jared_7 wrote:Sandydragon wrote:jared_7 wrote:Are the complaints around the compromise or the scale of the compromise?
I thought it was clearly the latter.
I seem to recall complaint about the Conservatives even taking to the DUP. As for the scale, do you think the SNP or PC would be less ambitious in their demands?
Thats not the point I made. Someone pointed out people were whinging about compromises being made, saying it was standard practice in negotiating to form a government - I don't think I've seen people arguing that point at all.
What I've read is the view £1bn is an awful lot of concessions for 8 MPs, especially against a backdrop of supposed austerity (which Fallon reemphasised the need for today, nonetheless). So there is money when its needed. In 2010, the Lib Dems brought almost 60 MPs to the table, an additional fifth on top of what the Tories had so its no surprise if they were to get more concessions.
I don't blame the DUP for ambition, that would be dumb. Once again, the discussion is over what the Tories gave them. I'm sure the EU are quaking in their boots after seeing what 8 unknown MPs from Northern Ireland were able to squeeze out of May.
Strong and Stable.
Well, WT called it a bribe and my response, in the main, was to that. I was just pointing out that is how these things work and that, as I remember, nobody called the coalition deal a bribe. The Lib Dems may have brought more seats but then concessions to them cost a lot more than £1billion. All of those concessions were made based on a conservative manifesto based heavily on austerity.
The extra £1billion will be going to the NI assembly to spend, not just the 8 DUP MP's, to implement policies I'd assume you'd advocate for the 1.8 million people who live there. So, rather than be indignant about it, look at it as a win against the tyranny of austerity. The coalition government and the conservative majority govt both rowed back on the pace of austerity, because of concessions to Lib Dems and the Conservative back benches (and a few cabinet members), and nobody moaned about it then. The moans now are because it's the DUP - understandable - and because it props up a conservative government.