John Redwood told us that to get a Conservative Government, we have to vote Conservative in Wokingham. Wrong! It seems that if you chose Liberal Democrat in Wokingham, you also voted in a Conservative Government. I am sure there were many who chose Lib Dem simply because they saw them as the best way to vote against the Conservatives. How do they feel now ? I remember at the count the Lib Dem leader (Prue Bray) telling us how the Lib Dems are the only alternative to a vote for the Conservatives in Wokingham. O yes Prue, voting Lib Dem gives us a choice alright – Hobson’s Choice !

I am trying to work out how this Coalition is going to be good for the Lib Dems other than giving them a bit of experience in government. I really hoped they would hold out for a fair electoral system, but they agreed on a referendum for the Alternative Voting system. This will give the Lib Dems about 20 / 30 seats extra for them, but nothing for anyone else. The Big Two and a Half continue to rule as usual.

But in spite of all this, my natural optimism hopes the Coalition will be a success. I believe we face such a difficult financial position that our politicians must give us honesty and clarity. There is talk of a 20% VAT rate, but this in itself raises only £12 billion of the £150 billion deficit we will face this coming financial year. It is cuts that are the only way to redress the deficit if we are not to destroy our economy with more tax hikes. Even the recovery cannot be consumption led as we are already £1,600 billion in debt as consumers.  Recovery will come from enterprise and this will not blossom in an atmosphere of multiple tax rises.

Another reason I want to see this coalition work is to prove to the nation that parties working together can give us great government. The idea that parties with huge majorities is the only way to save the nation, I hope will be finally put to the sword. Since the seventies we have had two parties with huge majorities and today we find ourselves facing the greatest debt we have ever experienced in peace time. Narrow minded, unchallenged decisions ruled – to our detriment.

So best of luck to the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, for the sake of the nation I hope it works – but don’t tell me that voting Conservative is the only way forward or that voting Lib Dem is the only alternative. Such views are now just voices from the past.