LibDems

[Seasidesage]

Interesting article. Not only is it spot on but Merkel's comments about small parties always getting punished in coalitions seems to bear out an international trend that has now happened here in the UK.

I don't understand the gloating of some voters at the demise of the Lib Dems - without them you have on the left the Greens with economically unsustainable policies, a shellshocked Labour party, an SNP party hell-bent on independence, a leaderless UKIP with just one MP and a Tory party with a licence to cut and a majority to pass through more austerity - all on the back of garnering just 36% of the vote.

This. 100%. The Lib Dems kept the genie in the bottle when it came to the worst of the cuts. Times are about to get very hard for the poor and those employed by the Govt.

You have only to listen to the resignation speeches to see that. Clegg for all his faults at least thought he was doing the right thing for the country, accepted they didn't agree with him and resigned. Miliband just thinks he did nothing wrong and can't see why he lost...

We are stuck with this lot now for better or worse, and I expect to see the break up of the union, probably leaving the EC, and wholesale destruction of the social fabric of the country. I think this country will be very different 5 years from now...

 

[Perkino]

What odds can I get on Nick Clegg becoming a conservative MP

 

[GT49er]

Your second paragraph answers your original question. Sold the principals of the party for 5 years of power.

Also I suspect that some of their votes in 2010 came from labour supporters voting tactically in areas where labour itself stood no chance - the south west for example. After the liberals got into bed with the tories, that's another trenche of votes they have lost and probably will never get again.

 

[Pantani]

What odds can I get on Nick Clegg becoming a conservative MP

In Sheffield? Pretty long. It is arguable he is a conservative MP already. A Conservative MP on the other hand...

 

[Pantani]

Also I suspect that some of their votes in 2010 came from labour supporters voting tactically in areas where labour itself stood no chance - the south west for example. After the liberals got into bed with the tories, that's another trenche of votes they have lost and probably will never get again.

This. Though rather than some votes, I would say loads. There are always campaigns from various people in the South West asking people to vote tactically to keep Tories out, I've not heard very much about that this time. If I was ideologically a Labour voter but had voted Lib Dem last time out, there is no way I would ever vote for them again. Though I am stubborn, I have not voted Labour since 1997, when they let us all down in far too many ways to catalogue here.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

That's a rather trite statement. Back in 2010 when the economy was bust, Labour had been defeated and the Tories were the largest party what the HELL were they supposed to do?

Tell me that, I want your answer. 5 years on the economy and UK are in good shape, they deserve some credit.

Fair points and its also fair to say it,s unlikely how they have suffered at the polls that a coalition between one party or more will ever be formed again ?

 

[Bry Nylon]

What on earth is the Lib Dem conference this autumn going to be like with 8 MPs!!

 

[Driver8]

What on earth is the Lib Dem conference this autumn going to be like with 8 MPs!!

Cheap?

 

[BensGrandad]

What on earth is the Lib Dem conference this autumn going to be like with 8 MPs!!

Probably hire a small function room above a pub and have Bellotti as guest speaker.