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Nick Robinson
Political editor
Better off together than apart
It was not perhaps the most romantic of locations to renew their political vows but today, in a railway depot in Birmingham, David Cameron and Nick Clegg did just that.
Insisting, once again, that they, their parties and the country were better off with them together than apart.
The prime minister rejected my suggestion that they resembled a warring couple who've tried to reassure people they were staying together for the sake of the children.
Today was all about emphasising what they do agree on - what David Cameron calls their shared purpose, mission and agenda. First and foremost it is economic but embraces the reform of health and education too.
They refused, though, to answer hard questions about what they do not agree on - in particular, how to resolve the row about reforming the House of Lords which has led the Lib Dems to make increasingly uncoded threats.
If the Tories don't deliver, they warn, they'll retaliate by refusing to vote to shrink the size of the Commons - a reduction in the number of MPs which would, it's estimated, make it easier for the Conservatives to win an election on their own.
It is that which is leading some on both sides to talk about divorce.
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Comment number 140.
AndyC55518th July 2012 - 23:50
111
But saga, you've said that everyone should do all they can to avoid taxes by all legal means no matter how close to the line and artificial the schemes are.
You have said that.
It's exactly what you think.
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Comment number 139.
John_Bull18th July 2012 - 23:47
#135.bryhers
“It will surprise you then to learn that debt only reached its trend rate of 35-40% of gdp in 1988”
No surprise bryers, I was aware of that @24 yrs ago. - Also no surprise that you didn’t comment on the 2 points that I put to you.
JMK’s message was simple; borrow in recession, pay back in growth.
Unfortunately though, too complicated for Brown / Balls
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Comment number 138.
AndyC55518th July 2012 - 23:31
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 137.
The Carnivore Is Oval18th July 2012 - 22:40
136:
Sorry, I understood you to mean between the wars.
Yes, there'd have been unrest after WWII without reform, though how far this might have gone isn't plain to me.
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Comment number 136.
bryhers18th July 2012 - 22:26
EW
It was the service vote that sealed the Labour victory.
Twenty years of depression and then a bloody war.You don`t think they were angry? London,Glasgow,Coventry,Birmingham,Southampton Liverpool,Portsmouth front line cities and you don`t think they were angry.
Without reforms there would have been revolution
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Comments 5 of 140