Question Time

[happywelsh]

Does anyone believe the serial liar Vince Cable's (we will not increase tuition fees) excuse for the under pricing of shares in the sale of Royal Mail?

[douglas9401]

No, absolutely not. He's a politician, how can he be believed on anything?

[Orderlimit]

No, but what did he say, I didn't watch it !

[Svejk]

such things are rarely simple & straightforward.you're not a peter hain fan, are you?

[happywelsh]

Svejk. Not a Peter Hain fan but admire his and his parents' stance against apartheid.

[Colmc54]

Wish I'd heard it. To me Vince Cable is not a serial liar though. When so many people's pensions and savings were decimated by Brown's lies of ending boom and bust, back then Cable was the only politician I know who was trying to warn us all of what was about to happen.

I think he like all politicians gets trapped in the idealism of the party they signs up to. The minute they do, especially if by surprise, as in Cable's case you suddenly find yourself in government, the risks of appearing two-faced, particularly to your long-term supporters increases.

I sometimes think a coalition is a better form of government because it cannot help but reduce the effect of knee-jerk doctrinaire idealistic thinking on the decisions the government eventually makes.

[New Judge]

I hold no brief for the good Doctor Cable (who reminds me more and more of Great Uncle Bulgaria of the Wombles). However, when it comes to the pricing of RM Shares I have a certain sympathy. The business was under threat of industrial action and the government was keen to avoid a flop. It's always easy to be wise after the event and the proof of the pudding will be in the eating when we see if RM shares hold their value in the longer term.

[New Judge]

And I forgot. Again being fair to Great Uncle Bulgaria and his chums (God what's wrong we me tonight?) it was not they who increased tuition fees. It was done by the Coalition and that particular policy was driven by the Conservatives. Many Tory proposals have been scotched by their LibDem "partners". It's one of the features of a Coalition which colmc seems keen on. Personally I can think of nothing worse.

[Colmc54]

I'm glad you brought up tuition fees. Voted for by Labour in England but voted against by Labour in Scotland the day before!

England is increasingly overpopulated such that the original entitlements of the welfare state will become increasingly unaffordable. Deep inside we all surely realise this. Sadly there is not a single Cable-like voice crying in the wilderness now (OK Farage maybe). All we hear is Cameroon promising even more special blandishments to the Scots if they deign to remain in the UK, and Clegg doing the same thing for the Welsh!

England are apparently trapped in a UK in which we will increasingly become the ever poorer relation, even though we are the overwhelming majority of the UK population.

So we are no longer a democracy? Guess what we never were and never will be! Yet not a single Westminster MP is prepared to acknowledge the truth as I have just done.

Go on Vince- just one more time please!