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?

Theyve obviously both offered the devil their soul for power - and my point is, not one person in the country voted for this and this particular mix of policies therefore its surely the most undemocratic government yet.

The decision has been made on the basis of who offered Nick the deputy job which party was willing to give most ground to the Lib Dems on policy and remember they came third....all I can say is at least Alec Salmond isnt being called upon to be support the arse of the two headed beast - wasnt that in Revelations somewhere ?

Thanks, Nifa. That's what I was trying to say only more clumsily.

I didn't vote for a coalition with the fucking Tories. I voted LibDem but was toying with voting tactically for Labour. I'd be pissed off with this outcome if I'd voted Labour too...

Dreading this new regime, honestly think all but the wealthy are truly screwed

Well the lib dem voters didnt want a labour government either; otherwise presumably they would have voted Labour but surely if the Lib dem supporters see PR as a big thing then they are accepting that they will never see an entirely Lib Dem agenda.

If the Lib Dems want PR they are going to have to deal with being in coalitions. This is their big chance to prove that PR can work and not just lead to political stalemate.

I hope that it does work. I hope that Clegg sticks by his principles (other than his shudder-inducing illegal immigrant amnesty) and doesn't get starstruck and power-trippy and well, just like the rest of 'em and forgets why he got into politics in the first place.

a deal with the devil...why? What's Mandy getting out of it?

I voted Lib Dem (and I've never voted Tory) and I'm happy with the coalition. I think it's the best way for a stable government to be formed from what happened at the election. It would have felt wrong to me for the Lib Dems to prop up a government who'd lost so many seats.

I hope it works.

Dave & Nick = Dick

~applause~

I hope it works too. They sounded really optimistic on the telly, and I'm naive enough to hope it might just work-ask me again in a years' time when we are all on the brik of disaster and I'll eat humble pie!
Clegg did not go with whoever he fancied- he went with the party that won most seats and the biggest %age of votes. I've never voted tory, and it would stick in my craw to ever do so, but I think fair enough if they got most seats. It looks like the lib dems have ministers in all levels of government, so maybe they will humanise the tories. They can't do anything too drastic, because they need virtually all the lib dem MP's on board to get any legislation through.

I'm a Lib Dem voter and am happy. Instead of back biting and shouting at each other in Parliament, hopefully at least two parties will now work together for the common good.

UnquietDad - that is the impression I'm getting too. Labour supporters can't quite get over the fact that the Lib Dems didn't choose them.
And of course the fixed term parliaments freeze them out for at least 5 years, when I suspect a lot of them were hoping they would be back in power in 12-18 months.
It is sour grapes, pure and simple.

The facts of the matter are that Lib/Lab would have been very unstable. The Labour negotiating team knew that, and according to Vince Cable this morning Labour showed very little commitment to the negotiations and very little will to do a deal.

The Conservatives have been very flexible, and have negotiated with the Lib Dems in good faith. They have all done very well to get something so stable hashed out in such a short space of time.

Yingers - no one voted for the policies we are getting. It is not tory or lib dem. Nearly chocked on my dinner when I heard we are now getting the national insurance rise -after Cameron going on about the evil jobs tax.

But yes I hope it works - and no i dont think a lab/lib situation would have worked.

I'm a LibDem voter, and this is exactly the situation that I expected (and was apparently expected by large swathes of the civil service before the election took place), and am happy with. Nick Clegg said (on MumsNet no less) that he would be happy to form a coalition with the party that got the most popular support, which is the Tories, and so he has formed a coalition with them. I'm still bemused that some people feel that Nick Clegg doing what he said is in some way cheating.

I am just being educated I guess as to the lack of principle of the lib dems, who as Nick Clegg has so clearly stated, were willing to get into bed with anyone to get into power. They will have forever put off a large proportion of their voters; who now know that Vote Lim Dem = Get Tory.

Time will tell if it was worth it for them - I really highly doubt it, personally.

Two words - GROW UP!

So people think the Lib Dems would have more integrity if they'd gone with Labour, simply because they themselves wanted a Labour government. Despite the fact that NC had promised to go with the party with the larger mandate and has honoured that promise? Those are exactly the highly questionable morals that got Labour voted out of power. Labour voters and the Labour party truly deserve each other.

As for whinging Lib Dem voters. If you wanted a Labour government you should have damned well voted Labour shouldn't you?

Furious27 - quote from the document released today:

"The increase in Employer National Insurance thresholds proposed by the Conservatives will go ahead in order to stop Labour's jobs tax."

The Employer's aspect of the NI rise was always going to be the most damaging for the economy, so clearly that is the priority to reverse.

Yes the employees NI rise will now go ahead, but that's going to be offset by the planned increase in personal allowances. There's not much cause for complaint there surely?

Agree with earlier post: Clegg has prostituted himself as far as I can see.

Janeite - what would you have had him do exactly?

Of course he hasn't prostituted himself.

What should he have done?

I would have had him do nothing and let the Tories attempt to get on, without a majority, to hopefully force another, early, election. At least that way his own 'values' would remain intact. Anyway, can't be bothered to argue but just feel very disappointed.

What would that have achieved though? If the Lib Dems are serious about PR, then a hung Parliament will happen more often than not.

They have to show they can negotiate a credible deal, or their party and one of it's central beliefs are dead in the water.

Absolutely. And if we are to believe him - and I'm not a born cynic like so many on here - he is putting the country's interest before his own. It's a crying shame more people aren't with him on that, but not surprising given the general selfish nature of the electorate.

Conservatives + Liberal Democrats = Condem

I voted tory (live in tory/labour marginal - around 100 votes in it in the end) and had enough of labour and I am happy with outcome as I think lib-dem will mean tories will have to be more centralist.