Danny Alexander puts coalition government on the spot

Danny Alexander, the Liberal Democrat chief secretary to the Treasury, has today suggested it will be at least five years before we see a net reduction in taxes in the UK. Whether or not this is the official coalition government line remains to be seen but there are already murmurings of discontent within Conservative MP circles, with the Liberal Democrat party attempting to steal a march with regards to taxation.

There is no doubt that the UK debt situation will take more than five years to address, with some suggesting it could take up to a decade, but whether or not we will see no net reduction in taxation rates during this period is open to debate. It seems a strange coincidence that a number of misreports and misconstrued comments have been issued by certain members of the coalition government when David Cameron is on "leave".

As if the coalition government does not have enough problems of its own at the moment, with infighting said to be growing, each day seems to bring a new and potentially damaging difference in party politics to the surface. David Cameron, who is currently on maternity leave, will be desperate to get back and re-take control of the ship.