Liberal Democrat voters thread

[Madsometimes]

Who do you think that Clegg should go in with?

It is obvious that Labour and Tory voters each have their own ideas, but if you voted Lib Dem on May 6th, what do you think?

I think there are good things and bad things with both options - just different good and bad things!

I hate labour, and I hate the tories. I think it can only be good if the LibDems are in coalition with either party. They're not going to get a majority in the next few elections, but at least have a chance of tempering the bad parts of whatever party they do form a coalition with.

I just wish people would stop slating Clegg for trying to do his best in a shit situation.

I voted Lib Dem as my MP is Vince Cable whom I like. I would prefer a Lib-Con coalition as the conservatives did get the majority vote so really should be the party in power and do we really want a labour prime minister who is not even elected by the party yet?

It proves we have no Democracy. The party that got the least seats gets to decide who governs!!!
I voted LibDem but never would again. Conservatives took almost 100 seats from Labour, got by far the biggest vote...and Nick Clegg gets to choose in the playground who actually wins.
Gordon Brown was resoundingly beaten, yTe this loser can come back alongside the other biggest losers...
DEMOCRACY IS DEAD.

Clegg's behaviour has turned into that of a ropey car salesman. "Make me an offer, any offer....." And it seems that whichever party bends most towards the LibDem manifesto gets his backing. This is quite disgraceful.

The man has been given a power that he does NOT deserve to have.

And boy, is he lapping it up!!!!!

We need another election - this carry-on is not acceptable.

Slight hijack- Interesting ConDemNation - my father (as a miner and former Communist party member) tried brainwashing me at about 7 years old too and it is funny how much sticks. My politics are quite different to his (I rebelled) but I have a few quirks in my politics which are right out of left field as a result of things sticking from such a young age and I too find it difficult to argue about those in an informed manner.

Sorry as you were - interesting thread. There is such a presumption on MN of a LidDem labour bias which in my RL experience does not exist.

I don't see why there couldn't be a broad tory/lib cabinet with a space or two for the likes of David Davis or IDS. They just need to be careful what post they give a very right wing person.

It if wasn't for their views on the Euro, I would have voted Lib Dem. As I strongly disagree with Labour's handling of the economy, I therefore voted Tory. So I would prefer a Lib/Tory coalition, as I agree with many of both of their policies.

However, I also think there should be a Lib/Tory coalition for moral reasons. The Tories won 306 seats/36% of the vote, against Labour's 258 seats/29% of the vote. Therefore I feel it should be the Tories who should be in power with the Lib Dems.

Democracy doesn't work anyway, with so many twits voting tactically. It gives a very skewed view of who the majority of the country really want to run the country.

I think I agree that heart says Lib/Lab but head says Lib/Tory. The mandate seems strongest that way.

I'm just worried now that Clegg is going to shilly shally for too long, and lose all credibility. It needs sorting today or people will accuse him of playground politics rather than statemanship.

I think Nick Clegg has really let the Lib Dems down with his childish demands. For example he won't work with Gordon so will kick the majority of his supporters in the teeth by cosying up to the Tories. It's not about who he likes and dislikes IMO, it's about politics. I voted Lib Dem as I felt let down by the antics of New Labour BUT never again after this performance by the (supposed) Lib Dems. I think the only thing they can do to satisfy the voters is to call for another election and just hope we get a clear winner. I don't believe any coalition will stand the test of time anyway, especially a Lib-Con coalition. It is true to say the politics in the coutry are way off the mark, why on earth does Nick Clegg suddenly have all of this power it's outrageous and this situation just seems to highlight they really are all the same and there isn't a real choice anymore. Personally, as each day passes I dislike Clegg more and more. I regret giving him my vote as I'm sure many other regular Labour voters probably do. Give us another chance...we're sorry Gordon Haha! PS. I think Labour should've made Gordon step down before this election as it was always pretty obvious people just didn't like him. I for one may have given them a second chance with a fresh faced leader. Rant over

I would like a Lib/Con coalition.

It's tricky, the philosophy of the Lib Dem party is very democratic amongst its MPs and members, so there will be pressure on Clegg to build a strong consensus. But I do think there is a lot of pragmatism within the party - when you look at how the Lib Dems work at a local level, there is a lot of coalition working going on, so there is a reasonable acceptance that coalition involves compromise.

