Coalition policies: a fresh start, but tough choices are kicked into the long grass

The Prime Minister insisted that the two parties agreed on most policies, even as he unveiled an agreement that put off many decisions by establishing independent reviews and commissions.

The coalition has not clearly defined policy on more than 20 issues, promising instead to take a position at some point.
Mr Cameron and his Lib Dem deputy, Nick Clegg, hailed the agreement as a historic act of “partnership”. The Prime Minister told reporters it was “churlish” to focus on the number of issues where the coalition had deferred decisions.
“It’s the shortage of commissions rather than the amount of them that Her Majesty’s press corps should be focusing on,” he said. “There are so many commitments that are solid, bankable, deliverable.”
There will be commissions on issues including whether to split banks’ retail and investment arms; whether to devolve more power to Scotland; and how to fund care for the elderly.
The Tories promised to scrap the Human Rights Act, a law that the Lib Dems have defended. The coalition text confirmed that the issue would be reviewed, as would Tory plans to assert the supremacy of Parliament over the European Union.
Other issues put under review included: local government finance; public sector pensions; reform of the House of Lords; rights to flexible working; control orders for terrorist suspects; and sentencing in English courts.
Before the publication of yesterday’s document, some Tories were unhappy at the initial compromises Mr Cameron had made to secure his coalition with Mr Clegg’s party.
The Prime Minister accepted that some members of his party would be unhappy about certain details of the deal, but he insisted that it would be welcomed overall because it would deliver “strong and stable government”.
“Of course, people will be disappointed that some policies have had to be discarded,” he said. “It’s not just about day-to-day events, it’s about a shared vision.”
The final coalition text, The Coalition: our programme for government, confirmed that another of the Tories’ tax-cutting promises had been sacrificed to secure the Lib Dem deal.
The manifesto promise to cut stamp duty for first-time buyers has been dropped for an independent review of thresholds.
Mr Cameron shifted his position on several other issues important to Right-wing Tories, including shelving promises to cut inheritance tax and give tax breaks to married couples, and proposing increases in capital gains tax.
What follows is a summary of the 31 policies covered by the 32-page document.