It can get rather confusing when the PM and his deputy sound so alike that on radio you can't tell which one it is (or even on a TV if you're an old person and "all those young people look the same" to you). For all the political differences between the two parties in the coalition, the respective leaders appear as brothers separated at birth. But this is not the real issue. The issue for many people is that this coalition has turned out as it has done. It is a result that has left many Lib Dem voters feeling betrayed and many Labour voters feeling contempt for a party which has sold it's soul. Although we knew it was a party of opportunists, misfits, students and people with no particular political talent one could never have expected them to so leisurely open their arms to the Conservatives. Of course it was hoped that the Conservatives' scheme to slash and burn the public sector would have been toned down or at least diluted by a Lib Dem party in whose manifesto they claimed to be against swingeing cuts to public services.
Now we are nearly three months into this government's reign and no word from senior Lib Dems about the severe cuts imposed in Osborne's budget that their manifesto criticised. Billions of pounds promised by Labour to 700 schools for important renovation work have been wiped out, and huge cuts to University spending, with University minister David Willets encouraging students to attend lectures at their local university, thus penalising those poorer students who cannot afford to go further afield to study without Government help. The Daily Telegraph even admits that Willett's plan will 'damage the prospects of Britain's poorest'. So where are the Lib Dems, the champions of the student community? Who is speaking out against these cuts which will take away the life experience of leaving home for University from those who can't afford it? Well the Labour Party of course, while the student 'champions' sit silent more interested in actually being in government for once rather than standing up to the Tories to protect those who actually voted for them.
In fact, according to the Telegraph, a BBC documentary aired on Thursday 29th July 2010 discloses how 'Mr Clegg decided two weeks before the election that spending cuts were needed immediately, despite telling voters it would jeopardise economic recovery'. So Mr. Clegg in fact lied to his voters. No wonder he was so ready to join up with the Tories. I wonder how Mr. Cable was forced to swallow the Conservative economic plan, having argued so vehemently against it in debates. It appears that the nations most trusted politician is not so entrenched in his principles as he'd like the electorate to believe. Power corrupts eh Vince?
One thing is certain; I would be surprised if the Lib Dem leadership were not dreading the eventual general election. That is unless the Conservatives decide democracy is an example of wasteful government spending and take the axe to it. Then maybe that would teach people a vital lesson; that things can always be worse and if they vote Conservative they most definitely will be...
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