for December 2011 overshooting (OBR)
Private Pension deficit up from £24.5 Billion to £31.7 Billion by Sept 2011 (ONS)
Private Pension Deficit £158 billion December 2011 (ONS)
Private Pension deficit £255.2 form £222 billion in Jan 2012 (N.M.A & ONS)
UK 10 Year bonds, the Historical high of 12.84% set in April 1990 (H.M.Trasury)
UK 10 year Bonds, Record low of 1.97% set in Jan 2012 (H.M.Trasury)
UK 10 Year Bonds, Yields decline by 1.47% from 1989 to 2012 (H.M.Trasury)
UK 10 Year Bonds, averaged 6.28% (H.M.Trasury)
Unemployment up to record 17 year high (ONS)
Unemployment record was set in 1981 at 2.6 million or 9.8% of the Workforce
Unemployment record was set in 1981 was past at 2.67 million or 8.4% of the Workforce January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment for woman rose for the 10th month in a row March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment increased by 20,000 the highest three month figure since Jan 1997 (ONS)
Unemployment increased by 16,000 for the last tree months of 2011. January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment is now 7.7% of economically active population March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment is now 8.4%% of economically active population 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment forecast in the budget set to rise to 8.1% in 2012 (Budget 2011)
Unemployment is was2.6 million in March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment is now 2.6 million in December 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment is up to 2.67 million in January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment Claimants increased by 12,400 in March 2011 to April 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment Claimants increased 11 month in a row by 6,900 to a total of 1.6 million January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment Woman Claimants increased by 9,300 to 474,400 in March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment Men Claimants increased by 3,100 to 994,200 in March 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment 16-24 hit 1.043 million in Q3, the highest since records began in 1992. 2011 (ONS)
Unemployment 16-24 hit 1.35 million in Q1 Up 22,000 January 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment benefit payments rose by 1,200 to 1.6 million by December 2012 (ONS)
Unemployment benefit payments up to 1980s levels (ONS)
Business failures in 2010 was 23,000 (ONS)
Business failures in 2011 was 20,900 or 6.5% (ONS)
Bankers Bonus for £14 billion for 2011 (FT & Guardian & BBC)
Manufacturing was flat Feb 2011 (ONS)
Manufacturing production out put 1.5% decline in April 2011 (ONS)
Manufacturing touted as the engine of the economy fall by 0.3% in July 2011 (ONS)
Manufacturing jobless in Q4 2011 to Jan 2012 was up to 395,000
Manufacturing production Cable & Wireless Communication slumped nearly 17% in 2011 (FT)
BDOs output index dropped from Decembers 91.4% to February 2012 to 91.2%
Exports fell in Jan 2011 (HMCR)
Exports Vs Imports increased by 14.7% in October 2011 (HMCR)
Factory gate prices rose 0.9% between February & March 2011 (ONS)
Factory gate prices rose at an annual rate of 5.3% in May 2011 (ONS)
Factory gate prices in December 2011 to 4.8% (ONS)
Factory gate prices fell in January 2012 to 4.1% (ONS)
Factory gate Producers input price inflation in January 2012 is 7% (ONS)
Mortgage & Credit card debt will soar to £2,126 billion by 2015 (ONS)
Mortgage debt now accounts is around £21,000 per person April 2011 (ONS)
Home repossessions peak set in 1991 at 19,000 homes (council of mortgage lenders)
Home repossession forecast to rise to 45,000 in 2012 (council of mortgage lenders )
Construction industry suffered a 0.5% fall in output from November to January 2012 (ONS)
North sea Oil Tax up by £2 Billion for 2011, with HMCR taking 88% in Tax (ONS)
The Worst squeeze on living standards for 90 years
Consumer spending accounts for 65% of the UK economy April 2011 (OMS)
Consumer spending shows the biggest fell in total sales since the survey began in 1995 (KPMG)
Consumer spending has fallen by 1.7% for four consecutive Q in 2011. (ONS)
Consumer spending has rose by 1.9% Q1 January 2012 (ONS)
Personal Spending shows it first drop in personal spending power since the Thatcher slump in 1980s (KMPG)
Petrol down by 1p with VAT up by 2% in the Budget 2011
Petrol prices average increased by 52% up to March 2010
Food Prices rose 7.4% in the biggest rise since 2009 (ONS)
Food Prices rising at 4.9% rising faster than any other OECD in Jan 2012 member (UBS & OECD)
CPI Inflation increase to 3.3% December 2010 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
CPI has put the cost of living double its target from 4% in Jan 2011 to 4.4% in April 2011 (OBR & Oxford Economic)
CPI September 2011 rises by 5.2% (ONS)
CPI October 2011 fall by just 0.2% to 5.0% (ONS)
CPI January 2012 fell to 4.8% from 5.0% (Bank of England)
RPI has gone from 5.1% to 5.5% the highest since 1991 (ONS)
RPI Jan 2011 leapt to CPI 4% from 3.7% with Market Oracle putting real inflation at

