Liberal Democrats planned to drop manifesto pledge

[MrPinkPanther]

Shocking absolutely shocking. It disgusts me how Clegg and other senior Liberal Democrats have betrayed the electorate like this. Just a month after planning this Mr Clegg starred in the infamous "broken pledges" video about how he would be different and he of course signed the pledge to vote against a rise in tuition fees.

Link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/12/lib-dems-tuition-fees-clegg

Please note: This is about the Liberal Democrat party and not UKIP. I'm looking at you Dan. I actually tried to find it on the Daily Mail website to make a point but only the Guardians reported on it at the moment because they've seen it first ^^.

[Pyroka]

Seeing that pic makes me wish I could retract my vote.

[Inseriousity.]

I don't really pledge allegiance to a political party but tbf to the lib dems, they're in a coalition government. That means compromise on both sides. Shocking but hardly surprising from politicians, let's be fair!

[MrPinkPanther]

I don't really pledge allegiance to a political party but tbf to the lib dems, they're in a coalition government. That means compromise on both sides. Shocking but hardly surprising from politicians, let's be fair!
But that's exactly the point. This was done before the governmental deal. Liberal Democrats received votes from people such as myself on the need for change and to do something different, they finally had an opportunity to break the status quo and they failed, big time. They've damaged the electoral prospects of every small party out there, showing that if they get into government then they will change their views and that in Britain coalition governments ultimately make no one happy, even if neither of these things are true.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Shocking absolutely shocking. It disgusts me how Clegg and other senior Liberal Democrats have betrayed the electorate like this. Just a month after planning this Mr Clegg starred in the infamous "broken pledges" video about how he would be different and he of course signed the pledge to vote against a rise in tuition fees.

Link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/12/lib-dems-tuition-fees-clegg

Please note: This is about the Liberal Democrat party and not UKIP. I'm looking at you Dan. I actually tried to find it on the Daily Mail website to make a point but only the Guardians reported on it at the moment because they've seen it first ^^.

I don't mention UKIP, people feel the need to bring it up when I slate all three main parties for all telling lies - I couldn't care less who people vote for or if they dont vote for anyone at all, but what annoys me is when topics like this come up and people start championing the opposition (who happen at the moment to be the Labour Party) when they are exactly the same and also broke a promise on tuition fees.

See now I don't see why everyone is so suprised that they've lied about this, they all lie all of the time - do we all have the memory of 6 months or do we enjoy being taken for mugs by this lot? if we all hate being treated like this then its very simple; next election go and put your mark next to a minor party, an independent or don't vote at all.

Otherwise its pointless moaning about it, you vote for liars then you shall get liars.

[rudey]

Almost as bad as the conservatives, lol.

[Pyroka]

Almost as bad as the conservatives, lol.

Whoa lets not be hasty.

[MrPinkPanther]

I don't mention UKIP, people feel the need to bring it up when I slate all three main parties for all telling lies - I couldn't care less who people vote for or if they dont vote for anyone at all, but what annoys me is when topics like this come up and people start championing the opposition (who happen at the moment to be the Labour Party) when they are exactly the same and also broke a promise on tuition fees.

See now I don't see why everyone is so suprised that they've lied about this, they all lie all of the time - do we all have the memory of 6 months or do we enjoy being taken for mugs by this lot? if we all hate being treated like this then its very simple; next election go and put your mark next to minor party, an independent or don't vote at all.

Otherwise its pointless moaning about it.

What makes you think that smaller or independent parties will be any different? Sure when they have a few MP's they will vote how they wanted but the nature of our parliament means that a few MP's mean very little and you need to be in government to make a difference. If we assume that say UKIP got in charge, whats to say they won't do what every other party does in government and change what they said in the election? I realise this is a rather pessimistic view but it's true. Prior to this election the liberal democrats were a small party, whatever way you look at it. No one expected them to go into government even a year ago and they were considered simply a vote against the status quo. They changed their tune and I'm sure a hell of a lot of other small parties would too. I'm not saying we shouldn't vote for small parties, I'm saying we should be wary.

That said, I won't be voting for the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives or Labour at the next election.

