To wonder about the values of Tory/UKIP voters

[Campaspe]

Why would anyone vote for a party that promotes austerity rather than a progressive, liberal party (Labour, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru)? I'm not saying for a minute that Tory voters don't care about poor or vulnerable people, so how do they square their political support with their conscience? Is it that these voters genuinely believe Labour caused the recession (most analysts now discredit this theory and point to Tory failure to manage the deficit, but maybe these voters aren't aware).

So, given the economic mismanagement stuff doesn't stick, why??? Dislike of Ed Miliband - in which case, why not another progressive party? How do such voters justify the bedroom tax, benefit sanctions, supporting tax evasion, failure to protect libraries, the growing divide between rich and poor etc etc. What are their reasons???

After 5 years of austerity this should be Labour's election to lose. The fact it isn't is because they just aren't trusted after the last lot.

The economy was booming under Labour and that sounds like a good time to spend, but they increased long term spending obligations, not just short term ones. Also much of that money was wasted because there was very little scrutiny to ensure increased spending translated into increased output. You don't have to be a genius to work out that, banking crisis or not, the good times won't last forever and sooner or later current commitments will have to be funded from a weaker economy.

But the Tories apply cuts too severely and too indiscriminately. On top of that they lack credibility on cornerstone policies. They promised to fix the economy in 5 years but now say it will take 10.

They promised to cut immigration to low 10s of thousands a year it was 300,000 last year. Now they are promising to cut immigration again. Believable?

They promised a referendum of Europe but are now saying that will have to after the election. 5 years to arrange a referendum? Don't tell the Scots. And what alternative are they offering? Oh, and various senior Tories are saying there won't be a referendum on Europe (if they get rid of Cameron).

And why would anyone in the public sector vote Tory? 5 years of being told you are rubbish. 5 years of pay cuts with another 5 promised. 5 years of redundancies with more to come.

As for UKIP, the main reason they are gaining is that immigration focussed Tories and Labour voters gave up after the Euro elections. And they convince themselves that UKIP are respectable enough to vote for.

People don't vote for parties, they vote against the other lot.