David Cameron And Nick Clegg Determined To Make Coalition 'Succeed'

PA/Huffington Post UK  |  Posted: 08/05/2012 06:09 Updated: 08/05/2012 11:10

David Cameron and Nick Clegg will reaffirm their commitment to tackling Britain's record deficit and rebuilding the shattered economy in the face of continuing turmoil in Europe.

Amid heightened tensions within the coalition following last week's drubbing in the local elections, the prime minister and deputy prime minister will declare their determination to work together and do "whatever needs doing to succeed".

The so-called renewal of their "marriage vows" on Tuesday marks the start of a crucial week for the government, with the announcement tomorrow in the Queen's Speech of the legislative programme for the new parliamentary session, the Press Association reported.

That will be followed by the appearance at the Leveson Inquiry on Thursday of former No 10 communications chief Andy Coulson, followed on Friday by ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, which once again threatens to throw an unwelcome spotlight on the Tories' relations with Rupert Murdoch.

Meanwhile, recriminations within the coalition spilled over with Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes accusing Tory MPs of behaving as if they were "born to rule".

Some Conservative MPs, meanwhile, have been setting out their agenda for an "alternative Queen's Speech" - including traditionalist Tory demands for a referendum on repatriating powers from Brussels and an expansion of grammar schools.

In contrast to their initial appearance together two years ago in the Downing Street 'rose garden', Cameron and Clegg will set out their renewed commitment to work together against the more prosaic backdrop of a factory in Essex.

The tone too will be altogether more sombre, with the prime minister warning that the damage done in the financial crash of 2008 was "greater than anyone thought", while Clegg will liken it to a "giant heart attack".

Cameron will stress that their "number-one priority" was still to keep Britain safe from the financial storm raging in the eurozone and to rescue the economy from the "mess" left by the last Labour government.

"That was and remains our guiding task and in these perilous times it's more important than ever for Britain that we stick to it," he is expected to say.

"I don't hide from the scale of that challenge - or from the message sent by voters in many places in last week's elections. I'm listening. I'm leading. I get it. There are no closed minds, no closed doors in Downing Street.

"I know that the task of getting driving our economy forward when faced with the headwinds that are blowing in from the eurozone is a formidable one.

"But this government is determined to do whatever needs doing to succeed."

In his remarks, Clegg will dismiss claims the coalition has an "ideological obsession" with shrinking the size of the state, arguing there was a "clear moral responsibility" to deal with the deficit and not leave it to future generations.

"Ducking the tough choices would only prolong the pain, condemning the next generation to decades of higher interest rates, poorer public services and fewer jobs," he is expected to say.

"We are taking the tough choices not because we want to, but because we have to - any government would have to do the same."

At the same time he will emphasise the need to restore economic growth, calling for more to be done to get credit flowing to business and to lever private sector investment into major infrastructure projects.

"Two years in and building the new economy remains the coalition's biggest challenge and while the deficit is part of that - it is only a means to an end," he will say.

"This government is galvanised around growth. We owe it to the next generation to get it right."

The show of unity by the two leaders has not been matched by their followers.

Mr Hughes reacted angrily to Tory demands for plans to reform the House of Lords to be dropped from the Queen's speech, insisting the Conservatives must honour their commitments in the coalition agreement.

"I know that Tories would have liked to have won the general election, but they didn't. They didn't get a majority and they haven't had a majority for many elections," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

"It may be uncomfortable for the Tories - some of whom think they are born to rule - but unfortunately the electorate didn't agree with them."

However the senior Tory backbencher John Redwood said it would be "silly" to go ahead with major constitutional reform when there was no consensus on what form it should take.

Redwood - who was one of a number of MPs to contribute to the "alternative Queen's Speech" on the influential ConservativeHome website - said that at some point the Conservatives would have to start distancing themselves from their coalition partners.

"When we get nearer the general election there will need to be a very strong Conservative offering which will be very different from the Liberal Democrat one," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

"A lot of us want a Conservative government in due course because we want, for example, to tackle the mighty problem of Europe.

"We understand that our partners in the coalition like a lot of European laws and regulations and want more of them and we don't."

