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

As a lifelong Labour voter, I voted LibDem - tactically, to keep the Tories out in my constituency.

Now I wonder why I bothered leaving the house.

Giddy - or to put it another way, through red-in-tooth-and-claw capitalism. Economic liberalism is more Thatcherite than Labour-lite.

People have forgotten, or never knew, what Liberal economics means. Possibly because Thatch was nominally a Tory although actually in economic terms a core liberal. Traditional Tories were opposed to the free market.

What liberalism actually appears to mean under Clegg is privatising the NHS. That's what all this stuff about turning all hospitals into foundation trusts and then floating them off as social enterprises amounts to.

It's not what most of the electorate voted for. Wasn't in the Tory manifesto. Obviously not what Labour voters wanted and their party came second. And I doubt very much whether more than one in ten of the people who voted Lib Dem realised what it meant.

It is the left wing ideology that is generally the important point - i.e. that they aim to help the worse off (whatever variant they use to do that).

The right wing ideology of not helping the worse off is the bit which grates the most about this coalition amongst those who may have voted for them.

I agree with HH, they have sacrificed everything they ever believed in for a bit of power

Let us not forget that they got 57 poxy seats at the election.

RainbowRainbow so true that this agenda is highly ideological,and all the media swinging in behind. Well, the Times anyway- it's beginning to make me feel a bit sick!

they are supposedly centre left Giddy

Supposedly favouring higher taxes for public services

And a welfare state

Oh and they are pro europe and green issues.

Oh and yes, against the unelected in the H of Lords

So, yes, traitors

Voted LibDem last time (anti war) but Labour this time, thank goodness. Joined the Labour party the week after the election. Nuff said.

It's going to be a frightening time to be old, or very young, or sick... unless you are very wealthy of course, in which case you'll be fine.

And (in common with many respected economists) I don't belive the cuts are necessary on the scale they are being proposed. We are not Greece and the Tory agenda is ideologically driven and very frightening.

I was forced to vote lib dem because of the lack of a labour candidate.

It makes me sick that I essentially voted Tory.

It will never ever happen again - what a bunch of traitors to the left.

would vote same party again

Lib Dem, never voting for them again.

I voted liberal. Made my choice would do it again, now I guess I have to live with the consequences.

(true about the cuts; under Labour I knew I could have a home next eyar)

'Labour ruined this country and those moaning about the Tory cuts are forgetting they have no choice.

True

However there's one thing knowing that nad having options, and another knowing that when the only way out of dependency is handing your kids over to foster care.

In all truth I don't think people who can get a job have a clue how it feels right now.

My DH works; only aprt time since the redundancy but it's something: I can't imagine how it is to be a single aprent of a disabled child right now, or sick.

I voted Lib Dem and would do so again - in fact, I said prior to voting, that my ideal outcome would be a Lib-Con coalition so I'm quite happy.

Any government would have had to make cuts, the only real difference was when.

The over-riding benefit of the current government however, is the safeguarding and freeing up of civil liberties and the emphasis on responsibility over rights.

My personal favourite change is the scrapping of contact point and the horrible thing that would have been the CAF assessment - I no longer have to worry that my child's finger prints will be taken or that they will be assessed without either my knowledge nor permission.

Oh and I say all of this as a parent and public sector worker who will be worse off as a result of the economic policies - I just think I would have been worse off under Labour - even if it wouldn't have been for another couple of years.

voted labour got labour (though hated doing so because of Iraq)

have friends who voted lib dem and are kicking themselves

most tories are probably rubbing their hands together, but will be soon remembering how truely terrible the hospitals and schools were in the early 90s, unless of course they can afford to go private in which case it explains why they voted how they did in the first place.

I voted for Dave, but I like Nick and Vince, so yes, I was happy then, and am still happy now., I can't imagine I will agree with everything that's about to happen over the next year or two, but as I see it we really have no choice.

Torie here too!!!
I'm totally gob smacked at the number of people who believe Labour were / are /would be good for this country. That idiot Brown sold our gold for a ridiculously low price, when we really didn't need the money, he totally wrecked our pensions & go this country into a worse financial state than it has been for soooooo long! (well, since the last blooming labour govt anyway!)
I am a public sector worker & will be in the band of the most "affected" earners, but I would rather loose a little & try to see the "Great" in Great Britain have a meaning again, than leave to country to go to the dogs under Labour (or the Lib Dems, who just don't cut the mustard full stop.)
Good luck to David Cameron, He has probably the most difficlut job over the next 5 years & will become the most hated man to so many, but he obviously cares about this country.

Voted Labour-would vote Labour again,got a Green MP.
The coalition government's plans for health, education and welfare mean that the poorest sections of society will bear the brunt of the cuts.
Yes there need to be some cuts but they should look at increasing tax revenues by increasing taxes for those on higher salaries not target the poorest sections of society.

agree butkin voted Tory in a safe Tory seat so my vote hardly made a difference though.

Tories are in a minority on MN. Think the survey on MN just before the election had the LIB DEms getting 50% of the MN vote

I read the free bus passes were changing to 65 from 60 which seems fair to me.

Glad I voted Conservative. Would have preferred them to have had an overall majority but the coalition seems to be working well enough and I'm pleased with all the sense they are talking. They are being tough to get our economy back on track and I can cope with that. Sooo glad to have got rid of Gordon and that awful, wasteful, nanny-state, Labour Government.

Conservative through and through. Would never even think of voting differently. I'm not into tactical voting, so would always vote Conservative - it's a matter of principle. Conservative MP won our marginal seat. So, yes, I am overall happy. I've lost a freelance (government) contract as a result, but tbh, it was money that needed saving. I'm amazed the work was there in the first place, as it really, really was a waste. I liked being paid, needless to say, and will struggle without it - but I'm glad to see that particular work go for the greater good.

Freelance contract aside, I was feeling very bleak about the future. Now I'm not.