Clegg faces a backlash over talks with Labour

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May 11: The Liberal Democrat party, which is playing kingmaker after the general election resulted in hung Parliament, has faced a barrage of criticism mostly from the right-wing media and commentators over its decision to pursue formal talks with the Labour party.
Former Labour home secretary David Blunkett, who has been advocating that his party accept defeat and sit in Opposition, described the Liberal Democrats as behaving “like every harlot in history.”
In a stinging attack on the LibDems, Mr Blunkett told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “Can you trust the Liberal Democrats? They are behaving like every harlot in history.”
He said a potential Labour and the Lib Dem coalition would lack legitimacy. “I don’t believe it will bring stability, I believe it will lead to a lack of legitimacy, and I think the British people will feel that we have not heard what they said to us, which, in the tragedy of 91 of my colleagues losing their seats, was that we didn’t have their full confidence. If we continue not listening then we will lose very badly at any subsequent general election.”
Senior Conservative MP Malcolm Rifkind compared the UK situation to Zimbabwe. “The idea that the two parties that suffered most in this election, that were rejected by the electorate, that in the case of the Labour party lost a hundred of its seats, should put together an illegitimate government, this is the Robert Mugabe style of politics... It’s exactly what Mr Mugabe did you know, he lost the election and scrabbled to hold onto power,” the newly-elected Kensington MP said.

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Young women saving more after slump
New York, May 11: Since the economic recession young American women are rethinking their financial priorities, saving more and reducing their debt, according to a new survey.
Nearly half of women aged 18-39 years old who were questioned in the poll said they are increasing the amount of money they save or invest, compared to 29 per cent of those over 40.
“As the economy recovers many women, particularly young women, are focusing on making smart choices with their money, and they are not focused on material purchases,” said Lisa Caputo, of the financial services company Citi, which commissioned the survey. The younger generation were also more likely than their older counterparts to use extra money to pay off debts.
“Young women having lived through an economic downturn, many of them for the first time, have experienced the stress and hardship that economic cycles can cause and as a result they are making adjustments in the areas of savings and personal debt,” Ms Caputo added in an interview.
The Citi telephone poll of 2,000 men and women conducted by Hart Research Associates also revealed that women are more conservative financially than men in spending and buying big ticket items. Forty per cent of men thought it would be a good time to make a big purchase, compared to 33 per cent of women said if they had extra cash, they would use it to pay bills. —Reuters