Soldato
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Poll: *** 2010 General Election Result & Discussion ***
- Thread starter Cosimo
- Start date
Last part:
9. Relations with the EU
We agree that the British Government will be a positive participant in the European Union, playing a strong and positive role with our partners, with the goal of ensuring that all the nations of Europe are equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century: global competitiveness, global warming and global poverty.
We agree that there should be no further transfer of sovereignty or powers over the course of the next Parliament. We will examine the balance of the EU's existing competences and will, in particular, work to limit the application of the Working Time Directive in the United Kingdom.
We agree that we will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that any proposed future Treaty that transferred areas of power, or competences, would be subject to a referendum on that Treaty - a 'referendum lock'. We will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that the use of any passerelle would require primary legislation.
We will examine the case for a United Kingdom Sovereignty Bill to make it clear that ultimate authority remains with Parliament.
We agree that Britain will not join or prepare to join the Euro in this Parliament.
We agree that we will strongly defend the UK's national interests in the forthcoming EU budget negotiations and that the EU budget should only focus on those areas where the EU can add value.
We agree that we will press for the European Parliament only to have one seat, in Brussels.
We agree that we will approach forthcoming legislation in the area of criminal justice on a case by case basis, with a view to maximising our country's security, protecting Britain's civil liberties and preserving the integrity of our criminal justice system. Britain will not participate in the establishment of any European Public Prosecutor.
10. Civil liberties
The parties agree to implement a full programme of measures to reverse the substantial erosion of civil liberties under the Labour Government and roll back state intrusion.
This will include:
•A Freedom or Great Repeal Bill.
•The scrapping of ID card scheme, the National Identity register, the next generation of biometric passports and the Contact Point Database.
•Outlawing the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission.
•The extension of the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency.
•Adopting the protections of the Scottish model for the DNA database.
•The protection of historic freedoms through the defence of trial by jury.
•The restoration of rights to non-violent protest.
•The review of libel laws to protect freedom of speech.
•Safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation.
•Further regulation of CCTV.
•Ending of storage of internet and email records without good reason.
•A new mechanism to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary new criminal offences.
11. Environment
The parties agree to implement a full programme of measures to fulfil our joint ambitions for a low carbon and eco-friendly economy, including:
•The establishment of a smart grid and the roll-out of smart meters.
•The full establishment of feed-in tariff systems in electricity - as well as the maintenance of banded ROCs.
•Measures to promote a huge increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion.
•The creation of a green investment bank.
•The provision of home energy improvement paid for by the savings from lower energy bills.
•Retention of energy performance certificates while scrapping HIPs.
•Measures to encourage marine energy.
•The establishment of an emissions performance standard that will prevent coal-fired power stations being built unless they are equipped with sufficient CCS to meet the emissions performance standard.
•The establishment of a high-speed rail network.
•The cancellation of the third runway at Heathrow.
•The refusal of additional runways at Gatwick and Stansted.
•The replacement of the Air Passenger Duty with a per flight duty.
•The provision of a floor price for carbon, as well as efforts to persuade the EU to move towards full auctioning of ETS permits.
•Measures to make the import or possession of illegal timber a criminal offence.
•Measures to promote green spaces and wildlife corridors in order to halt the loss of habitats and restore biodiversity.
•Mandating a national recharging network for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
•Continuation of the present Government's proposals for public sector investment in CCS technology for four coal-fired power stations; and a specific commitment to reduce central government carbon emissions by 10 per cent within 12 months.
We are agreed that we would seek to increase the target for energy from renewable sources, subject to the advice of the Climate Change Committee.
Liberal Democrats have long opposed any new nuclear construction. Conservatives, by contrast, are committed to allowing the replacement of existing nuclear power stations provided they are subject to the normal planning process for major projects (under a new national planning statement) and provided also that they receive no public subsidy.
We have agreed a process that will allow Liberal Democrats to maintain their opposition to nuclear power while permitting the government to bring forward the national planning statement for ratification by Parliament so that new nuclear construction becomes possible.
This process will involve:
•the government completing the drafting of a national planning statement and putting it before Parliament;
•specific agreement that a Liberal Democrat spokesman will speak against the planning statement, but that Liberal Democrat MPs will abstain;
•and clarity that this will not be regarded as an issue of confidence.
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Now that is some agenda, let’s give them our backing and all strive to make this work.
9. Relations with the EU
We agree that the British Government will be a positive participant in the European Union, playing a strong and positive role with our partners, with the goal of ensuring that all the nations of Europe are equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century: global competitiveness, global warming and global poverty.
We agree that there should be no further transfer of sovereignty or powers over the course of the next Parliament. We will examine the balance of the EU's existing competences and will, in particular, work to limit the application of the Working Time Directive in the United Kingdom.
We agree that we will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that any proposed future Treaty that transferred areas of power, or competences, would be subject to a referendum on that Treaty - a 'referendum lock'. We will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that the use of any passerelle would require primary legislation.
We will examine the case for a United Kingdom Sovereignty Bill to make it clear that ultimate authority remains with Parliament.
We agree that Britain will not join or prepare to join the Euro in this Parliament.
We agree that we will strongly defend the UK's national interests in the forthcoming EU budget negotiations and that the EU budget should only focus on those areas where the EU can add value.
We agree that we will press for the European Parliament only to have one seat, in Brussels.
We agree that we will approach forthcoming legislation in the area of criminal justice on a case by case basis, with a view to maximising our country's security, protecting Britain's civil liberties and preserving the integrity of our criminal justice system. Britain will not participate in the establishment of any European Public Prosecutor.
