Nick Clegg has earned a modicum of my respect

It may be spiteful of me but I really hope the despicable Clegg doesn't manage to rehabilitate himself.

Me too. Perhaps we need a 'party of the disenfranchised'. I still see myself as a Social Democrat but none of the parties now fits this description. I will let my membership of the Lib Dems lapse this year. With regret.

Moi aussi. Even if I were able to vote in England, I would probably have to settle for a protest vote, possibly for the Green Party.
I look back in some sadness at how euphoric we were in 1997. If only John Smith had lived, how different things might have been. I think I despise Blair and his cronies even more than the chinless wonders in the current cabinet. I expect Tories to manage things for the benefit of the rich and powerful - twas ever thus - but I felt cheated by 'New Labour'. Even John Prescott took his thirty pieces of silver. (Yes, I do know the bible!)

Perhaps, more worrying Greatnan is that people who have always voted in thepast may be put off voting in the future. I, for one, feel quite disenfranchised.

I saw him in Celebrity Big Brother - cringe making!

Haha! Who do you think I am? Cleopatra?

!

Thought you were referring to your pet snake, jeni...

That should be me also! Perhaps I made the vodka jellies for the hippy hop too strong

Me asp!

Are you calling George Galloway a lunatic, Greatnan?

Unfortunately, disillusion with the main parties will lead to many people voting for the lunatic fringe like the BNP, UKIP or Respect.

I just wish the "British public" had someone worth voting for. 6 of 1 half a dozen of the other.

He has an unfortunate face!

Like Ed Balls? (Sorry, couldn't help myself - I can't stand that man!)

I don't know Clegg personally, but I am inclined to like him from what I have seen of him on TV. I loathe the smooth, well-fed, privileged cronies in the Tory party. I have not taken up my option of a postal vote since I moved back to France, but I hope the great British public have seen enough to boot them out. Whether Milliband will fare any better if he gains the reins, I don't know, and he is hardly from a deprived background himself, but perhaps he would have some sensible advisors.

Yes, I think he has, anagram, but this one struck me as particularly fundamental and not just an attempt to gain brownie points.

But hasn't he already 'refused to back' several Tory proposals? Sometimes it seems like a case of the coalition using the LibDems to water down changes Dave isn't brave enough to actually implement! Then both parties get the brownie points (they think, anyway!)

Ministerial salaries, pensions and perks are powerful disincentives to disagreeing with the old Etonians.

I agree too, lets hope more of them discover their backbones!

I agree - I think he is making the most of his last period in government by standing up for his true beliefs, but I doubt if he can do enough to alter the electorate's opinion of him.