Are really trying to tell me that any opposition cannot beat this banal government with data like this?....if you are Blue...you need to think again....why do you think the front bench of the opposition is not making a great be play of this data?.....could it just not be there is no GE around the corner?....its called keep your economic powder dry Blue....you do not win any elections right now...pointless...so let the Tory party carry on with all there hot air now...if all they have to show for two years is economic data like this and at best a 2 point lead in some poll.... I am over the moon...

I am more than happen with that....but would not be if I was a Tory party member....believe me..right now the UK media has be quite soft of the Tory party...got a feeling this will not go on for much longer....

Stox 16, The UK media have to be politically impartial. But I am equally wondering when the rot is going to turn the tables as State cuts continue, and unemployment rises, when and if the media worm will turn.

Also im wondering how long Clegg and Cameron and their respective party MP's scattered around the country, are going to continue getting away with the following, "you have to remember we were left a huge deficit by Labour".?.

This Deficit cutting was pushed by the media before the coalition was formed, with the three leaders of their respective parties orchestrated to answer this one question, with a mute audience on hand.

It was a circus.

Ivanhoe do not worry about Clegg he has a petition awaiting him when he gets to conference next week, Its one of his activists who is a GP I heard about it a few days ago but today 1/3/2012 the BBC news 24 is running along the bottom of the screen so maybe we will be getting rid of Clegg the petition demands that the NHS Bill be dropped so roll on next week and I hope that it is televised.

Bluey, is this some new Tory strategy. If you want to oust a Government, The public should get behind them.

Blue my friend. If Herr Cameron developed the Midas touch, and even spread some of it around. I would not get behind him (other than to slug him on the back of his nut) as you know as well as I, he would only do so if there where something in it for himself.

Red, some will be televised, but with how much censorship.

United Kingdom Independence Party.

We had a large one of those a century or so ago. It was called the British Empire.

e-mail me your Adress and I will get membership forms for you to join the Labour Party

Bobby...Why would I join the Conservative Lites, when I can vote for the real thing

blueturando wrote:

e-mail me your Adress and I will get membership forms for you to join the Labour Party

Bobby...Why would I join the Conservative Lites, when I can vote for the real thing

Bluey, do you really believe in privatisation and charities, Do you really want Britain to slide even further into victorian ways and values. ?

Bluey, is this some new Tory strategy. If you want to oust a Government, The public should get behind them.

All I am saying Bobby is that the majority of the public do not and will not support voilence and property distruction. You only have to cast you mind back to the riots or the anarchists taking over the student fees demos to know this. I am not saying the pople will get behind the government directly, but they will get behind the rest of society as a whole.

The problem you have is that almost all of the people in the private sector are suffering and hurting as much, if not more as people in the public sector. The Private sector has no voice and therefore gets left out...All they see if the public sector promoting their own self interest (I know that's what unions are paid to do) mainly at the expense of the Private sector. What you need to do if you want action is to get all sectors together and have a country wide walk out. That would include private utility companies, supermarkets and other retailers....Then you would see real action from the government. All they see now is that they are fighting the same battle as Maggie did...and she won hands down, so what have they got to fear from the unions?

No Ivanhoe I don't....and if we are talking about the NHS then as you know I don't agree with the reforms and I don't believe the public will let it happen.
I have always said Labour are better at running the NHS, but even then I believe they want to take it down the privatisation route which is very sad indeed

blueturando wrote:

Bluey, is this some new Tory strategy. If you want to oust a Government, The public should get behind them.

