Lefties 9: This will succeed through its success

Coolfonz- I wouldn't complain if you flattened them all. My instinct is to give DC best available. Flatten them all and we are level. Happy with that.

gingercat12 - you make me smile. So even before you got down to business you were booking the school place and debating which school.

How do you feel now.

Private/faith education: nothing a bulldozer can't sort out.

Lenin; the longer version of my private school story: hadn't contemplated private school until my DS didn't get a place at the very good state school (too many siblings in that year). Rushed around found prep school. DS started to really enjoy and shine learning at prep school. Decide to send young two there as well for convenience and because of success of eldest. DS10 has just got into grammar schools locally but also gets 4 scholarships to 3 good close by private schools including academic and music scholarship to a certain private school. He revels in it all and really wants to go as he is motivated to learning. He understands the social dilemma. He is even reading Selfish Gene by Dawkins and explaining my dilemma to me. I have no idea how he will turn out but I feel that I am giving him very good learning opportunities and his social interaction and outlook is diverse by virtue of a number of other factors.

Other 2 children are also loving the prep school.

So as I said, in short, I cannot fully reconcile my politics with my decision but it doesn't feel that wrong as my parents gave me excellent education opportunities and instilled strong social values which still inform my social conscience. I hope to do the same for DCs.

Not sure if I am succeeding as he was supporting the LDs in the election run up

Look forward to Lib Dem conference today even if it does not matter any more.

I am not twitter-literate either, just have an account.

It is fascinating to hear other people's stories about private education as we have huge rows over it (for about 5 years, DS is only 2).

See Guy- Kennedy and Ashdown are coming out with concerns on ConLib. This will slowly, very slowly unwind for the LibDems. I spent most of yesterday telling a LD voting friend that they have been consumed.

Lenin on my use of private schools: The short story is that I can't reconcile my political views with my desire to put my DC in the best possible position.

As I said, I think Simon Hughes is looking and sounding like he is in great turmoil over this. He will struggle, I think to reconcile cosying up to the intolerance of the Tories; not Cameron but the ordinary members and MPs.

Simon Hughes has been looking v peculiar on tv - just after the election I put it down to exhaustion as he looked and sounded like he was falling asleep - but still the same last time I heard him (drugs? drink??)

Must go to bed. dh out on a rare night on the pop with mates.

We have to be patient and cease the opportunity to renew. This is not difficulty and Brown and Blair generation are moving on and we will suddenly look new ...just a few symbolic changes like admission on Iraq, maybe even Trident u-turn. The young and the green will back us. Please be patient comrades. Night night and chins up.

Just back from late night jog. No politics break-through thoughts other Ed Milliband is in pole position.

Also, feeling reassured that Labour will eat into LibDem support at next election. Not blaming NC as he was in a difficult position but the coalition works better for those at the very LibDem top. Then Cable and Hughes are not happy and they are popular and more typical LDs. LDs did get concessions but going forward will they have "dynamic influence" policies? And how difficult will it be for them to campaign at the next election when their membership is centre left and they are in a centre right coalition.

DC gets a quick dose of modernisation for his party and he is instinctively a social liberal so it works for him but I feel the LDs will be consumed after this for a generation.

Possible that Cable and Hughes will eventually defect to Labour, is my prediction. I mean the Tories are still homophobes so how could social liberals like Hughes stomach them.

Budget is 'within 50 days'. But then there is the comprehensive spending review in the autumn...

Yes I have found you now!
Also stumbled across someone I knew online years ago - I can't contact them can I? I can only send them a public message, which they won't see if they aren't following me? (gah, just don't understand this at ALL!

(have a strange sensation of jumping up and down wavign behind a glass screen!!)

I'm feeling a bit burned out and apathetic now that the reality of the new govnt is sinking in tbh. Every day some new horror. I am really really worried about the redrawing of the electoral boundaries.
I think I may just stop reading the newspaper
And selfishly I am also p**d off about things like the likely forthcoming raid on my pension.

Prolesworth I can't find you there

Nah, I'll still be here. I did try out facebook but not really very comfortable with it. How do you find people on twitter if you don't know who they are