Scale of the Con Dem cuts

The sheer scale of the Con Dem cuts is covered by the Guardian here.  More are planned for next year, including further cuts in the grant to Brent Council (of about £26 million).  The effect on the deficit is largely offset by the rise in "automatic stabilisers" such as unemployment benefit.  Even in its own terms, the "austerity" agenda seems entirely self defeating, although Jean Claude Trichet _ the Eurozone's answer to Montagu Norman _ and George Osborne seem to disagree.