Really really fed up of the 'we didn't win the election' argument, particularly with respect to tuition fees

I expect the tories to be self centered, unfeeling, selfish, bigoted, uncaring, pompous, jingoistic, filth, they always have been and always will, it's part of the tory DNA. The tories are not called the "nasty party" for nothing BUT i dont expect the LD's to support them in their attempt to destroy society.

They are attempting to demonise the poor and umemployed, to turn then into the new "Gypsies" someone to be despised and marginalised.

There's compromise and there's capitulation.

To me, coalition politics means moving forwards on the areas you agree on and leaving the areas you disagree on well alone, not steamrolling over promises which were a large part of the election platform of one party.

AFAIK the Tories did not win lots of votes by promising to increase tuition fees, so I don't see why it's necessary to do this using the excuse of coalition.

We currently spend less than 1% of GDP on higher education, that's less than even the USA FFS! There's no way fees are unaffordable in the grand scheme of things, it's pure ideology and it makes me sick.

I'd like to see them handle the press better.

It should have been easy for someone to say something like:
The Liberal Democrats have been and still are opposed to tution fees. We had costed plans to phase them out over a number of years under a Lib Dem majority government. However compromise in a coalition means prioritising some policies over others and in order to have the key 4 manifesto promises, which we said we not form a coalition without, we have had to sacrifice other policies despite the fact they remain important to our party.

We are looking at other ways to incorporate our aspiration to phase out tutition fees into the recommendations in the Browne Report which will replace our previous plan to phase out the higher years fees first - we envisage working with the Conservatives on a progressive (blah, hate the word)plan which would link lower incomes to reduced or no tution fees - perhaps through the pupil premium or salary after graduation, which could be gradually extended to more graduates regardless of income should the Liberal Democrats gain a greater proportion of MPs in 2015.

I'm a disappointed Lib Dem voter too, and I'd have liked to see the pledge kept. But I think the OP doesn't fully take account of the way in which coalitions have to work. They have a new agreement now and have to work with that.

I would like more consistency, though - some Lib Dem ministers cite the realpolitik of coalition, others not realising how bad the state of the country's finances was. Pick one line and stick to it!

But, they didn't win enough votes through that pledge to form a government based on their manifesto so they published the coalition agreement instead. This agreement REPLACED the manifestos on which the Lib Dems and Conservatives ran on for a limited period of time (duration of the Parliament) and said :

We will await Lord Browne?s final report into higher education funding, and will judge its proposals against the need to:
? increase social mobility;
? take into account the impact on student debt;
? ensure a properly funded university sector;
? improve the quality of teaching;
? advance scholarship; and
? attract a higher proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

If the response of the Government to Lord Browne?s report is one that Liberal Democrats cannot accept, then arrangements will be made to enable Liberal Democrat MPs to abstain in any vote.

This isn't about the manifesto though, I accept that in a coalition each party has to compromise and cannot implement its full manifesto. But each individual Lib Dem candidate signed a personal pledge that they (as an individual MP, not their party) would vote against a rise in tuition fees. This was not dependent on them being in power or in opposition, the wording was simply: ?I pledge to vote against any increase in fees in the next parliament and to pressure the government to introduce a fairer alternative?

They won many votes because of this pledge and were happy to sign it and have their photographs taken beside it. I think it's fair to say that some of the candidates in university areas were probably elected because of this promise. Therefore I cannot understand how they can now stand up and vote for an increase in fees without losing integrity.

You have to make compromises in a coalition and to be honest I wouldn't say that abolishing tuition fees was a central plank of our manifesto anyway.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, compromises do not have to be made when it comes to a central plank of your manifesto, the LD's CAN vote against the rises.

I fucking hate Glegg now, to think i got taken ion by him during the debates (hits head on wall)

Clegg, clegg, we see you
Your just a fucking Tory to

I'm a Lib Dem supporter and I'm strongly opposed to tuition fees but kokolp is right, compromises must be made in a coalition.
Still doesn't make it feel any better though

Kokolp, no they cannot all be kept but the ConDems could vote against the rises and those with any honour will.

As a long term LibDem supporter I am beyond disgusted with them, I will campaign against them at the local elections which will be difficult as our local LibDem councillor is a good councillor but a message must be sent.

Our Lib Dem MP, when confronted by angry students, despite signing the pledge not to vote for an increase in tuition fees, says, 'I stood as a Lib Dem candidate, not as an NUS candidate...'

Not good.

I don't think you're taking into account coalition politics. Not all policies/pledges/promises can be kept in a coalition. Concessions must be made and the Lib Dems gave up on their tuition fee policy.