As the general election campaign drew to a close in May, I wrote that the political parties were playing a game of bluff with the voters. They didn’t want to tell us the truth and we didn’t want to hear. All of them knew that the deficit was running at around £150bn and that this is represented an extinction level event for many public services. But they went right on and, well, lied about it. I have thought carefully about using that word, which is of course unsayable in parliament. But I can’t think of any other way of encapsulating the scale of the misrepresentation.
David Cameron promised not to cut child benefits, free bus passes and winter fuel allowances for old people. Well child benefit has gone and just watch the others go in short order. He also said the Tory plans “didn’t involve an increase in VAT” when they clearly did, for no sooner was Cameron in the door at Number Ten than he announced that VAT would rise in January by 2%. The Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg also promised not to raise VAT, which he called the “Tory tax bombshell”. Then he dropped it.
Yes, all politicians break promises, but the Coalition has set a new benchmark in infamy. “No more pointless and disruptive reorganisation of the health service” said David Cameron solemnly, before launching the most radical upheaval in English health care in decades. Next will likely be charges for “hotel” costs while people are in hospital. Then what about road pricing, legal aid, pension taxes...
However, all of this pales against the LibDem behaviour over tuition fees. Before the election, their MPs actually signed a pact that they would vote against any increase in fees, only Sir Menzies Campbell, the former leader seems willing to honour it. Vince Cable said upping fees would be a “disaster”. Not any more, for in the Browne report he is endorsing the biggest increase in university fees in modern history. In any other walk of life you would be able to sue people who behaved like this. And don’t tell me he changed his mind when he ‘opened the books’ - he of all politicians knew exactly how bad the books were. All that's changed is that he is in government.