All I am saying Bobby is that the majority of the public do not and will not support voilence and property distruction. You only have to cast you mind back to the riots or the anarchists taking over the student fees demos to know this. I am not saying the pople will get behind the government directly, but they will get behind the rest of society as a whole.

The problem you have is that almost all of the people in the private sector are suffering and hurting as much, if not more as people in the public sector. The Private sector has no voice and therefore gets left out...All they see if the public sector promoting their own self interest (I know that's what unions are paid to do) mainly at the expense of the Private sector. What you need to do if you want action is to get all sectors together and have a country wide walk out. That would include private utility companies, supermarkets and other retailers....Then you would see real action from the government. All they see now is that they are fighting the same battle as Maggie did...and she won hands down, so what have they got to fear from the unions?

Its a funny thing you saying that Bluey.

Some years ago in France, the Jospin Socialist Government,, or the Sarcosy Conservative Government's, were going to cut welfare payments. The UK media reported all private and public sector workers came out in defiance, even the fire brigade.

I remember thinking, if only this kind of consolidation happened here in Britain ?

My response to the silliness of calling Cameron 'Herr' was to come back 'Once' with a Commrade comment.

I have my serious doubts on Millaband, but I may be proved wrong...let's wait and see what policies and direction he takes at the next GE. I do however have a problem with Ed Balls....I don't like him, he looks sneaky, untrustworthy and is no more a leftie than I am. I think he and his wife will be planning a coup sometime in the near future and then you will have Blair part deux

Bluey. I use the term Social disobediance for no other reason that it has become the understood term for strikes, marches and rally's.

I dont want any unessesary violence from Joe Public, neither can I accept the violence this Tory led Coalition is handing down to the poor' disabled, unemployed and elderly. they are all forms of violence. Unlike you though I am not selective as to what violence is OK and what is not.

blueturando wrote:My response to the silliness of calling Cameron 'Herr' was to come back 'Once' with a Commrade comment.

I have my serious doubts on Millaband, but I may be proved wrong...let's wait and see what policies and direction he takes at the next GE. I do however have a problem with Ed Balls....I don't like him, he looks sneaky, untrustworthy and is no more a leftie than I am. I think he and his wife will be planning a coup sometime in the near future and then you will have Blair part deux

Bluey, your comment about Ed Balla makes me ask you this.

Do you think we are obsessed in this country with personality politics ?, over and above manifestos ?

Yeah!! Let's burn French lorries
In the industrial estates
...........On the rest ground forecourts
.................... And at the Factories

Bluey. I use the term Social disobediance for no other reason that it has become the understood term for strikes, marches and rally's

Ok then Bobby, get the 'whole' of the public behind a day or 2 days of action...not just a selection. The only way this is going to work if it's inclusive of every section of society that's hurting. Ivanhoe spelled it out...consolidation is the key to government action

I dont want any unessesary violence from Joe Public, neither can I accept the violence this Tory led Coalition is handing down to the poor' disabled, unemployed and elderly. they are all forms of violence. Unlike you though I am not selective as to what violence is OK and what is not..

Bobby...I would like to think I am a decent chap, have morals and I am concerned for my fellow man or women....so I do not like to see deep cuts, people loseing their jobs, homes ect...what person in their right mind does! My concern is that the country and the wider world gets back on its feet. Now I do not have all the answers and like most people I can only go on what I read and see in the media or out on the street, so I don't know whether the path this coalition is taking us down will prove to be the right path, but I also cannot see much of an alternative to cost cutting measures. We spend and more importantly waste way more than we can afford to do so.
Successive governments chuck our money around without a care in the world and as Ivanhoe or Stox pointed out, would the cuts even be an issue if we didn't waste so much on the EU, unwanted foreign aid, bank bail outs and unwinable wars.
You want to continue making it party political and that's fine, but you have to accept that Labour does not offer a viable alternative to any of this and is already guilty of the wastage I have just mentioned

Yes Ivanhoe I do and before long we will be down that slippery slope that US politics has decended to.

