U-Turns, Climb downs, rethinks and the coalition Government

[Gromit]

Margaret Thatcher famously said "the Lady is not for turning" yet her refusal to change the poll tax led to her downfall.

Earlier this week the Government did a u-Turn on the pasty Tax and have today announce a u-Turn on charity donations.

Do you think it is good the Government can change its mind after introducing a policy, or do you think it shows lack of conviction and bottle?

For the record, here is a long list of this Government's u-turns.

http://www.telegraph....ns-and-row-backs.html

[DTCwordfan]

yes - because they are listening, unlike those arrogant bank-robbers called Labour.

[flip_flop]

I think this transcends party politics.

Any party who is prepared to make a U-Turn on an unpopular &/or pointless policy, in the face of the inevitable criticism they will receive, should be applauded.

[Brenden]

Hey Gromit, I know I am in the minority but I thought the poll tax was the fairest to date of all means of council taxation. Also agree with DT, we at last have a listening government.

[DTCwordfan]

Absolutely, flip-flop.....rather than just impose their views

Now if they rescind the railway project in favour of using existing lines........

[ludwig]

I think it's a good thing when governments propose a policy, but have the sense to scrap or change it when everyone tells them it's stupid.

[rojash]

It's good thing to change if you realise you are wrong - but is it a good thing to be wrong so often that you need to change on an almost daily basis?
Maybe if they put a little more thought into formulating their policies in the first place, it would be just a tad more efficient?

[Gromit]

I am usually pleased when a misguided policy is ditched, but I cannot help but think that it was sheer arrogance that it was introduced in the first place.

It is fine for recently introduced policies to be amended occassionally, but this Government seem to be forced into u-turns constantly. I do not know if the plans are not properly thought out in the first place, or if they do not look at the fine detail before steamrollering an half baked idea through, but the impression is a Government in disarray.

[Gromit]

DTcrosswordfan

Considering Labour had to pump £955billion into the banks, your insult calling them bank-robbers seems rather inappropriate.

[DTCwordfan]

plenty of other bank-robbing and they merit plenty of other adjectives for their tax on fuels, their taking of the gold, hidden tax increases and then TB's activities. Asquith and Wilson would be turning in their graves, never mind some of the major stalwarts of the past.

[jno]

so how about the top income tax rates, any U-turn on that yet?

Nice to have a listening government, I'm sure, but I suspect they're just listening to the Mail and the Sun.

[ludwig]

It's a coalition. Trying to keep everyone on board and avoiding back/front revolts means there'll be a bigger tendency for compromise, u-turn, and watering downs. It's inevitable.

[flip_flop]

Brendan - I'm in the minority with you.

Quite how the value of somebody's house determines how much they can pay ashtonishes me.

A retired couple living on a state pension could be sitting on £250k equity, but in cash money terms have next to nothing, and yet they are required to pay the same as their next door neighbours who could have four earning adults living there.

In this situation surely the Poll Tax was a much fairer system!

[ludwig]

.. back/front bench revolts

[DTCwordfan]

cracking up Attlee

others such as Bevan, Macdonald, Gaitskell or Castle,

don't hear much from Viscount Stansgate or Dennis Healey these days - suppression of the left wing perhaps?

[bazwillrun]

Its good that they are prepared to scrap these stupid taxes but lets not forget the real reason theyre being scrapped.

Its for no other reason than ultimately being a vote loser

[LazyGun]

Do you believe that the government are truly listening to the public and changing their policy for the benefit of the people?

It seems more likely to me that this government has rushed through a raft of ill-thought out policies and attempted to introduce them without due diligence and scrutiny, only to be taken aback and forced to change when the consequences of some of their proposals are pointed out to them.

Thats not a caring government, listening, considering and amending. Cameron once said that he took note of Blairs comment about not getting enough legislation passed early on in his premiership. So, the govt are pushing through legislation, much of which has only been arrived at after the coalition talks, without thinking thoroughly through some of the implications of what their policies might bring.

Less weak, less caring, more careless and out of touch, I would have said......

[youngmafbog]

Damned if they do and damned if they dont.

Would anythign a Tory government did please you Lazy and Gromit? I somehow doubt it.

BTW I too think Poll tax was fair. It was quashed by a minority of voilent loudmouths. She should have stood firm and jailed them.

[d9f1c7]

The community charge was nothing to do with MrsT going, it was everything to do with the gutless little liberal wets she had the misfortune to have in her government. She had more balls than all of them put together. The lickspittle little sh1tbags done her down to save their own worthless hides. The Community charge was unpopular when the great unwashed realised that, horror of horrors, they'd have to actually pay towards local authority! The system was infinately fairer and better than what we now have, even the rates where better that what we now have.

Yes a good governement can change it's mind, personally I'd not want any government that stuck to it's manifesto regardless of changes in curcumstance. In fact manifestos shoud not be that detailed. Can you imagine setting anything for 5 years and sticking to it through thick and thin? Tony B certainly didn't and I can see why.

Only people like the OP trying to score points think that.

[emmie]

The old rates system was better. What we have now is a monster, council tax is the biggest con going. The poll tax never seemed popular but was rather fairer in essence.

[furrypusscat]

I doubt there will ever be any u turns on the disabled benefits/allowances. They are hell bent on attacking the most vulnerable.