National politicians want to minimise the political impact of tough decisions, and the present government has been no worse in this regard than previous administrations. But the coalition has made an art form of announcing cuts followed by a rethink to the most unpopular cuts, listening to concerns and perhaps inventing a new (but cheaper) scheme.
Once the furore has died down, the cuts are implemented, with just a nod towards mitigating the most serious effects. If you don’t have some civil disobedience – as in the case of the educational maintenance allowance or powerful lobbies such as the arts and sports establishments – nothing happens at all. And the new mantra of localism has enabled ministers to distance themselves from tough local decisions and "devolve the axe".
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