It's lower fees over their dead body, but it was yes sir when they backed the Tories to treble tuition fees, raise VAT, implement the Bedroom Tax and reorganise the NHS".
Even if the country implements market reforms, VAT increases and pension cuts, its debt will still be too big to service, so why should the IMF contribute to a loan?
They have so far rejected Mr Nečas's compromise proposal to raise just the lower VAT bracket and implement the higher tax for the rich only next year.With the clock ticking, the prime minister has dug himself into a hole.
Pierre Moscovici, the EU commissioner, has said that there is still no agreement on the pension reforms and VAT rate changes that Greece should implement.
Stripped of its working majority, the Syriza-dominated, two-party coalition will struggle to enforce the pension cuts and VAT increases outlined in the deal, or to implement any other legislation outside it.
Even if the country succeeds in implementing the market reforms, VAT increases and pension cuts demanded in Monday's agreement, the debt will still be too big to service.
* National Insurance Contributions Bill/ Finance Bill These bills will be used to implement a guarantee that there will be no rises in rates of income tax, VAT or National Insurance before 2020.
So the horse trading which resulted in Gordon Brown agreeing to implement Tony Blair's 2005 compromise on the EU budget rebate - in return for help in curbing the Europe-wide "carousel" fraud on VAT - made little front page news yesterday.
Balls revealed Labour's line of campaign attack, claiming the Tory intention of trying not to implement Labour's planned national insurance rise – due in 2011-12 – put further pressure on the opposition to disclose whether they plan to increase VAT to meet their goal of halving the budget deficit faster than Labour.
VAT simplification measures for SMEs could be implemented more quickly than the definitive VAT regime.
Yesterday, retailers pledged to cut prices as soon as the VAT reduction was implemented.
