I’m voting lib dem

[Ticktockk]

Just that really! There is so, so much saying it’s only between Tory and Labour that I fear it’s a self fulfilling prophecy.

There are some of us out there who think differently!

I don’t think the 2010 coalition (if that’s what you’re referring to) was an utter disaster. I think it helped balance some of the more ridiculous conservative ideas. It helped that Cameron was not a raging right wing lunatic like some others, but I think the Lib Dem’s helped.

Things got considerably worse once the Conservatives got a majority, IMO. David Cameron not in coalition? Brexit. And that's before we get to the subsequent 4 PMs.

There's a lot of that this election.

On the "Who Was PM During The Best Of Times For You" thread lots of people including the Coalition years including the 2012 Olympics but relatively few plumped for Cameron's brief second term. (Probably because the country's been a shitshow ever since he caved into an EU referendum.)

I'm of the view that the Lib Dems tempered the worst impulses of the Tories and helped keep the country stable.

Once the Lib Dems were out of the picture the Tory wreckers of the ERG who don't give a shit about our country, they just want their own way could be as disruptive and destructive as they liked.

And here we are.

All standing in the wreckage.

I think it's misleading to call them progressive on gender. Not recognising women as female is anything but progressive! In my constituency Tories and Lib Dems are neck and neck but I'm still not sure I can vote for someone who doesn't support women.

They were pernicious when they betrayed the youth of this country.by agreeing to introduce uni fees after swearing they never would. The effect on youngsters is still being felt.

Appearing to go back on an election promise isn't great, certainly. They made a real miscalculation there. They fumbled things with the doomed AV vote too. But two things:

1. Tuition fees are also Labour and Tory policy so I can't really square the full blame on the Lib Dems.
2. Tuition fees in the UK are just a de facto graduation tax. It's implemented in a bad way with the effect of compound interest, and tripling from £1k -> £3k -> £9K+ was unfair, but at the end of the day, the actual effect means no one is prevented from going to uni, and people can still just pay back when they're earning. If they'd rebranded it as a fixed-duration tax over a certain income threshold, it would have been fairer and clearer.

My preferred options overall would be Lib Dem then Labour. But my single most important policy is is around women's rights. I hate their lines on this. Won't vote Conservative so what should I do?

Protest voted for them instead of Labour in 2010 based on "scrapping tuition fees" and many other great left-wing policies.

Nick Clegg took my vote and teamed up with the Tories (who had failed to win a mandate) to start the process of eviscerating everything good in our country.

I swore never again!

Now 14 years later and I'm in a Tory seat with a Lib Dem candidate who is best-placed to beat them. She's also the only candidate who has cared enough to knock on my door and ask for my vote. On that basis I'll hold my nose and lend the LDs my vote again - but I do so with no pleasure at all. And expect them to trample all over every single manifesto promise if they get anywhere near power...

Still better than the Tories but only barely IMO.

Vote based on everything else.

That's what I'm doing @GhoulWithADragonTattoo. I'm a little bit GC and a LOT Rejoin the EU and I've nobody to vote for on that score.

Luckily there's energy, interest rates, environment, the NHS, Education, RAAC concrete, Children's Homes, Crime, Cost of Living, Food inflation, Rape conviction rates and a dozen other things to vote on instead.