"UK politics: Breaking with the Past"
(Dr.) Alan Butt Philip.
Jean Monnet Reader in European
Integration at the University of Bath. Convenor, John Stuart Mill
Institute
David Cameron may be Britain’s new prime minister, but no one would have
predicted a few months ago that the outcome of the 2010 general
election would be a full coalition between the Conservative and Liberal
Democrat parties – including both their leaders! The coalition is the
product of an election result in which no party achieved a majority,
while all three parties were disappointed with their performance.
The coalition negotiators spent five days putting together an outline
agreed programme which gives a clear signal that the government will be
centrist, libertarian and decentralising. The Conservatives have had to
compromise on electoral reform, human rights and taxes benefitting the
rich, while the Liberal Democrats have had to concede points on the
renewal of Britain’s nuclear deterrent, the nuclear power programme,
curbs on non-EU immigration and budget cuts this year. On the EU, both
sides have made concessions. So there will be no attempt to repatriate
the right to make social and employment laws to the UK, but there will
be a referendum if any further sovereignty concessions are made to
Brussels.
(...)
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