My issue with Balls is that I don't trust him...to be fair their are not many I do trust in any party (but thats another coversation for another day) but he comes across as opportunistic and my senses tell me he doesn't have any principles and will do what ever it takes to climb the greasy pole to the top...no matter who he hurts or stabs in the back along the way. What happened to all the good Labour people at the top end of the party....you need more people Mo Molam, Alan Johnson, John Reid and yes I said it, Dennis Skinner. All you have now is Balls, Harman, Hain & Diane Abbott who all seem to be looney or in it for their own personal reasons or ideologies

bluey. I dont know how many time you have heard. When Herr Cameron allmost won the last Election, based on Gordon Browns Leadership and Alistair Darlings management of the economy, not only did they bail out the banks and got us out of recession, but got unemployement going down and the economy going up. This was based on labour policies, so what do you now want, we have a proven record that Labour policies where working what more should they be saying, or do you want them to talk just for the sake of it as does Herr Cameron.

Labour Policies proven to work. Tory Led Coalitions policies proven to fail. Just what is it you want other than that. This is why we accuse you of doing nothing but following Herr Cameron irrespective of what he does, or how much you say you disagree with him.

By the way, the low interest rate Herr Cameron makes so much of, was inherited from Labour, just thought i'd tell you;)

blueturando wrote:Yes Ivanhoe I do and before long we will be down that slippery slope that US politics has decended to.

My issue with Balls is that I don't trust him...to be fair their are not many I do trust in any party (but thats another coversation for another day) but he comes across as opportunistic and my senses tell me he doesn't have any principles and will do what ever it takes to climb the greasy pole to the top...no matter who he hurts or stabs in the back along the way. What happened to all the good Labour people at the top end of the party....you need more people Mo Molam, Alan Johnson, John Reid and yes I said it, Dennis Skinner. All you have now is Balls, Harman, Hain & Diane Abbott who all seem to be looney or in it for their own personal reasons or ideologies

Yes bluey, you are bang on, principled politicians have long gone. And why ?, because the Labour left, are scared to upset the middle classes, and feck the rest of the country.

There are - and have always been - so many issues befalling the nation that NO government could possibly solve or be blamed for.

However, it is fun to see Cameron being criticised for even the insoluable crises ,simply because that is what he / the Tories did to Brown and Blair. Maybe if he had been just a little more even-handed and less opportunistic at every turn, he would now find that others would be doing the same.

But he didn't - and so they aren't...!

Phil......People will always blame the government of the day for everything they can or want to.....It comes with the job. The Tories are in Power, so the people have the right to blame them for whatever they want to....My guess is that its all Cleggs fault though ..lol

blueturando wrote:Phil......People will always blame the government of the day for everything they can or want to.....It comes with the job. The Tories are in Power, so the people have the right to blame them for whatever they want to....My guess is that its all Cleggs fault though ..lol

I blame the people. Yes I mean it. We do get the politicians we deserve.

But oddly enough I dont blame Clegg. The British public pushed Clegg to do what he did.

Clegg is as innocent as a small boy with a sticky black face near a box of liquorice allsorts...

Phil Hornby wrote:Clegg is as innocent as a small boy with a sticky black face near a box of liquorice allsorts...

And the British are largelly policially, as thick as two short planks.

Do Tory politicians HAVE souls?

bobby wrote:Ivanhoe wrote.. I blame the people. Yes I mean it. We do get the politicians we deserve.

But oddly enough I dont blame Clegg. The British public pushed Clegg to do what he did.

Are you for real Ivanhoe. The people that voted for the Lib-Dems had absolutely no idea that Clegg would end up as such a comfy bed fellow to the despicable Tory Party. The people read on the Lib-Dem Posters, Vote Lib-Dem to keep the Tory’s out. At the Tripartite TV debates Clegg constantly criticised Herr Cameron, and no one but the dirty turn coats knew what was happening till the bum burger Laws and his sheeple came out to announce it to the public. In fact most of the people I spoke to from all parties, though a deal would be done with Labour, but the Tory’s where prepared to sell their souls for a lot less than was Labour.

bobby, the British in their wisdom ( joke ), created a hung Parliament, leaving Clegg to form solid government, "New" Labour under Gordon Brown lost the G/E, so you tell me what else Nick Clegg could have done ?

In fact most of the people I spoke to from all parties, though a deal would be done with Labour, but the Tory’s where prepared to sell their souls for a lot less than was Labour

Wrong Bobby....The Lib Dems didn't want to do a deal with Labour if Brown was going to remain in charge. If the the Lib Dems had formed a coalition with Labour, Brown would still be PM, so they wisely decided against it