to think Nick and Dave have both made a pact with the devil?

[rhondajean]

I mean, Daves given up some major policy issues and Nicks going to be deputy prime minister - its horsetrading surely?

No, on the contrary, I am full of confidence tonight. I'm so pleased that they both have negotiated and compromised and seem determined to put the good of the country first. The Lib Dems will be a good influence on Tory policy, making sure they don't veer too far right. Very refreshing. I'm really excited.

Oh I really hope you are right - I just have no confidence in any of them. Time will tell.

TooPragmatic - hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

im just fucking depressed. here we go again. 'every man for himself' does not make for the good of a country.

So what's the alternative? I'm full of admiration for them both that they put the good of the country before their ideals and their party politics. I think they'll be a check on each other's excesses. A Tory minority would have been dismally weak and a coalition of losers just unbareably unfair. I really think this is the best of a bad job right now.
I think YABU unless you can suggest something else that is viable tbh.

But they are going to put in policies that no one voted for - democracy?

All about them wanting power - no principals.

or is that principles - sorry rubbish spelling.

This is what I have been asking my furious Labour-tribal friends. Given the election figures - WHAT ELSE, seriously, could have happened?

A minority gov would of been fairer to party members but would of meant we'd be back at the polls sooner rather than later.

I think they should have gone with minority and if back to polls so be it. I understand Democracy is about the people decide - not a few posh boys.

I want to give them a chance.I am hopefull that they are going to make a difference.Hopefully in a good way.

From some comments I've read on Facebook today I get the feeling that it is not the principle of coalition that people object to, nor the unavoidable concessions one has to deal with in such arrangements, but simply a lot of dummy-spitting that the Lib Dems went the "wrong" way.

I just feel a bit cat's-bum-mouth that really, the votes didn't count, and it all boiled down to who Nick Clegg fancied the most and a bit of wheeling and dealing. I would like another election and I do get the feeling that if were a more impassioned country in general we would be pressing for one. As it is, the best we could muster were a couple of hundred well-meaning students protesting for electional reform.

Grrrrrr, it makes me want to dig out my old Rage Against the Machine t-shirt and go throwing eggs and soggy loo-roll at politician's cars

I am completely with toopragmatic, this will hopefully prove to be an example of grown up politics rather than the usual silly tribal, kids with toys nonsense. I would rather have policies that have been properly discussed by politicians with a range of views.

This is democracy, this coalition represents 52% of the vote, the last Labour govt represented I think it was 42% of the vote!!

Democracy means there will always be those that are unhappy as you cannot please all the people all of the time or even some of the time! Good luck to the new government as the alternative is no alternative at all.

It is grown-up politics, but I agree it will be difficult... especially, for example, if David Laws is asked to defend the policy of keeping tuition fees.

They can't have both made a pact with the devil can they? Unless they are both also the devil.

Gosh! D'you think the are? Black masses in No 10? Virgin sacrifice in the HofP?

I agree with toopragmatic - at least my head does anyway. My heart feels a bit heavy. I hope it works out.

Cameron is definitely satanic. I worry about anyone who has a face with mirror-like qualities.

Cupcakes - err the votes didn't count. The tories got more votes than labour so we now have a coalition that represents the more of the electorate than a lib-lab pact. Whether or not you like a lib-tory pact its not less democratic than a lib-lab pact.

Isn't that what I said?

And democracy is based on what I personally find agreeable so you are wrong.

Sadly democracy is based on never quite getting what you want.

I was saying (not clearly perhaps) that the votes did count because the lib-tory pact represents the largest slice of the electorate this time around.

I think DS2 (2yrs) has got it right as he thinks David Cameron is Iggle Piggle

furious27 - you said "But they are going to put in policies that no one voted for - democracy? "

Nice soundbite.

But what policies, exactly, are they putting in place that no-one voted for?

Aah sorry Chaz. I misunderstood you. What I meant by "the votes didn't count" was that in the end, with no majority, it all came down to who Cleggy most wanted to kiss after the school disco rather than it actually mattering who had the edge. Unless I am v-e-r-y stupid and have misunderstood the entire debacle, which there is a very good chance of.

Cameron as Iggle Piggle = hilarious and very true. How has no-one clocked this before?

The coalition representing what the majority of the public want is only true if you assume that the libdem voters are happy with a Tory government. From what I can gather, they are not. Libdem voters are probably feeling very let down. So I don't think its fair to claim this is what the public have decided, it is what the parties have decided.