Not so enthusiastic about the Coalition

When the Coalition government was formed after last year's general election, I decided that I would be an enthusiastic supporter. New Labour had been a total disaster in my mind. Tony Blair, master of the grease and spin method of politics, had vulgarised government. If anyone disagreed it was a "well, yeah, OK" type of putdown one got. The Coalition would be a change for the better. I was signed up so to speak.

Many conservatives, both with and without a big C, were apprehensive. So were many LibDems. The good thing is it is still sticking together in a brave attempt to stabilise the finances of the country. However, I am getting queasy thoughts. One is Nick Clegg's obsession with voting. Everything has to be voted for, rather like in the USA where it was said even the town's dogcatcher has to have a view on non-dogcatching topics. The House of Lords is being attacked by his oddly thought out democracy ideas.

But that aside, it is the economy. I doubt if there are enough private sector jobs going to mop up those being told to quit government service. Today unemployment is up and the number of those in work is down. Incomes are being squeezed. Funnily enough, if that Cayman Island banker who has just wikileaked a whole load of stuff about high profile tax dodgers is correct, then all this in-it-together mantra may need rewriting. Apparently the Swiss Banks have enough illicit cash in their accounts to balance the books and give George Osborne a bit on top to do good things with.

So my enthusiasm is waning (not evaporating!) because I want the all-in-it-together business to mean just that. So I'm now an optimistic supporter of the Coalition. That's one down from enthusiastic.