On a point more relevant to the original post: anyone else really glad that a graduate tax won't be implemented? What was Vince Cable thinking. One minute "Higher Education should be free", the next "you should pay for it for the rest of your life, even if you had to flip burgers when you graduated and work your way up to a graduate-taxable salary as though you never bothered going to university".

I'll tell you one thing - I often bitterly regret my decision not to do medicine, in light of the current financial climate.

No, I was saying that labour are forced to spend. Her point was that they just leave everything in ruins e.g. roads not having been repaired for years because of cuts etc.

I can't believe how daft the Lib Dems have been. How did they not see this coming? The coalition does very little good for them and a lot of harm. They get tagged with the backlash from the cuts, they have to swallow Tory policy and haven't got a great deal out of it. Some limited electoral reform and more time on TV? Unless something happens swiftly, and someone with some real savvy steps in, they'll be left for dead in the next election. They should have just said, 'Yeah, you've got the most seats so we'll let you form a government. We may even support your emergency budget for a few concession, but after that you're on your own (A phrase the Tories seem fine with!)'.

I'm hoping they rebel over the HE issues at the very least. Lib Dems support is built on the idea of more access to education, not less.

Sadly, there's likely to be very little rebellion- nowhere near enough to make a difference. Many Lib Dems are already back-peddling on all their promises- explaining to us, the stupid public, how agreeing to such increases in fees is not actually against that pledge they signed to grab student votes afterall.

After the election, the Lib Dems had very few options, and this was the best (catastrophic though it is) for their party's interests. If they'd let the Tories go it alone, we would've had another election in no time, at which point, Lib Dem voters would've abandoned them to vote for either Labour or Conservatives. They couldn't have made a coalition work with Labour. This was their only hope, but it was never in the country's interest.

They don't stand a chance next election. Anything good to come out of this government (y'know, for the rich etc) will be attributed to the Tories. The Lib Dems will only share in the (likely numerous) failures. In fact, if anything, they might find themselves more accountable - people expect the Tories to behave like this, but the Lib Dems have betrayed their principles and their voters to enable these Tory policies.

I was almost excited before the last election :(

Why, Peljam? Labour - somewhat biased in favour of those who haven't worked hard or don't do much. Conservatives - biased towards those who either inherit their wealth, or work hard but are paid disproportionately high. Lib Dems - talk crap. Green - ha! UKIP - ditto. What was there to be excited about?

Can't say I agree with your, ahem, oversimplified version
;-)

I was excited mainly because the Lib Dems seemed to be gaining some momentum, and, though I hate to admit it now, the thought of a coalition (between no one in particular) was a pleasant one. I'd hoped it would lead to a balanced government where no one class or social strata would end up with an un-due burden. A coalition where both sides would mediate the other and stop extremism and wandering too far left or right in the short term whilst the economy recovered. Naively.

With a coalition I was also hoping it would lead to some real electoral reform. The winning candidate for my borough had a margin of less than 700 votes. And their win in effect disenfranchised over 60% of the local voters. I'm not expecting a perfect system where every single vote has an impact, just one where there's less waste.

Now though I see nothing of the sort. From my point of view I'm not sure what's worse, the fact that there's a Tory government making cuts relatively unchecked by the lib dems (who as potential power brokers you'd have expected a little more back bone from) or the fact the lib dems are likely to be absorbed and forgotten by the time the next election rolls round. I don't find the idea of a two party system very appealing.

The government have, I believe, a total of 364 seats, of which 57 are LibDem. Therefore, the should have about a sixth of a say, which they do, and which is ar more than they would have got if the Conservatives had formed a minority government. As it is, they can still have an input. LibDem voters seem aggrieved that they don't get an equal say, but this rather overstates their position as the definite minor partners.

As for your comment about 60% of the voters, are these the ones who voted for a candidate other than the winner? If this is a veiled attack on first past the post rather than PR or AV, these systems are highly flawed too.

I wouldn't say it was a veiled attack 4Matt :-) I don't think first past the post is a fair system, or the best possible system. That doesn't mean that by default I think the others are perfect or suitable. I just think it's worth making a concerted effect to move towards some effective electoral reform, and a system that doesn't cause so much 'waste'.

I don't think the Lib dems should get an equal say as the system stands.  I just didn't expect them to roll over for the Tories with such reckless abandon. I would have expected them to use the leverage that their position gives them to effect some change considering the stark differences between the two parties, even it was only putting on the brakes here and there so they could actually represent the people who voted them into their seats in the first place. Or at the very least standing up for what they supposedly believe in and withdrawing from the coalition.

I think the lib dems must be in such a difficult situation. They had to go with the tory party, really, otherwise it would have seemed unfair, and although I despise the tories, I think it was the fair thing to do in the circumstances.

I suspect they have deals worked out which will take effect later down the line. But for now I reckon the tories have got them over a barrell - if they really 'put the brakes' on any policies, they'll be the ones slated all over the papers for 'letting this country go to ruin' (rolling eyes smiley would be useful here mods).

The LibDems have 22 ministerial positions, and Cam only needs 20 LibDem votes to swing things the tory way... And if those 22 LibDems want to hang onto their top jobs, well what are they going to do?

I think you need your big coat back on Eska, its getting cold!

yeah, I'm going to layer up today- just about to venture out to my teaching. But I like my new(ish) cyber look... so my avatar wil lhave to shiver just a bit longer.

It seems that when the university funding cuts are announced next week, there's going to be an 80 % cut in the teaching budget (4.2 bn) and a £1bn cut in research funding. Call me a clairvoyant, but I don't think my future career is going to be in higher education. (sprout)