The benefits of a coalition.

[jimslip]

Now we are seeing the benefits of having a coalition government and why I think the same thing will happen at the next election. Nick Clegg has become the "Voice of reason" reigning in the government from bringing in their authoritarian measures.

New Labour didn't have a Clegg, so they would have jack booted through all these proposals without a murmur either from their own party or if anyone on the other side had dared to protest they would have been called traitors for not supporting New Labour's "war on terror!"

So it would now appear that neither party, New Labour or Tory can be trusted with protecting our basic freedoms and it is now resting on the Lib Dems to defend a thin line of freedom that both the other parties want to stamp all over.

So far from the Lib Dems now being an "irrelevance", they have never before been more important! They are now acting as a fulcrum of freedom!

[David Johnson]

"So it would now appear that neither party, New Labour or Tory can be trusted with protecting our basic freedoms and it is now resting on the Lib Dems to defend a thin line of freedom that both the other parties want to stamp all over."

Very witty, James .

Nick Clegg has pledged that government plans to extend the powers of the security services to monitor the public's email, telephone calls and social media communications will have the "highest possible safeguards", as senior Liberal Democrat MPs threatened to revolt over the issue. This was exactly what the Labour government said about their snooping bill before it was used to carry out intercepts on people suspected of letting their dogs foul the pavement.

"It cannot lead to the creation of a new government database. the bill was never intended to do this It cannot give the police new powers to look at the content of people's emails the bill was never intended to do this and essentially what we're talking about is what the powers of the police need to be updated to keep pace with the use of new technologies." ah, therin lies the hammer!!!

A standard Cleggie ploy.

1. Float a new bill.
2. Check to see how much opposition there is.
3. If there is loads of opposition, make out it is all the Tories fault and he, Cleggie will ride a white charger to save the British public.
4. State that he will prevent the things the bill is never intended to do, will not be allowed to happen.
5. Make out that as a result of his intervention the bill has changed substantially due to the Lib Dems "punching above their weight".
6. 5 of course will be nonsense.

Keep signing the petitions, chum.

[dog]

"New Labour didn't have a Clegg, so they would have jack booted through all these proposals without a murmur either from their own party"

Labour attempted this in 2008 with their "Intercept Modernisation Programme" part of a Communications Data Bill announced in May 2008, it is not much different. Big thing is the cons had objected at that time now they are wanting to have it the other way round and Labour are the ones objecting...

I really think this is about the the Blackberry and the encrypted free Messenger service (private social network), which somehow had a lot to do with the "London Riots"

[Dave Wells]

There is no benefit whatsoever having any of them. Only an organised revolution will get rid of all of them, the bankerwankers, the sponging Windsors and any other tax dodging CUNT !

[one eyed jack]

The sponging Windsors Dave!!

What heresy doth burneth my ears. I like the Royal family. As far as I'm concerned they are there to make this country look distinct form some others with its old historic values and traditions...Even if slavery was part of it, none of us are perfect but hey this country was civil enough to realise it was wrong to abolish it

Look what happened to Russia when they overturned their royal family and the result it had in that country for decades and even felt today.

I vote the Royal family stay. Everything else you said was fine but you are just pushing this a bit too far now.

By the way thanks for last week. Lets see how this goes and I'll buy you a beer next time we meet.

We just got to agree to disagree on the Royal family though !happy!

[frankthring]

Dear One Eyed Jack - nice to see there is another royalist about. Well said,
sir. As to Mr Slip`s defence of the Libs all I can say is that the basic and
classic British traditional values are being destroyed by this awful coalition
Govt like no other in the nation`s history. Possibly the Libs are a minor
defence but they also have their own social agenda that is appalling in many
ways. Personally, if both the Con and Lib leaders returned to Eton I wish the
boys would tar `n feather them.

[andy at handiwork]

Frankthring wrote: '...their own social agenda that is appalling in many
ways.'

Please explain.

[RoddersUK]

How the fuck can a coalition with the Libs be a benefit? What benefit is there in having a useless fucking article like the Clegg sticking his oar in to something he personally doesn't like?
These bastards are in it for themselves, not the electorate, just like the rest of em. Come the next election Clegg and all the rest of his wankers will be history.

[Essex Lad]

frankthring wrote:

>
Personally, if both the Con and Lib leaders returned
> to Eton I wish the
> boys would tar `n feather them.

The Lib leader can't return to Eton - he never went there in the first place.

[Dave Wells]

On the contrary my dear boy, I don't think I'm taking it far enough. I wanna be Robin Hood (if there's any money in it) !