If you were a Lib Dem supporter in 2010...

I agree ToadintheHole - they just haven't differentiated themselves enough. People perhaps thought what is the point of voting LibDem, they might as well choose between Labour or Conservative. I voted libdem this time, as well as the previous two general elections, and I am gutted they have done so badly. But they have paid the price of going into coalition and this has effectively made them all but disappear in the minds of the electorate. Libdems now need to think about offering something really different.

I voted LD in 2010.

I voted for them this time because-

• I liked the incumbent LD MP
• the alternative was a Tory.
• I held my nose very tightly.

I've watched the LDs absolutely crucify themselves over the last five years. Years ago I was a party activist. I was heavily involved in the 97 campaign. The party I joined was one of normal people with an optimistic view of society, who wanted to find out and fix what local people wanted fixed, and which believed that society should - and could - be tolerant and environmentally focussed. During that time, the LDs increased their MPs and vote share but, more importantly, they became a major force in local government.

Now, they seem to have morphed into a smaller version of the two big parties. They have been utterly undone by hubris, something from which they used to be immune. They've lost almost all their MPs, almost all their councillors, and half their party membership. I wouldn't be surprised if the party is unable to put up a full slate of candidates at the next election.

I think politics should be organised from the ground up. It gets people involved, and that makes for better government. That's what the LDs used to try and do, but Labour and the Tories never have. Maybe the LDs can return to that view and recover, or maybe the Greens can pick up the mantle. However, either party will be starting from way, way further back than in the 90s or even the 80s.

Also, the UK - except perhaps Scotland - seems more inward looking and focussed in the past than it used to be. I don't see much scope for the LD approach in that environment, but I hope I'm wrong.

I'm dismayed, to be frank

I voted with my conscience and I agonised about it Hester. But having looked at the results this morning the winning candidate had 58% of the vote so I feel I made the right decision. I'm pleased my vote gets to count in the nationals because it couldn't have changed the result.

Yes Vince has lost his seat. His constituency is near me and a very similar demographic to my constituency and similar in terms of it's a pretty much a two horse race (or used to be) between Lib Dem and Tories except he's always been pretty well regarded before which had made him safer.

I think the people of Twickenham feel a lot like the people in my constituency and I reckon I'm pretty typical.

I think a lot of people thought they were voting against UKIP by voting Conservative. I suspect much of these Tories got in off the back of "tactical" voting that has turned out to be anything but.

I don't think the Lib Dems are poor anything. They didn't have to enter into a coalition with the Conservatives, they could have gone Labour. They could also have been more vocal about how they were moderating the Tories (if they were and if they weren't they deserve to go).

I feel that this time round we, the electorate, have decided even if I'm not happy about the result. Last time it felt to me like we got a government we didn't elect.

Apparently Vince Cable has lost his seat

I voted LibDem in 2010, and I wanted to vote Green this time, but I voted for LibDem because it was either him or the Tory candidate. Our LibDem MP has done a good job for us in Westminster since '97, and he is an outspoken advocate of the NHS and supporter of environmental issues. I even donated some money to their campaign and had signs on the house. I figured the Tories don't give a flying fuck about the environment. All their care about is increasing crappy jobs and reducing welfare spend.

Our result has yet to be declared (no guesses where I am then), but it looks certain to be a Tory.

It seems like the LibDems are being punished for going into Coalition, but as Ecclefechan says, why then the huge swing to Tory? Why? I don't get it, unless the last few days of scaremongering about the SNP and Labour in No10 has worked beautifully. The Tories are now going to use this as a mandate that everyone in the country supports their awful agenda after all.

It will make a good topic for a dissertation in a few years time when the dust has settled.

I'm going to vote Green for everything from now on. I'm just going to go with my conscience.

I voted Lib Dem last time because I don't really like our now ex Labour MP.

However, I didn't want a Tory MP so voted Labour this time. Sadly it didn't work .

Hopefully it will be a wake up call to my fellow constituents. We are not a Tory area but they have been let in because some of the traditional Labour voters voted for bloody UKIP.

I can totally understand former Lib Dem voters being so disillusioned that they turn to Labour, Greens etc. What I CAN'T understand is the large number of Lib Dems who have swung Tory - what's that all about??

Poor Lib Dems. They really were punished - I thought they did the right thing/the only thing, but hey ho.

Well it looks like they blew it.

Never will I vote lib again. Not the current lot anyway , and a new lot would need a huge effort to regain my trust. The tuition fee issue is not my gripe- but rather that the mid way politics they sold did not happen- they threw the poor, the disabled, the sick to the wolves and didn't appear to put up a fight- nor apologise in the aftermath.

