icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
18 Aug, 2010 18:29

“When cuts reach Brits, coalition popularity will drop"– expert

Britain's first coalition government since 1945 is marking 100 days in office since elections in May gave no single party a clear majority.

Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron heads the coalition, along with Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister.

Since its formation the coalition has unveiled sweeping public spending cuts to tackle the UK's record budget deficit.

Critics say the cuts have been too drastic and opinion polls show mixed support for the performance of the government.

Gavin Hayes, general secretary of Compass, a left-wing think-tank, says it is only a matter of time before the coalition's popularity drops.

“The coalition government is inflicting huge cuts on public services here in Britain, cutting public spending even deeper and harder than Mrs. Thatcher did in the 1980s. This is going to have dramatic effects on those in both lower and middle incomes,” he said.

“We now in this country face the real prospect of a double-dip recession which is a direct consequence of the huge cutbacks that in part Nick Clegg is responsible for, and as I say when these cuts really start to kick in, really start to hurt people, then we are going to have a hugely unpopular government on our hand,” Hayes added.

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0