'Life would be a lot easier without the Lib Dems,' says top Tory Michael Fallon
MP Michael Fallon has sensationally described being in the coalition as "tedious" and "time-consuming" in a revealing interview that has shown how frustrated the Conservatives are with having to share power.
The senior Tory minister said being in a coalition Government meant getting agreement across Whitehall was harder and the process of government could be hindered because there are "an awful lot of people to be consulted".
Speaking to the parliamentary magazine House, the Business and Energy Minister said: "Life would be a lot easier if we didn't have the coalition.
"The process of coalition for both sides is time-consuming, bits of it can be tedious, there are an awful lot of people to be consulted, getting agreement across Whitehall is made doubly difficult by the coalition."
The process of coalition for both sides is time-consuming, bits of it can be tedious
However, the minister, the senior Tory in two departments led by Lib Dems, praised the junior coalition partner for sticking to the coalition's commitment to getting the deficit down.
"If we didn't have the coalition we would be stuck with the rest of Europe, way behind on our fiscal plan," he argued.
"The great strength of the coalition is that it is a five-year programme which we have stuck to, of getting the deficit down.
"Fair play to the Liberal Democrats, they have never wavered in that central purpose," he said.
The MP also said he had had a "lot of help" at the energy and business departments to cope with having two jobs, but did not have time for lunch.
"It means you just have to focus on what's essential. I've shortened meetings," he said.
"There's no need to have hour-long meetings."