U-Turns - Policy on the hoof.

[Gromit]

It looks increasingly like Government Policy is being made on the hoof. The postponment of the 3p rise in fuel duty took many by surprise, including the Cabinet by the looks of it.

// Treasury minister Chloe Smith has refused to say when she was told of the decision to postpone a rise in fuel duty, amid reports ministers were unaware of the move. //

Even Cameron was talking down any chance of a postponment.

// Last week Prime Minister David Cameron said the planned duty rise would be "looked at", but held out little hope for a delay, saying: "I think people sitting at home know that the government doesn't have a bottomless pit of money." //

They must have found one.

Anyone else think this Government is a shambles?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/.../uk-politics-18608133

[Gromit]

Poor woman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bddWaHuxTzc&feature=youtube

[youngmafbog]

so you prefer the Blair way of doing things? ie You will do as I say and I will never listen to reason.

[Zeuhl]

What a choice.

The brilliant Liar
or the sincere Incompetent

As someone once wrote;

It doesn't make any difference who you vote for, the Government always gets in.

[Gromit]

At least Blair didn't put up some hide away from his actions. He didn't get some poor young woman do his dirty work.

[MoonRocker]

"Policy on the Hoof" - I hope so, the last thing we need is a government that sticks rigidly to a years old plan when circumstances change daily. As for "shambles" - may I refer the honoursable dog to the period May 1997 to May 2010!

[jno]

they should regularise things - just issue one new policy a day, at 10am, via Twitter. At 6pm they count the number of tweets for and against and decide on that basis whether to go ahead with it.

That would seem slightly more efficient than the current system.

[ichkeria]

They've been a shambles from day one.
A woeful catalogue of u-turns, disastrous policies and ill-thought-out initiatives.
I admire Cameron for what he did in Libya, but for most of the rest ...

At least the latest U-turn shows Osborne reads the Sun - not for the tits but the Balls :-)

[emmie]

has it anything at all to do with the fact that the Lib Dems are dictating, and the Conservatives are caving in.

[Quizmonster]

Moonrocker, if you remember anything at all about politics during the 13-year period you refer to, you must have spotted the fact that, every single time the Labour government changed tack on policies, it was derided by the Tories as a (quote) "humiliating climbdown."
How does it come about that, in right-wing eyes, the exact same procedure - only now "in spades" - is evidence of a caring and listening government? You surely cannot be that naive! All 30-odd so far have been humiliating climbdowns.

[MoonRocker]

are we not all playing those games QM? I didn't notice the Blairites moaning all the time in their tenure. I think it is pretty well expected that each side will deride the other, that's what opposition is all about. Reacting to circumstances/U turns and climbedowns - same thing!

[jake-the-peg]

I don't think this that big a deal

Sometimes the boss makes an executive decision.

Yes Blair did it so is Cameron - that's the privillege of heading up the Government.

The only difference is that Blair had an outright majority and Cameron doesn't - you might think that under those circumstances he should have consulted with the LibDems but he probably didn't think they'd want to object - it would be pretty foolish of them to do so.

Bit of a non-story if you ask me

[Quizmonster]

I'm delighted to see you get the point MR. However, I cannot recall a 2-year period...ie equivalent to the current government's tenure...during THEIR thirteen years of power when Labour had about three dozen such u-turns, can you? U-turning has virtually become a policy in itself, to such an extent that the two "posh boys" must surely now be fully-qualified Whirling Dervishes!

[MoonRocker]

governements should react to circumstances, I don't put a figure on direction changes myself. I find it far more alarming that they publish manifestos at election times in the detail they do, effectively putting themselves in a straight jacket.

[Gromit]

Moonraker,
These are not policies from the General Election 2 years ago, these are the policies from the budget 8 weeks ago. Since then, Osborne has caved in on over a dozen of the measures he outlined. However you try and present that, it is not good government. Most of the u-Turns I am pleased about, but fail to see how they got the budget so wrong 8 weeks ago and then had to climbdown in such humilating fashion two months later.

As I referred in the question, they are not sticking to their principals and looking at the long view, they are making up policy on a daily, or hourly basis depending on what the opinion polls and thinktanks tell them will get votes.

[modeller]

gromit #Anyone else think this Government is a shambles? #

No I don't think so .Neither did I think so when Labour did numerous U-Turns . I think its a good thing that governments change their mind when the circumstances change . It was Labour who planned these fuel duties .
Would you be complaining if they had made the U-t

[modeller]

cont. U-Turn. I doubt it.

[jno]

have circumstances changed, though? Or have people just complained?

I notice the Sun was campainging aginst the price rise. Is this another example of Murdoch dictating policy?

[modeller]

Policies made 'on the hoof ' are not necessarily bad . They can be good and delay could be branded as dithering. In fact not acting decisively stores up trouble for the future. e.g If we kicked out illegal immigrant criminals immediately rather that bowing down to the EU it would have the backing of
electorate both here and in Europe.

[modeller]

jno# Or have people just complained? #

I would say if large numbers of people complain that would constitute a change in circumstances. It certainly would cause the government to have another look at it.