[-:Undertaker:-]

What makes you think that smaller or independent parties will be any different? Sure when they have a few MP's they will vote how they wanted but the nature of our parliament means that a few MP's mean very little and you need to be in government to make a difference. If we assume that say UKIP got in charge, whats to say they won't do what every other party does in government and change what they said in the election? I realise this is a rather pessimistic view but it's true. Prior to this election the liberal democrats were a small party, whatever way you look at it. No one expected them to go into government even a year ago and they were considered simply a vote against the status quo. They changed their tune and I'm sure a hell of a lot of other small parties would too. I'm not saying we shouldn't vote for small parties, I'm saying we should be wary.

That said, I won't be voting for the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives or Labour at the next election.

Nothing makes me sure that the smaller parties will be any different if i'm perfectly honest. UKIP, if they were to ever gain office could turn out to lie on every issue they stand for and could make me look like a fool - but at least i'd be genuinely suprised and taken aback when they did go back on their most important promises. I'd also then know not to vote for them ever again.

With the three main parties theres no excuse (especially the Conservatives and Labour). They all have an appalling track record of a number of issues with Europe being the one i've obviously looked into and in a way it serves us right, because until we start dropping tribalist & sound bite politics then we are going to be taken for a ride time after time after time again by all three of these main political parties.

Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

[Inseriousity.]

That said, I won't be voting for the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives or Labour at the next election.

So unless everyone doesn't bother to vote, they'd be more inclined to vote for the smaller parties. I think that this political minefield is the perfect opportunity for a small party to shake up the 3-party system. I've always been a little disappointed in our system atm because if there's a good independent MP, it's unlikely they'll get enough votes because everyone sees it as a wasted vote to vote outside the big three. If the small parties were to shout from the rooftops, metaphorically, then we may see a shift in attitudes although I'll keep my fingers crossed that people don't vote for BNP :(

[MrPinkPanther]

Nothing makes me sure that the smaller parties will be any different if i'm perfectly honest. UKIP, if they were to ever gain office could turn out to lie on every issue they stand for and could make me look like a fool - but at least i'd be genuinely suprised and taken aback when they did go back on their most important promises. I'd also then know not to vote for them ever again.

With the three main parties theres no excuse (especially the Conservatives and Labour). They all have an appalling track record of a number of issues with Europe being the one i've obviously looked into and in a way it serves us right, because until we start dropping tribalist & soundbyte politics then we are going to be taken for a ride time after time after time again by all three of these main political parties.

Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on you.
The thing is the Liberal Democrats don't really have a track record. They've generally stayed with their core policies throughout the past few decades and have kept to them more than a lot of smaller parties do to their manifestos. That said I don't think it's the Liberal Democrat party thats wrong but the leadership. I spoke to a Liberal Democrat MP (naming no names) a couple of weeks ago because my friend works with him and he seemed pretty angry at the tuition fee rises so obviously there are at least some people in there fighting the cause.

Edited by HotelUser (Forum Moderator): Accidental tripple post merged.

[ifuseekamy]

Politicians lie... welcome to the real world. Unfortunately the majority of people (mainly fellow students) will still maintain their rose tinted view of politics; that some politician can bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone will be happy and equal and have no financial issues.

[Chippiewill]

Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Fix'd

This is a appalling, it's somewhat reasonable to go back on it after the election after realising that it couldn't actually be done but plainly lying to voters despite knowing that they would go against it anyway should be against the law and should carry serious penalties as a breach of trust.

[Conservative,]

Fix'd

This is a appalling, it's somewhat reasonable to go back on it after the election after realising that it couldn't actually be done but plainly lying to voters despite knowing that they would go against it anyway should be against the law and should carry serious penalties as a breach of trust.

I agree, but to be fair to the Lib Dems, they didn't know there was going to be a coalition. And both the Tories & Lib Dems had to make sacrifices. I don't see why people can't understand that? Yes Nick Clegg said he'd vote against tuition fee rises, but he has had to sacrifice that like the Tories have had to sacrifice things. It's also complete bollocks voting against tuition fee rises because it's unreasonable and means that funding from the Government would have to rise for Unis, but then they'd have to take that away from eg; NHS, MoD or something.