Among the proposals in the "alternative Queen's Speech" were calls for more grammar schools, a referendum on repatriating powers from the EU, a British Bill of Rights to replace the Human Rights Act, as well big cuts in capital gains tax and the numbers paying the higher 40p rate of tax.

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David Cameron and Nick Clegg will reaffirm their commitment to tackling Britain's record deficit and rebuilding the shattered economy in the face of continuing turmoil in Europe. Amid heightened te...
David Cameron and Nick Clegg will reaffirm their commitment to tackling Britain's record deficit and rebuilding the shattered economy in the face of continuing turmoil in Europe. Amid heightened te...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
famullar
11:00 AM on 05/09/2012
Have and have not 
London ranks as one of the most unequal cities in the developed world Great Divide: How the City of London Widened the Gap between Britain's Rich and Poor The front window of the grocery store off Lisson Grove lets in very little light, covered as it is with receipts taped to the glass. Each slip documents a bit of credit extended by the shop — a few dollars to one customer for a half-kilo of meat, a few more to another for bread and eggs. The dozens of receipts add up to nearly $500 — testimony to how dire the economy is in this North London neighbourhood. "It's very bad now," says owner Ali Farhat, who says that he turns away job seekers several times a day. There we have the hub of finance in dithers. I wonder if English ever knew that besides the guitars played in the tube for coins had such a look. I doubt. We have poverty and elites but that is acceptable to many but when it comes to highlight as UK then we think, are English so secluded between haves and have not. I thank you. This is from the American magazine. I thank you Firozali A.Mulla DBA
04:51 PM on 05/08/2012
camron has to get through this week unscathed,and as for clegg UGH
04:00 PM on 05/08/2012
Cameron enthusiastically went against certain basic Conservative (both big and small 'c') values. Had the local elections resulted differently, he would have happily continued to trample on even more! He is inept, incompetent and not to be trusted. He is NOT a proper Tory!

Too late now to attempt to pull-back; he is toast.

The fact is, we appear to have no one, in any of the mainstream political parties, who is currently 'up to the job' - we live in intertesting times!
03:59 PM on 05/08/2012
The real challenge they face is that people just don,t trust these millionaires full stop. People know that the wealthy are gaining millions out of this crisis while they rest of us are paying for it and going without . I think this country will also be turning its back on austerity soon as there seems to be plenty of cash around for millionaires.
04:12 PM on 05/08/2012
I wish I was a millionaire, but do you know what, unless I win the lottery I doubt that I will ever be one, despite my best efforts.
I am in a sense also quite glad that I am not a millionaire...BECAUSE of people like you.
What is wrong with being wealthy?
Why are so many people seemingly so vitriolic about those who have more than they do?
Forget Party politics and be sensible about it.
There are multi millionaires and indeed Billionaires in all aspects of life. LABOUR has more than its fair share of people whose wealth is perhaps unseemly for Socialist ideals, however, if they achieved it through Legal means I have no problem with them or indeed anyone having wealth...IF we all had millions the UK would not be in such a Mess, and most people who have millions spend loads in our economy and help the rest of us to earn a living...YES there are some misers and unscrupulous people who evade tax, they should be despised, but again, there is NOT ONE PARTY that is blameless in tax evassion, they all have supporters who pay less than they should and THEY should be ashamed.
But to despise the wealthy is simply wrong, we need them,perhaps more than they need us.
03:42 PM on 05/08/2012
It is easy really, the trouble is you need Courage and Conviction to put the UK back on track and cossying upto the LibDems prevents the backbone that runs within the Tory Section to DO ANYTHING USEFUL in sorting the mess out.
STOP the Marriage for Gays campaign...apart from a VERY small minority...WHO CARES?
STOP the Reform of the Lords campaign, again frankly, WHO REALLY CARES when the UK is in such a mess, sort out the important stuff and then play around the Fringe elements.
Debt/and or the economy.
The unfair elements of the Human Rights Act.
Why does the Government allow Banks to borrow at half a percent interest and then LOAN it to US at 12-20% and more???
Fuel Duty.
WASTE within the Public Sector.
Public Sector pensions being unfair to the Private sector worker.(reform needed)
Unfettered imigration.
Referendum on Europe membership, UK contributions to the EU and EU spending.
THESE are the things that MOST of the UK want OUR Government to tackle.
Not the hopeless and useless wants of the LibDems.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
janno000
03:25 PM on 05/08/2012
They just didn't get it did they, I hope Milliband did.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
redsquad
Shootin' from the lip
03:17 PM on 05/08/2012
Strange... In his Telegraph letter, Cameron insists he's now "listening" to the electorate, yet in the next breath he's with his life-partner Clegg saying "we won't change course". So, that promise was broken in under 48 hours....
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
janno000
03:28 PM on 05/08/2012
What did you expect? He doesn't understand, he never will understand, and what is more he doesn't care to try to understand. I am surprised it took 48 hours after seeing his lips move.
03:42 PM on 05/08/2012
carrot has just broken it again in basildon, he said he has 3 things to say, and went on to say 'first, I am afraid that we cannot change course' duh, it aint working, wont work.