I suspect there is a difference in how people feel depending on whether they voted Lib Dem tactically but are aligned with another party (i.e. a vote against another party) and those who are naturally aligned with the Lib Dems. If you voted Lib Dem to try to keep another party out, then you clearly wouldn't be happy with them talking to that party.

I also voted Lib Dem (not by default, but because they are the party that agree with my views more than the others, altough I'm more to the left than right) I think a ConLib coalition would be for the best. The Nationalists hate Labour only slightly less than they hate the tories and Labour have said they don't want a coalition with the SNP/PC. Where does that leave the LibDems? Struggling along in a minority government, at the beck and call of every minority party in government. All the Tories will have to say to the electorate is 'This will happen all the time under PR' and the electorate will be dead against it.
I'm afraid if the coalition falls apart, as is more likely, the lib dems will be wiped out, as the coalition will drag everyne down with them. The Lib Dems haven't got as much money as the other two parties. They can't afford to have another election. I'm hoping the Libdems will moderate the more odious aspects of the tory party.

Aussieng, that's an interesting parallel. I don't really see what my dad told me as brainwashing - I had asked, and he tried to put it to me simply, in the way he understood it.

I question everything, but what he said to me seemed to make sense through the tory years and into our labour govt.

I can never argue about politics because the system is so complex and there are things I don't get about it - I don't read motives well, rarely see the bigger picture. I don't get economics either.

I might have an IQ of 145 but these things somehow give me a mental block!

I think Clegg is damned if goes with the Tories, and damned if he goes with Labour - basically he's between a rock and another rock. He's doing what he said he'd do before the election - and he's taking more than 15 minutes to do so, well surely that's for the best?

I trust him, as the leader of the party I give my vote to, to do the best for both the party and the country as a whole. Yes, he may fuck it up, yes, he will lose voters, but give the man a bloody chance to do so.

We've given the Tories and Labour many many chances over the years to run the country with their wonderful leaders - Thatcher, Major, Blair, Brown (amongst others). They've fucked up every time. Clegg isn't going to run the country, but by letting him and the Lib Dems have a go, we're effectively testing the party. Why not let Nick Clegg have a chance to see what he can do - maybe he'll actually (whispers) do some good?

I think that Clegg should reach an agreement with the Tories

Unfortunately I think Conservatives (and I find that painful to type!) I really want a proper PR system but the erosion of civil liberties by Labour has been frightening over the last few years.

Finding this very hard because I actually dont want to go in with either, I want us to be the winners!

I am very pleased that Clegg is talking with both parties after all, he does need the support of his party for what ever he goes for and therefore needs the best 'deal' he can get.

Didn't mean brainwashing in a sinister or manipulative way ConDemNation - just kind of a reflection that at 7 years old you don't have the resources, knowledge or experience to challenge what you are being told.

Interesting that you say "mental block" I was trying to think of how to say something similar about my out of left field ideas. I think the phrase would be "emotional block".

You assume Prolesworth that the 23% of the electorate disapprove of the Tories - clearly not the case.

Proles, I don't automatically equate the compromises and negotiations that have to happen in a coalition government with abandoning ideological principles - it depends what you agree to drop and what you define as non-negotiable. Until we know the details of what's on offer from the Tories, I don't know for sure how comfortable I am with it.

But ultimately, I do trust Clegg and the MPs to recognise the point at which it is a compromise too far.

Of course I don't want him to roll over to the Tories that's my whole issue! It is childish to only work with Labour if GB leaves IMO, surely the Lib Dems political stance is more aligned with Labours than Conservatives (well that's what I thought anyway). I can't help thinking the only way this should be settled is a re election ASAP as practically every voters feathers have been ruffled. They persuaded many none voters to get out there and vote and these people are now dismayed by it all and I predict will go back to their political silence. This whole debacle has severely dented peoples faith in democracy

Am a lib dem voter and a member of the party! I used to be a labour party member before that! I think the right move is to go with the Tories if the idea is to have a stable government.
If the lib dems went with Labour, you would also have to bring in the scottish and welsh nationalists and I think they would demand too much for the coalition to remain stable. As nationalists they will always put their own countries first (which is what their supporters want) and would have no real interest in what happens to London and the rest of the UK. With a huge deficit to plug, I can't see how a deal to keep them all sweet would be possible. I am not a fan of the tories but they are the biggest parties so we need to respect the wishes of the electorate. Also the idea of an unelected Labour PM is not something the public would be able to accept right now.