Analysis: David Cameron unscathed so far but faces dangerous days

YESTERDAY’S strike hit just about everywhere, including Downing Street. While some of David Cameron’s close aides were believed to have been drafted in to the country’s ports to help police borders, others were not so willing to put their shoulders to the government’s cause.

Indeed, it was claimed the press officer who leads for the government on strikes himself had decided to walk out.

It was the reach of the national strike that presented the government with the biggest political danger. As much as ministers sought to portray the action as the work of a few militant union bosses, the fact remains that thousands of people who would never normally gone on strike did so.

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All across the country their family and friends will have been aware of their decision. Thus the danger for the coalition is that a classic “them and us” scenario develops – that the government becomes the target for the public’s disenchantment with austerity times.

Given this, it was no mean achievement that by last night – south of the Border at least – that Mr Cameron had managed to come through relatively unscathed.

He benefited from some clever expectation management; having warned the country was set to come to a stand still, the Prime Minister was talking of a “damp squib” yesterday as it emerged that, in England, around 40 per cent of schools had remained open. But, from this morning, the task is to ensure that the actual deal that ministers want to push through is accepted.

Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, insists that if he could get public sector workers to focus on the specifics of the deal, rather than what the unions have cast it as, he would get a deal quickly.

The government’s contention is that many staff have been hoodwinked by union leaders spoiling for a fight. They point to the improved offer they made at the beginning of November, which ensures that anyone within ten years of their retirement date will not be affected by the changes and which remains on the table.

But the same charge is levelled at them by the union chiefs,who remain angered that the plans for increased contributions from next Aprill were announced without, they claim, proper consultation.

Union chiefs yesterday rebutted claims that negotiations are ongoing.

Mr Alexander and Mr Maude must now attempt to take the heat out of the negotiations. The question is whether there is a way out which ensures neither side loses face. The deadline for negotiations is the end of the year – after November, the hope is December will see a little more goodwill than before.