Coalition Deal details

[HeadingNorth 11]

Here's the latest on exactly what has and has not been agreed by the Lib/Con coalition.

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7123692.ece

 

By and large it covers about what you'd expect in a coalition; many treasured Lib-Dem policies have survived, on others they have the right to abstain, and many others have had to be abandoned. Chief among what has survived, is the abolition of income tax for anyone on less than £10,000 a year, and a commitment to a "wholly or fully elected" House of Lords. They've also persuaded the Tories to drop their plans to abolish inheritance tax for everyone except millionaires.

 

On the issue of revoking huge swathes of recent legislation to do with civil liberties - notably scrapping the ID card scheme - both parties were in agreement anyway, so that will go ahead.

[alchresearch 214]

Excellent. With regard to the ID cards it would probably be cheaper to teach everyone to drive and give them driving licences!

[GordonBennet 10]

All we need now is for them to bring in electoral reform to ensure that the Labour party never gets to be in government ever again.

[DragonofAna 10]

Disappointed to see no mention of PR. Damn!

[Vague_Boy 10]

Chief among what has survived, is the abolition of income tax for anyone on less than £10,000 a year

 

Bloody Tories, always looking after their rich friends, eh Wednesday1/Titanic99.

[llamatron 10]

Bloody Tories, always looking after their rich friends, eh Wednesday1/Titanic99.

 

naughty:nono:

[Tony 10]

Bloody Tories, always looking after their rich friends

 

The Mystery of Tony Blair's finances.

 

 

The former prime minister Tony Blair has received millions of pounds through an unusual mixture of commercial, charitable and religious income streams. Since he stepped down from office in 2007, his financial affairs have been described by observers as "Byzantine" and "opaque". The Guardian is now launching an online competition offering a prize to the person who can shine the brightest light on those financial structures.

 

Blair has a commercial consultancy, called Tony Blair Associates, plus jobs advising a US bank and a Swiss insurer. He has a multimillion pound book deal. He also has a charity, the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative, and another called the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. But much of the income, which includes charitable donations from other sources, has been funnelled through a structure called Windrush Ventures No 3 Limited Partnership. Our contest asks: what is Windrush?

 

Blair has a complex web of structures involving 12 different legal entities handling the unprecedented millions he is receiving since he stepped down from office in 2007.

 

I wonder if Gordon Brown's move into charity work will be a little more transparent?

Edited May 12, 2010 by Tony

[RichJay 10]

More details here...

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/12/lib-dem-tory-deal-coalition

[llamatron 10]

The protection of historic freedoms through the defence of trial by jury

 

• The restoration of rights to non-violent protest

 

• The review of libel laws to protect freedom of speech

 

• Safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation

 

These are some of my favourites!

 

The cancellation of the third runway at Heathrow

 

• The refusal of additional runways at Gatwick and Stansted

in fact there are lots I like

[basshedz2 10]

Disappointed to see no mention of PR. Damn!

 

According to this, the coalition deal includes a referendum about introducing the Alternative Vote system of PR. Whilst less than I would have liked, I think it was the best the lib-dems were ever going to get out of the Tories.

 

The parties will bring forward a Referendum Bill on electoral reform, which includes provision for the introduction of the Alternative Vote in the event of a positive result in the referendum, as well as for the creation of fewer and more equal sized constituencies. Both parties will whip their Parliamentary Parties in both Houses to support a simple majority referendum on the Alternative Vote, without prejudice to the positions parties will take during such a referendum.

 

Unfortunately it does leave the Tories completely free to campaign against it, and so I hope we see Tories like Douglas Carswell and Nigel Evans (who have claimed to support electoral reform) actively campaigning for it in the run up to the referendum.

 

We'll see I guess ...

[HeadingNorth 11]

Here's the BBC take on which party got most of its policies into the coalition intact.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8677088.stm

[llamatron 10]

Another good idea in my eyes

 

increasing tax on second homes and buy to let. I was hoping someone would do that!