so now youve had chance to think about it....

We live in Rees-Mogg's constituency. I think that the lib dems were a bit dishonest in suggesting that voting labour would let him in - it was voting lib dem that did it.

Lovely to be represented by a posh wally!

It was interesting to see that all those who 'wanted change' (tory) lived in beautiful, detached houses. Who did they want to change with, I wonder?

Malkuth - I saw him twice in the flesh, in the run up to the election, wearing an unfeasably large rosette. Once on the way home from work, and another walking through the village. I was going to talk to him the second time - I was really quite up for it (had a burning, topical and relevant question that i've forgotten) but some lady in expensive wellies leapt out of her Volvo and mobbed him. Honestly, you'd have thought he was, ummm, Elvis or Robbie Williams or something. She practically snogged him.

Strangely, on both occassions he was canvassing in some well-to-do (and bloody safe) areas, but didn't manage to make it as far as our (council) estate

And actually, to be fair to the man, he is supposed to be very pleasant. Just not the kind of person I want to represent my interests as he has absolutely no idea of what life is really like for the vast majority of his constituency.

Civil, how did you guess?

Voted Lib Dem, happy with outcome. My politics are more liberal than social democratic so the coalition doesn't bother me in the slightest - in fact I think it's great to have the Lib Dems in to temper the Tory right and there's obviously plenty of common ground on civil liberties etc. I can't see how they're going to survive it as a party though.

I voted Labour. DP voted Lib Dem as an Anything but the Tories vote.

I'm happy with mine, I think DP less so. We got a delightful Bullingdon boy, btw.

I voted Labour and would again. Am interested to see what the LibDems think though - your party is not so fluffy now after all huh?

Malkuth - your MP is not Rees Mogg is it?

Didn't vote because live abroad.
Would've voted Tory because I was so angry at Labour.
Would've regretted it.

Tory, Happy

voted and canvassed lib dem for a very good lib dem mp.

but still.

couldn't have voted tory or labour. Tories all about reduction of the state and labour all about expanding it, no middle ground. both are too tribal for me.

next time only other option would be to vote green - and how does that help?

but still, would not canvass lib dem again. do feel suitably ashamed. although graduate tax would be a vast improvement that matters to me, glad no third runway at Heathrow (courtesy of Tories, bizarrely) and some effort to stop wasting money as labour have done

I voted Conservative as always and would do so again, on the basis that I am, on the whole, in favour of smaller government.

In actual fact, the coalition is ideal for where my ideology lies, in the sense that I always valued a lot of lib dem policies but due to their inexperience, would never vote for them as would not have trusted them to actually govern on their own two feet.

Not saying I love all the cuts etc. that are coming, nobody does, but it is absolutely necessary and the inevitable result of years of Labour spending money we don't have.

D

I voted Lib Dem in a constituency where we have a Lib Dem MP.

I feel very short changed.

I think I'll vote Plaid Cymru next time.

Voted SNP as I always do. Only wish more of the usually SNP voters had done the same instead of 'voting Labour to keep the Tories out'. That really worked didn't it?

I think it's first and foremost an economic construct.

vesela I've read parts of the Orange Book but not all of it. Will do so one day but I have a mountain of books waiting to be read!

I think people wouldn't mind the EU if it did what it was meant to - a free market, with free movement of goods and labour. The fact that it is first and foremost a political construct rather than an economic one will always hamper it though.

I voted lib dem and am happy - would vote for them again. I like that the coalition are actually DOING something rather than the labour method of government which seemed to be 'debate at length, bitch about it in public, vote for it, then throw vast sums of money at it'.

I voted Labour so yes but we ended up with a Tory MP.
I work for the public sector and now have a very high possibility of losing my job in the near future. Not good when I have mortgage and kids to provide for!! I am fully aware that cuts have to be made and labour were overspending but it seems Lib dems/Conservatives seem to be taking money off those who are most vulnerable.

When the public sector jobs cuts happen, yes I am worried about my job but mostly I fear people will not receive the care/support they need. This will result in unnessary suffering for vulnerable people who need daily care. Those who are often not strong enough to demand care or make their needs known!!

p.s. Vince Cable has also always been pretty critical of some EU policy (in particular the CAP and the Stability Pact), and that has made itself felt within the party.

This is Vince Cable on public services (from the Orange Book):

"...experience with the private sector in outsourcing, PFI/PPP contracts and management contracts... is very mixed... But these experiences are arguments for getting better value for taxpayers' money... rather than surrendering to the idea that a public service involves a monopoly of public sector provision. The vision should be one in which a mixture of public sector, private and mutually-owned enterprises compete to provide mainstream services."

The Orange Book (which is excellent - have you read it?) included chapters by Steve Webb - not normally considered a right-wing ideologue! - Vince Cable, Huhne and many others. Vince's chapter is on liberal economics and social justice and is pretty reflective of current consensus in the Lib Dems.

Clegg's chapter on the EU is also a pretty accurate reflection of the Lib Dem attitude to the EU, which is hardly uncritical worship (and as for "hate America", wtf? ). On the EU, it's basically - more reform, greater accountability, repatriation of some powers to states but pooling of others (this was pre-Lisbon).

David Laws' chapter on health - which basically says "we should be looking at European social insurance solutions, while learning from their problems" - is the best, though. I don't think this current package of health reforms is what we really need.

In terms of my MP, I voted Lib Dem and got Tory. I live in such a Tory safe seat that it was pretty pointless hoping for anything different anyway.

I don't regret how I voted. I'm a liberal at heart and feel pleased that the Lib Dems might have a chance to influence what the Conservatives do now.

Lefties are in denial about the Lib Dems.

Sure, there are the socialist remnants like Charles Kennedy and Vince Cable - but many are there because they are genuine liberals.

They believe in free markets and free people - an agenda I wholeheartedly endorse.

Unfortunately for some unfathomable reason they also believe it is "liberal" to worship the EU and hate America...

Voted Lib Dem and devastated by the destruction of the NHS that is coming
Would NEVER have voted Tory and wish I had just voted Labour (wasted vote but hey ho) and been done with it
Feel totally betrayed by the LDP

What's confusing, maybe, for the Lib Dem party (or voters) is that their name came about when the Liberals merged with the Social Democrats - who were viewed as left of centre.