alchresearch Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 In recent weeks the Tories have broken their promise not to abolish universal child benefit and have failed to implement their 'green energy tariff' supplement promised in their manifesto. The Lib Dems have reneged on their promises not to increase to increase top up fees and not to put up VAT. Considering child benefit hasn't yet been abolished and the Lib Dems didn't win the election I fail to see a "broken promise". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espadrille Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Nice try but remind us please. What have the LibDems managed to hang on to? I can lend you a postage stamp - you can write your answer on the back. Sorry. It wouldnt fit on to a postage stamp. Quote: Originally Posted by espadrille No you are just saying what is reasonable. Many people say that the party has changed but the party has not changed.The parties values remain the same. Here are the Lib Dem Policies adopted by the Coalition. Fair Taxes Tax threshold raised, taking nearly 1 m low paid workers out of tax.Will be raised year on year. NI threshold raised taking 650,000 out of paying NI . Capital Gains tax raised and tax credits cut for wealthier people but increased for poorer families. Employment and Business 1Bn Regional Growth Fund targeted at areas dependant on public sector employment. Tax rate for small business reduced, providing relief for 850,000 small companies. Banks A 2bn levy on banks and measures to ensure more loans available to British Firms. Commission to consider seperating investment and retail banking to protect ordinary people from speculators. Pensioners pensions linked to earnings with guarantee of annual increases of at least 2.5% Proper compensation for equitable Life victims. Environment A green investment Bank supporting eco friendly businesses. Backing for the hi speed rail network, tax planes not passengers. 3rd runway at Heathrow scrapped. Target for UK Co2 emissions reductions by 2020 raised to 30% Education Pupil premium targetted to help disadvantaged pupils. Teachers given more control over curriculum. 10k extra university places funded this year. Civil Liberties Abolition of ID Cards, ban DNA database for innocent people Outlaw the finger printing of children Political reform Fixed term parliaments;elected House of Lords Right to sack MPs guilty of serious misconduct. referendum ON AVwhich would ensure all MPs had support of 50% or more of their constituents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dell12 Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Considering child benefit hasn't yet been abolished and the Lib Dems didn't win the election I fail to see a "broken promise". I said universal child benefit is to be abolished, something which the Tories explicitly said they wouldn't do. I wasn't specifically talking about this government either. Infact there have been plenty of broken promises from governments over the years. They know certain things will be popular in a manifesto, but have little or no intention of carrying it out. Indeed Nick Clegg highlighted the issue in a pre election advert campaign below, although the promises he highlights are more general than the ones mentioned on this thread. The Lib Dem leader wanders along the banks of the Thames, leaving a vast trail of waste paper flapping about in his wake. The litter represents a "trail of broken promises" by Labour and the Conservatives over the past 30 years (the Lib Dems know all about playing the long game). The broken promises Mr Clegg highlights - fairer taxes, better schools for everyone, cleaning up politics - would all be hotly disputed by Labour and the Tories and also happen to be the key themes of the Liberal Democrat manifesto. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTLR8R9JXz4 The point that we know what parties stand for is a good one I think, but parties are constantly changing and moving across the political spectrum, and many people will vote on a single issue so surely there needs to be a core set of promises that are kept. The formation of a coalition government too will leave alot of people even less sure about what parties stand for anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llamatron Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I'm not really sure how saying it is a coalition gets them off the hook really - they had a set of commitments and if they can't form a government which includes those commitments they shouldn't be forming the government. Essentially they are saying "flip you we just want power, our commitments mean nothing". no they have had to compromise-what a fabulous thing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boblet Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 The problem with making a manifesto legally binding is that it will make manifesto's even more bland than they already are, and full of too many proviso's along the lines of "If we win a sufficiently large majority", and "assuming the circumstances are as we believe them to be" and, "Unless things change by the time we get into power" There has to be flexibility to allow parties to amend policies subject to changing situations It also depends on what you believe our democratic system should do - in our parliamentary democracy we elect individuals to represent our interests - the fact that most people vote for a party is irrelevant - our MP is Fred Blogs, not the local representative of the whatever party, and if he chooses to change sides that is up to him - if he chooses to change his policies that is up to him - our only option is to vote for an alternative at the next election Another problem with this is that, irrespective of how good an MP Fred may have been, he could still get kicked out at the next election because his party is no longer as popular To say that, if you can't form a Government you shouldn't try to do so is fine, but it then often means that you can't do anything other than have another election - and who's to say the outcome the second time around will be any different I may not agree with the general thrust of this Government, but I accept it has the right to do as it see's fit, and will be held to account at the next elections - that is what democracy is As far as them saying one thing before the election, and doing something different after it, I remember someone once saying something along the lines of "If I find out I was wrong about something, I change my mind. What do you do?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert_Baehr Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 ...Essentially they are saying "flip you we just want power, our commitments mean nothing". But you already knew that, didn't you? Politicians have 2 goals: If they are not in power - Get into power. If they are in power - Stay in power. Anything goes. Have you forgotten already how difficult it was to get Broon to move out of No 10? He lost the election - but he was still unwilling to pack his bags and go. I said universal child benefit is to be abolished, something which the Tories explicitly said they wouldn't do. . Universal child benefit never existed. There were exceptions. Some people did not get it. How could the Tories abolish something which didn't exist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Manifestos are only examples of the type of policy and direction which the political party would go given enough support. They are not and have never been a solemn promise of what they will definitely do in power. In the case of the current government neither party in power, won enough support to allow them to bring into practice the themes of their respective manifestos. So they both had to take the view that they lost, their manifestos were rejected and effectively they formed a new manifesto in the discussions to make a coalition government, taking parts from each party so they could work together. Unfortunately the people who have missed out are those who voted tactically to "keep a party out" because that only works if there is a clear winner. The people who missed out are EVERYONE who voted, as I did, for the Lib Dems (more fool us), not voting tactically to keep any party out, but because we wanted to vote Lib Dem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Whichever party which gets in doesn't have access to the exact state of affairs economically - ie they don't see the 'books' which provides them with a get-out I would have thought They could try telling us then, BEFORE we vote, that they have not seen the books, have a "get out" ready, and that they may well do the opposite of what they promised when they get in. All manifesto's are completely pointless then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert_Baehr Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 ...The idea that consensus politics is a good thing is kind of the opposite to how our system works - we vote for a party to do what they promised to do! 'First past the post' it is, then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I'm not really sure how saying it is a coalition gets them off the hook really - they had a set of commitments and if they can't form a government which includes those commitments they shouldn't be forming the government. Essentially they are saying "flip you we just want power, our commitments mean nothing". Exactly - I couldn't agree more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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