10. Civil liberties
The parties agree to implement a full programme of measures to reverse the substantial erosion of civil liberties under the Labour Government and roll back state intrusion.
This will include:
•A Freedom or Great Repeal Bill.
•The scrapping of ID card scheme, the National Identity register, the next generation of biometric passports and the Contact Point Database.
•Outlawing the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission.
•The extension of the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency.
•Adopting the protections of the Scottish model for the DNA database.
•The protection of historic freedoms through the defence of trial by jury.
•The restoration of rights to non-violent protest.
•The review of libel laws to protect freedom of speech.
•Safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation.
•Further regulation of CCTV.
•Ending of storage of internet and email records without good reason.
•A new mechanism to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary new criminal offences.
11. Environment
The parties agree to implement a full programme of measures to fulfil our joint ambitions for a low carbon and eco-friendly economy, including:
•The establishment of a smart grid and the roll-out of smart meters.
•The full establishment of feed-in tariff systems in electricity - as well as the maintenance of banded ROCs.
•Measures to promote a huge increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion.
•The creation of a green investment bank.
•The provision of home energy improvement paid for by the savings from lower energy bills.
•Retention of energy performance certificates while scrapping HIPs.
•Measures to encourage marine energy.
•The establishment of an emissions performance standard that will prevent coal-fired power stations being built unless they are equipped with sufficient CCS to meet the emissions performance standard.
•The establishment of a high-speed rail network.
•The cancellation of the third runway at Heathrow.
•The refusal of additional runways at Gatwick and Stansted.
•The replacement of the Air Passenger Duty with a per flight duty.
•The provision of a floor price for carbon, as well as efforts to persuade the EU to move towards full auctioning of ETS permits.
•Measures to make the import or possession of illegal timber a criminal offence.
•Measures to promote green spaces and wildlife corridors in order to halt the loss of habitats and restore biodiversity.
•Mandating a national recharging network for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
•Continuation of the present Government's proposals for public sector investment in CCS technology for four coal-fired power stations; and a specific commitment to reduce central government carbon emissions by 10 per cent within 12 months.
We are agreed that we would seek to increase the target for energy from renewable sources, subject to the advice of the Climate Change Committee.
Liberal Democrats have long opposed any new nuclear construction. Conservatives, by contrast, are committed to allowing the replacement of existing nuclear power stations provided they are subject to the normal planning process for major projects (under a new national planning statement) and provided also that they receive no public subsidy.
We have agreed a process that will allow Liberal Democrats to maintain their opposition to nuclear power while permitting the government to bring forward the national planning statement for ratification by Parliament so that new nuclear construction becomes possible.
This process will involve:
•the government completing the drafting of a national planning statement and putting it before Parliament;
•specific agreement that a Liberal Democrat spokesman will speak against the planning statement, but that Liberal Democrat MPs will abstain;
•and clarity that this will not be regarded as an issue of confidence.
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Now that is some agenda, let’s give them our backing and all strive to make this work.
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So the Tories are introducing legislation which means a 55% majority in the House of Commons is needed to win a vote of no confidence. This means that even if the Lib Dems walk away from the coalition, it will be impossible to win a vote of no confidence because the Tories have 47% of the seats.
Robert Mugabe would be proud. And Clegg is a fool and a traitor. He is finished at the next election and so is his party.
Robert Mugabe would be proud. And Clegg is a fool and a traitor. He is finished at the next election and so is his party.
They got a country that was in a mess in '70 anyway
Seems like a good way to make for a stable government
Dictatorships are stable, yes. But we don't live in a dictatorship.
If we are moving towards a system that does not give us a clear winner then you need to make it so that you can easily have minority governments
Especially with fixed terms
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Seems like a good way for slim minority governments to prevent themselves being removed from power by the house of commons more like.
No good will come of minorities being able to keep themselves in power, especially when that means we could end up with 5 years of minority government that cannot effectively govern due to having no majority yet also cannot be forced to step down by the commons.
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No we don't. You don't change the fundamental rules of the game just because you didn't win. We've had these rules for hundreds of years. 50% of the votes plus one, is enough to win a confidence motion. Until now.
This is a massive fundamental change to our system of parliamentary democracy and the Con-Dems kept it quiet during the election campaign didn't they?
It doesn’t take long, the arguments will start and business is restored.
Only on green issues, but many of those are Tory policies anyway.
I'm glad we are getting nuclear still, but the sooner MMGW and other such BS dies the better.
If we are going to have a 3 party system, with parties not getting more than 50% of the seats, and fixed term parliaments, we need to have a system that makes it harder to kick out a government
Haven't you noticed? They're changing everything. Elected lords. Possibly a new type of voting system entirely.
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So, £6Bn out of the economy to help pay down the deficit. Good idea or not, and what effect, if any will it have on the recovery?
I say good idea, let's make a start. I don't think it'll have a huge effect on the economy. I hope to see more detailed proposals for slashing the Public Sector, and other savings in the next weeks.
I say good idea, let's make a start. I don't think it'll have a huge effect on the economy. I hope to see more detailed proposals for slashing the Public Sector, and other savings in the next weeks.
£6bn won't have a huge effect on anything because it is a drop in the ocean in our economy. And £6bn represents about two weeks' worth of government borrowing (the government borrows ~£450 million per day).
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I know it's a drop in the ocean, but it all adds up right?
Yep, that's 13.3 days' worth of deficit spending sorted.
All the talk over the £6bn is a red herring which detracts from the real issues IMO.