Forgetting AV for one moment..

I think people should be encouraged to vote for the Coalition on their results as well as their aspirations for the future. If it happens that you are not bothered about poor growth, flat interest rates, rising inflation in the short-term, rising unemployment, poor GDP, the majority of universities providing courses for £9000 with minor concessions for the really poor, a debacle over forests, a fast “hatchet job” of the NHS and social care, withdrawal of “Building Schools for the Future”, scrapping of EMA and SureStart, sure, fine, vote Conservatives or Liberal Democrats.

But if you wish to cut the deficit faster, and 100% not 80%, sure vote Conservatives or Liberal Democrat. The thing is you will still have the situation above, or the consequences of it in a few years’ time, and you could see the English economy completely grind to a halt. This will make it even harder for your chosen LibDem and Tory councillors to provide local services in the community.

The LibDems make this minority Tory-led government possible. Unless LibDems voted on bloc, you’d have a debate and you’d have a choice. As it is, you don’t really have any choice at all.

Oh yes, you got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the voting system (a bit). Whooppeedoo.