Will the Tories be in power long enough to bring in all these cuts?

[d000hg]

Must be a tough job when you know what has to be done is very tough, and that most people would vote you out if they realised.

They seem to be trying the honest route right now but I don't think our society will buy the concept of tightening belts, we're all too soft.

[Saddo]

It depends how long memories of Labour last. The Tories are smart enough to turn the focus of attention on the years of Labour control when the next election comes.

What will be interesting will be the LibDem vote. Lots of their supporters were not happy bunnies with Clegg getting between the sheets with Cameron.

[GreenLabel]

I don't think our society will buy the concept of tightening belts, we're all too soft.

+1.

[Old Greg]

Must be a tough job when you know what has to be done is very tough, and that most people would vote you out if they realised.

They seem to be trying the honest route right now but I don't think our society will buy the concept of tightening belts, we're all too soft.

I think as a society we are all very comfortable with other people tightening their belts.

[d000hg]

I think as a society we are all very comfortable with other people tightening their belts.

I wonder if the "cutting benefits where one person earns over £40k" thing is about money, or gaining popularity with the poorer folk, so they know it's not only them being hit.

[Old Greg]

I wonder if the "cutting benefits where one person earns over £40k" thing is about money, or gaining popularity with the poorer folk, so they know it's not only them being hit.

Could be both. How poor Dave and Samantha will cope without the Child Benefit, I don't know, but it's good to know they'll be feeling the pain. Still, I am sure their reputed £30 million personal fortune will be a comfort to them.

[The_Equalizer]

I have a worrying feeling that Britain doesn't have the stomach for what is required and the majority fail to understand how huge the debt is. Just go and read any of the comment sections of the papers, BBC and the like. For example, if you're earning over the upper limit and child benefit is make or break then you're in tulip street anyway.

[Saddo]

For example, if you're earning over the upper limit and child benefit is make or break then you're in tulip street anyway.

Unfortunately we've been here before in the Thatcher years with Nicolas Ridley who was Secretary of State for the Environment when he said "Not in my back yard" about local building work taking place close to a village in which he had a personal interest.

Furthermore, I don't think it goes down too well with the electorate that MP's continue to smugly take their salary and benefits whilst the rest of us suffer. I appreciate that when Cameron came to power there was a 5% cut of ministerial salaries, but they still get all the perks. The pensions crisis would soon be sorted out if their pensions were subject to the same rules as the rest of us.

[MrMark]

I read an interview with one of the top Tories (sorry can't remember who it was) where he admitted that the harshest cuts have to be implemented in the first 18 months, as after that they need to claw back votes for the next election and so try to instigate growth again in the economy. So, I suspect they have some drastic cuts in the coming months - at most they'll save £1 billion from this child benefit faffing around (and by the time they've implemented new systems to penalise a household with two on £35k a year, I wonder if anything will really be saved by this measure)