Turn coats?

I presume you mean whenever it suits their own purposes, Greatnan.
If they were changing their policies because of new evidence or information about something, that would be different.
It seems a reflection of the times we live in that you can ask the question, really.
Was it ever the case that governments acted in the interests of the country and the people they represent, or is that just naivety to think that in the past there was perhaps more of a public service ethos than there appears to be now?

The trouble now is, I think, that politicians and parties are expected by many to be unchanging in their views about everything, and there seems to be no place for genuine rethinking and changing one's mind. The rest of us do it all the time, if we are open to discussion and well-thought-out argument.

When nice of you to think that but I think quite a few people have entrenched views and are not "open to discussion and well-thought-out argument". We should be and we should be tolerant of our leaders when they are swayed by reason.

Greatnan
what do you mean by allegiance?
On a lot of important matters, there are a range of different but genuinely held opinions. I think the ability to keeping talking and reach acceptable compromises is a most useful one that I'd like our politicians to have.

Look at the criticism Ed Milliband got for deciding that he couldn't support an attack on Syria as he had been expected to do. If he hadn't done so, we might have ended up being dragged into an attack with the USA, but here we are with at least some hope of an advance through diplomacy with the Russians and the Chinese taking part. So much for "letting down the Americans" as he was accused of doing. More like "giving the Americans a bit of breathing space to see if something else can be worked out". If he was swung by argument or even just by giving it a bit of thought, he deserves much credit, IMO.

I say this as one who does not vote Labour (or Tory, come to that).

I'd rather politicians were honest and said, 'Sorry folks, we got it wrong,' rather than sticking to their guns when it's perfectly obvious something isn't working.

What I don't appreciate is the likes of Clegg saying he'll make another alliance after the next election with either the Conservatives or Labour 'so he can keep them in check' when he actually means he'll side with which offers him the most power.

What would be the point now of voting Liberal Democrat? You now know that in the event that the party with the largest number of votes agreed to form a coalition with them, any number of policies that they set out would immediately be ditched.

Come to think of it, if we don't get a clear winner at the next general election, the same would apply to the other parties - unless they categorically state that they will not enter into a coalition.

Would you believe the Tories if they said that they would not go into coalition with the other parties? At the last election they told us no top-down reorganisation of the NHS.

I felt almost sorry for one Libdem MP when she was interviewed about their policy in the future. She obviously had no idea, but said they would be guided by what their constituents said.
I don't suppose many people expect politicians to have strong principles these days and certainly if they genuinely feel they may have been mistaken I respect their honest admission. What repels me is the simple and very obvious willingness to do anything that will keep them in power.
Is Vince Cable right to distance himself from the leadership - or should he do what Robin Cook did and resign?
Apparently, UKIP may split the right-wing vote at the next election. Does that mean that the Conservative party will have to start blaming immigrants for all the ills of the economy?

Where individuals are concerned, some people seem to take the approach that 'mine enemy's enemy is my friend' and are happy to become best friends with people they have claimed to despise previously.

I remain distressed and angry that this 'coalition' is pushing through policies for which no mandate has been given. I don't regret the fact the libdems and labour didn't go into a coalition, as labour lost the election and it would have felt unethical to me. I do regret the way in which the libdems seem to have happily thrown their own beliefs and policies to the wind, in order to be 'in power'.
When I watched the first leadership debates prior to the last election, I felt that both Cameron and Brown gave it their best shot, but that Nick Clegg was smug and self righteous in his comments about them. Nothing he's done since has improved my view of him. Many people in tory/labour marginals have in the past voted libdem, on the 'keep the tory out' ticket. I imagine many of those people will now vote for the party they have least fear of. Are the libdems finished for some years?

Yes, I think the Libdems have shot themselves in the foot in their leadership's desperation to be in power. I feel sorry for the grass-roots members who seem to have been ignored. I am very disappointed - I felt disillusioned by the Labour Party after Blair and Brown, and now yet another party seems to have sold its soul for a mess of potage.
Could it be possible that so many people feel as I do that the Green party could garner more votes?

Miliband seems to have shot his party in the foot now too.
I dunno if there is anyone left to vote for.....maybe should look at the Greens.....(NOT campaigning here!)

What's Milliband done AlieO

I find it very hard to believe anything any politician says and have done for some time. I always wish as I go to cast my vote (which I always do) that the Monster Raving Loony Party was in existence here ! They couldn't be any worse than any of the alternatives !
The empty plinth in Travalgar Square could be saved for 'An Honest Politician'. Any ideas ?

When the economist John Maynard Keynes was once castigated by someone because he changed his mind on an issue he turned round to his accuser and said: 'When circumstances change I change my views. What do you do?'

If an election does not provide a majority government then coalitions are inevitable and any small party going into a coalition must, depending on the circumstances, either go with the other party with the largest number of seats, who will have a majority with their partners MPs or, if a coalition can be with one of several parties then see which one will give them the best deal. What is the alternative.

Because we are not used to coalitions in this country we sometimes have very unthought through views on how they should work. If a third party in an election considers themselves to pure to enter a coalition with a majority party you end up with a government that cannot govern because it does not have a majority. That is a recipe for chaos and frequent elections. Political party's in a situation where no party has a majority have to do deals and their supporters expect the minority party to go where the best deal is.