Can someone please explain this?

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-its-good-to-talk-2060179.html

A reasonable sounding opinion piece on the current situation existing between Trade Unions and Government.
That is as it ought to be. It is a serious matter which requires information that can be reflected upon, discussed & debated.
The problem lies with the following quote:
"This Government has an electoral mandate for cuts of significant degree."
Did I miss a memo? My understanding was that we had a General Election which nobody won in any meaningful sense of the term and that the Coalition was put together after a series of off the record, behind closed doors deal brokering between the Blue & Orange Tories.
So when, by whom and on what criteria was it decided that they have any kind of mandate as a consequence?
Or is the title "The Independent" intended to be ironic?