I've gone plaid, though I am thankful they are an option as, were I in England, a vote for milliband would stick in my throat as much as a vote for clegg

I voted green this time, although I live in a borough that is so blue my one little green vote really won't count. I had intended to spoil my ballot but for some reason couldn't bring myself to do it. Green seemed like the least bad choice

Voted Lib Dem in locals though - active in Local party

Voted Lib Dem last time

Voted Labour this time as they're now second (Lib Dem were second last time)

I'm Anti Tory to the Nth Degree

Voted Lib Dem last time - and all the previous times too - but have switched to Labour for this election. For three reasons :

Not at all happy that they went into coalition with the Tories.

Went to the local hustings and thought the Labour guy was excellent. Intelligent and compassionate and engaging.

I am appalled by the Tory press's attacks on Ed Miliband; They have dug and dug for dirt on him: his "Marxist" father, his previous girlfriends, his appearance, his "speech impediment". Although not a huge Ed fan, I think he is a serious and decent man.

My vote could be seen as wasted as it's a Tory/Lib Dem marginal so no chance of a Labour win, sadly. I just thought I would vote for the guy I honestly thought would make the best local MP.

I wouldn't say 'supporter' but I voted for them last time and I voted for them again. They are pragmatic, realistic party (imvho!) - They had to ally with Cons last time and they made some ok deals.

I was an ex-Lab voter when I voted LibDem last time and will vote LibDem again. I'm in a safe Labour seat so it won't make a button of difference, except to perhaps add one more vote to the LibDem national share of vote.

Reasons: I'm closer to LibDems in terms of policies. I think the past 5 years would have been worse if the Tories had governed alone. Local LibDems work hard in the community and are responsive to problems/ criticism.

I voted Lib Dem last time have voted Labour this time in a strong Labour seat. Very disappointed in them, find Nick Clegg particularly odious so wouldn't ever vote for them again whilst he remains their leader.

I ditched them and voted Green. They have totally sold out their principles and they need to earn back my respect before they will get my vote again.

I think in my constituency, which is a marginal between the Torys and Lib Dems, the incumbent Tory will get back in and he's actually been ok for a Tory bastard so I've used my vote to bolster the national numbers for Greens. I share some core views with around education and schools and proportional representation in particular.

I'm hoping that by increasing the national numbers the more dominant parties will see there is mileage in some of their policies and start to change their position to one more like mine. Then I might vote for them!

Tactically voted Lib Dem in 2010 in the belief that if they entered a coalition, it'd be with Labour.

Obviously felt disappointed afterwards/betrayed & thought in future that I'd vote with my heart rather than tactically against the Tories in future. However, I find myself voting Lib Dem again despite the prospect of them going back into coalition with the Tories. Despite his voting record in the HoC not opposing the Government as much as I would like, he does work hard on issues for constituents.

The woman the Tories have parachuted in to contest this marginal has lied in her campaign literature & claimed credit for things that weren't her doing. I have a horrible feeling that people aren't reading the text of these as she has bombarded us with so much!

I'm voting lib dem again because I think they've done a good job in government. If they'd called the tuition fees increase a graduate tax (which it effectively is) they'd have avoided a huge amount of bother. I still like clegg too...I think he performs really well on TV and radio. He was in a difficult position in 2010 and I think they made a brave choice to go into coalition. They definitely made things better than a Tory majority government so I've stuck with them. Safe labour seat where I am so will make no difference at all.

I voted Lib Dem in 2010 because in the area I lived at the time it was locally between them or a Tory mp; I felt LD were the best option out of the 2. I've since moved to somewhere that has a Labour safe seat. Very happy to not have to vote Lib Dem anymore.

Voted lib dem last time, voted labour this time.

I'm voting Lib Dem again, and did last time. In a safe Tory seat though so it doesn't make a huge amount of difference.

I don't feel betrayed by them over the things they didn't achieve from their last manifesto or the things they gave way to the Tories over. Being a minority coalition party is a very awkward place to be and they were always going to have to give way on something. I feel as though they have done the best they could do when the Tories were just trying to bulldoze them constantly.

Plus I still like Nick Clegg, though I appear to be in a minority. Danny Alexander, on the other hand...

Having said all that, it is still a slightly negative, least-worst vote. I'm not a natural Labour voter so they are the party who would need to win me over, and they haven't done so at all. I would have seriously considered the Tories but I'm anti-EU referendum. So Lib Dem it is.