carrot and cake, pair of total prats
photo
casual agent
Advocate for social justice
04:00 PM on 05/08/2012
neil'...All I've heard from CaMoron' and Cloggy'..is more rehashed tripe'..no different from the rubbish they started out with. The same old worn-out cliche's they bamboozled the gullible Tory Luvies with.Just more half-baked Bull Crap as usual....No Change..!!
03:17 PM on 05/08/2012
Lets be absolutely clear Clegg and his party have no alternative but to stay the course with their senior political partners. Just imagine if Clegg pulled the plug on the Tories, a election may follow and the Liberals would be wiped off the political map of the UK. One of many Liberal MPs too lose his seat would be Clegg followed closely by the majority of his MP colleagues. This coalition government are banking everything on a recovery, without that improvement, both the Liberals and the Tories are dead men walking. Are we confident Osborne will be our saviour over the next 3 years I certainly would not place a fiver bet on Osborne being a winner. No it's nothing more than political survival for the next few years, staying in power and riding out this financial storm. I am afraid we have to suffer three more years of this unholy marriage.
03:00 PM on 05/08/2012
enjoy it while you can Nick. I voted for your party for the first time and the last, dont do liars.
and dont forget as the people of europe are now remembering...
if you dont give people a game to play
the game becomes getting you.
02:52 PM on 05/08/2012
renew their vows?? perhaps they will push for gay marriage after all hahahah
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
Mickey Mouse 1
There are no lies or deceit on a chess board.
02:35 PM on 05/08/2012
In fact, like a gumsy budgie, Millipede, Camera-on and Cloggy are determined to see the coalition succeed. They need us to repay the debt that the government owes to the rest of the world.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
janno000
03:29 PM on 05/08/2012
Actually most of the debt we owe is to British banks.
02:25 PM on 05/08/2012
They are trying to float a sinking ship and the councillors that lost their seats are ready for action.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
Mickey Mouse 1
There are no lies or deceit on a chess board.
02:23 PM on 05/08/2012
David Cameron And Nick Clegg Determined To Make Coalition 'Succeed'


They would say that, wouldn't they?
This comment has been removed.
02:12 PM on 05/08/2012
They are so full of themselves nothing gets through. They were sent a Loud message that they are getting it wrong, but Labour don't be complacent as their failures do not point to your success. Just nobody else to turn to. As usual anything better than what we have, and this is what we ended up with when we were fed up with labour.

No win situation really just 1 set of high brow priggs for another, no party really represents the working man anymore
02:11 PM on 05/08/2012
The problem with this Country of our's,No not this Country, the World as a whole.is that everyone
want's to live for ever!!
There are Far too many mouth's to feed on this planet,and the powers that be,have already decided which
one's of us are going to take an early bath,the chances are it will be a place near you.so make
the most of the short time you have left and enjoy your self.and alway's remember folks
alway's look on the bright side of life.
Go on you know you want' to whistle it.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
janno000
03:30 PM on 05/08/2012
no there are not too many mouths to feed it is the way wealth is distributed,
03:53 PM on 05/08/2012
Tell that to your children or Grand -children when the population of this Country
Reache's 70million,the south has no water now,So how do you suppose they are going to grow the crops,janno000 the Time is nearly nigh.
RUN FOR THE HILLS