DEM not gonna CON dis NATION: Rolling UK politics in the short-lived Cleggeron era

the ft on the coalition's attitude to cuts causing another downturn:

As one senior Treasury figure put it: "Nobody knows what the outcome is going to be – and that includes the politicians."

Another went further. "Not only does the coalition have no real sense of how the cuts will turn out but in a funny way they don't care."

"funny"

"funny"

was beaten to the punch but thought fuck it anyway.

Plus QUELLE SURP TORY GOVERNMENT NOT MUCH BOTHERED ABOUT CASUALTIES OF TORY ECONOMIC POLICY WHO'D'VE THUNK IT?

oh be fair, give them a chance

(ok i'm actually trolling there)

Pretty sure there are a lot of senior figures in the Treasury who think this is a load of bollocks.

http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/Osbournehome415.jpg

Obviously cutting back on gym membership.

And a suit that fucking fits him properly.

The suit is big so we can all get in it together.

Insert a joke about 'a terrible cut' here.

putting the 'cunts' into 'suits'

From what I can gather, every govt department has been told to basically stfu up and talk to no one after the spending review. Press conferences being cancelled all over the shop.

They're sending Warsi to Yorkshire, should be a laugh.

so apparently science is not getting quite the kicking that was expected. facebook feed full of celebration. gross.

I appreciate Osbourne, just seeing him keeps me on the path of indignation and disgust rather than that of resignation.

I only get weary resignation and despair under Labour, the Tories allow me to enjoy sheer righteous anger.

'a decade of debt', 'the years of ever-rising debt', blah blah drink a shot

they'll make sure that the 'financial catastrophe' 'never ever happens again'

riiiiiight

'an end to boom and bust'

Mr Osborne says: "The public sector needs to change to support the aspirations and expectations of today's population, rather than [that of] the 1950s."

Cunt.

What is that code for?

Universal benefits, "cradle to grave", etc.

enjoying the sarcastic reaction shot direction from bbc parliament here

backstage sound for anyone else streaming this?

listening to it on the world service, out of solidarity

did anyone else get audio of presenters warming up on bbc online feed for a few minutes there?

ha xp

poor bbc

fucking public sector

oh no you didn't @ osborne on the regulation of the banks

you cunts campaigned for even less

aw George didn't answer the "what about tax cheats?" question.

still amazes me that people actually shout "hear hear"

xp - fun to see it written down back in 2007:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1560100/Tories-plan-14bn-cuts-to-red-tape.html

woo looking to ramp up the already absurdly discriminatory towards young people housing benefit rules.

disappointed that "prioritise work on the treatment of dementia" didn't get a skinner zing

Well, the most famous dementia sufferer in the country is getting worked on as we write! So, they ARE!

Oh, what a day for deadlines...

Hope Sir Philip Green's accountants are having a laugh watching this.

xp

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090819180841/uncyclopedia/images/1/13/Thats_the_joke.jpg

'That extra money will be used to increase the state pension,' said Osborne. 'Never again will people who have worked there whole life be insulted by an increase in the state pension of 75p.'

"i can tell the house..." like he's nick robinson/mihir bose

"Not saddling our children with the interest on the interest on the interest of the debt we were not prepared to pay" - does that include higher educational debt? This fucking guy.

alan johnson's tie is pimpin

I can't hear what he just said but Johnson was nodding and smiling in a "just dropped the best zing ever" way, and Miliband was gesticulating wildly from behind him.

miliband seems to be carrying on some sort of extended argument w/someone opposite him?

johnson vg so far!

Twitter seems to be 3/4 in favour of Johnson and 1/4 against. Apparently he is "bringing it".

johnson had clearly read that freedland piece. he started weak but it got better and then the radio cut away to the news

I was delighted to have to miss the rest of Johnson's speech so that I could hear the woman from You & Yours asking voters in Stafford for their garbled instant reactions. He may not convince as someone who knows the numbers back to front but he's king of the zing and he made all the right arguments (ie Freedland's) in the first five minutes.

King of the Zing is fine at the moment when everyone is reeling at the scale of the cuts but there wasn't much proactive to offer. In the longer term I think he'll be easy for Osborne to pick off.

We'll see. He's a much better performer than Osborne and if he's sufficiently well-briefed I think he'll do fine in HoC exchanges. But I can't see him driving Labour's economic policy behind the scenes.

Which I think is the point, Milliband doesn't want an economic 'ite tying him to the past.

Have a horrible feeling that a lot of today's butchery will tie him to the future tho.